How to Block PII in Salesforce Automatically

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TL;DR

Salesforce cannot block customers or agents from inputting PII such as names, emails, phone numbers, home addresses, or ID numbers into Cases or attachments.
PII enters Salesforce via Email-to-Case, Chat, form uploads, escalations, and automated integrations; and storing it creates privacy exposure.
Strac blocks PII before it enters Salesforce; stopping sensitive messages, comments, and files from being stored while supporting GDPR and CPRA compliance.

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Salesforce receives personal information constantly because customers naturally share personal details when opening tickets. However Salesforce does not inspect content before storage; which means PII enters the CRM even when it should not. GDPR and CPRA require minimizing personal data and preventing unauthorized storage; blocking is the strongest mechanism to prevent exposure.

Strac blocks PII-containing messages and files before they are saved in Salesforce; eliminating downstream risk.

Why Salesforce Cannot Reliably Block PII (Personal Data)

Salesforce does not provide pre-ingestion DLP; meaning it cannot stop customers or agents from submitting personal information. Email-to-Case, Chat, API objects, and file uploads bypass any meaningful sensitivity checks.

Salesforce lacks:
• PII-aware blocking;
• Contextual detection of names, emails, phone numbers, and IDs;
• OCR scanning for PII within images or PDFs;
• Real-time message/file interception;
• Notifications to customers or agents;
• Regulatory compliance workflows for GDPR/CPRA.

Strac introduces pre-ingestion content inspection; enabling proactive PII blocking.

✨What Blocking PII (Personal Data) Looks Like Inside Salesforce

When PII enters Salesforce, it spreads across Cases, exports, duplicate records, dashboards, or connected systems. Blocking prevents this by stopping sensitive content before it is committed to Salesforce storage.

Strac blocks:
• Personal data inside Email-to-Case messages;
• PII included in Case Comments;
• File uploads containing names, emails, addresses, or IDs;
• Chat transcripts with personal identifiers;
• API-inserted objects with PII;
• Intake forms containing demographic data;
• Screenshots containing personal information.

Blocking results in:
• The message or file being rejected;
• A clear notification to the user;
• An alert to administrators;
• Zero storage of personal data inside Salesforce.

This supports both GDPR and CPRA data minimization requirements.

How PII (Personal Data) Blocking Works in Salesforce with Strac

Strac inspects messages, files, and objects in real time; detects PII using AI + regex + OCR; and blocks the content before Salesforce stores it. This prevents sensitive personal information from entering the CRM at all.

Blocking workflows include:
• Stopping PII from being saved in a Case;
• Blocking PDFs or images containing PII before upload;
• Blocking API-submitted data;
• Preventing PII-containing comments from being added to Case Feeds;
• Rejecting PII-containing Chat or Messaging content;
• Alerting security or privacy teams;
• Logging events for GDPR/CPRA audits.

This eliminates downstream privacy risk.

How to Configure PII Blocking in Salesforce with Strac

Connect Salesforce to Strac via OAuth.
Enable PII Detection in policy settings.
Select Block as the remediation action.
Enable OCR to detect PII inside images, PDFs, and scans.
Apply blocking rules across Cases, Email-to-Case, Files, Chat, and API objects.
Configure user notification messages for blocked content.
Route alerts to Slack, SIEM, or email.
View block events in the Strac dashboard for reporting.

🎥Why Strac Is the Best Way to Block PII (Personal Data) in Salesforce

Strac prevents personal data from entering the CRM; ensuring privacy compliance and reducing the risk of storing sensitive content. Blocking gives organizations the strongest form of protection because potential exposure never occurs.

Strac offers:
• Real-time PII blocking across Salesforce;
• OCR-based blocking for images and PDFs;
• Low false positives using context-aware models;
• Alerts and audit trails for GDPR and CPRA;
• Agentless deployment;
• Full DSPM + DLP visibility across the CRM.

🌶️Spicy FAQs on How to Block PII (Personal Data) in Salesforce

Can Salesforce block personal data before it is submitted?

No; Salesforce does not inspect or block sensitive content.

Can Strac block PII inside attachments?

Yes; Strac scans images, PDFs, and files before upload.

Does blocking help with GDPR/CPRA compliance?

Yes; blocking prevents unauthorized storage of personal data.

Can Strac block PII from API integrations?

Yes; Strac inspects API-inserted objects and blocks sensitive content.

Do users see a message when their PII is blocked?

Yes; customizable user notifications can be enabled.

Try Strac for Salesforce PII (Personal Data) Blocking

Strac blocks personal data before it enters Salesforce; ensuring compliance and secure CRM operations.

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