Back Up Salesforce Files to Google Drive, S3 & More

Ask a Salesforce admin where they back up Salesforce files and you'll usually get a pause. Then something like, "Well, Salesforce keeps everything, right?"

Quick answer: the easiest way to back up Salesforce files is to sync them to your own cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure or SharePoint) with a tool like DumpingCloud Cloud Sync. It copies your files on demand or on a schedule and keeps the same folder structure you have in Salesforce, so you don't need scripts, zip exports or manual downloads.

The rest of this guide explains why a separate backup matters, how the common methods compare, and how to set up automatic Salesforce file backups in a few minutes.

Does Salesforce back up your files for you?

Sort of. Salesforce keeps your data running on its platform, but it won't save you from a bulk delete that hit the wrong list view, a data load that overwrote the wrong records, or an audit where someone asks for a 2021 contract and nobody can find it. Contracts, signed proposals, invoices and case attachments all sit on records, and in most orgs there's no second copy anywhere.

If you're not sure how Salesforce Files differ from the older Attachments, this explainer on Salesforce Files vs Attachments covers it.

Why should you back up Salesforce files?

A few reasons, and you'll probably recognise at least one.

Mistakes happen. A bulk delete takes seconds, and undoing it takes days, if it can be undone at all. Audits happen too, and plenty of industries expect you to hold records in storage you control, with a retention policy to match. Then there's the bill. Salesforce charges roughly $5 per GB per month for extra file storage, so an archive of old PDFs costs real money every month. And if you ever migrate or merge orgs, you'll be glad the files are already sitting somewhere tidy.

What are the ways to back up Salesforce files?

There are five common routes. Here's how they stack up.

Method	Runs automatically	Keeps record folder structure	Effort
Manual download	No	No	High, repeated every time
Salesforce Data Export Service	Yes, on a fixed schedule	No, files arrive as large zip archives	Medium
Custom scripts or Apex	Yes, once built	Only if you build it	High, ongoing maintenance
Enterprise backup suites	Yes	Usually	High cost and setup
DumpingCloud Cloud Sync	Yes, Sync Now or Schedule Sync	Yes	Low, a few minutes

Manual downloads work until you have more than a few dozen files. The Data Export Service can include files, but the links expire and you lose the context of which Account or Case each file belonged to. Scripts are great until the person who wrote them leaves. Enterprise suites do the job but are priced for much bigger budgets than "I just want my files in Google Drive."

What most teams want is simple: files in a cloud they already pay for, organised the way Salesforce organises them, updated without anyone thinking about it. That's the gap Cloud Sync fills.

What is DumpingCloud Cloud Sync?

DumpingCloud is a free browser extension for managing Salesforce files in bulk, and Cloud Sync is the feature that copies those files to your own cloud storage. It supports six platforms: Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure and SharePoint.

Three things are worth knowing.

First, the files go to your cloud, not ours. Your Salesforce org and your storage both belong to you, and DumpingCloud is only the pipe between them. It doesn't keep any of your files or data in its own storage.

Second, the folder structure carries over. A contract attached to an Opportunity under Acme Corporation lands in a matching path, something like Accounts > Acme Corporation, with the same pattern for Opportunities and Cases. Finding a file later means thinking about the record, not guessing at a filename.

Third, you choose how it runs. Hit Sync Now for a one-off backup, or use Schedule Sync to run it every day at a time you pick. Synced files also stay accessible from inside Salesforce, with no extra login.

How to back up Salesforce files to Google Drive, OneDrive, S3 or Azure

The whole setup takes a few minutes.

Install the extension and open Salesforce. DumpingCloud is available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. There's no login or connection step on the Salesforce side. Open your org in the same browser and the extension picks up your files by itself.
Choose your cloud. Open Cloud Sync, pick Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure or SharePoint, and authorise that account. Because it's your own storage, you decide who can see the backup.
Run the first sync. Click Sync Now. For anything ongoing, set a schedule so new files keep flowing without anyone having to remember.
Check the result. When the sync finishes, the files show up in the DumpingCloud dashboard and in your cloud, laid out like Salesforce. Open a few records you know well and make sure the files are where you'd expect.

Which cloud should you back up to?

Honestly, the one your company already pays for. That way there's no new vendor to approve and no new place for people to look.

Google Workspace teams will like Drive for the search and sharing. If you live in Microsoft 365, OneDrive or SharePoint keeps backups inside the permissions you've already set up. Dropbox makes sense if that's where you share files with clients. Amazon S3 is the budget-friendly pick for long-term storage, and Azure is the natural choice if your infrastructure already runs there.

Can you free up Salesforce storage after backing up?

Yes, and it's one of the best side effects of having a backup. Once a sync has finished and you've confirmed the files are in your cloud, you can bulk delete the ones you no longer need to keep in Salesforce. Your storage usage drops, and nothing is lost, because every file still exists in your own cloud.

One rule: sync first, check second, delete last. Never in a different order. For the full walkthrough, see how to reduce Salesforce file storage cost.

Best practices for Salesforce file backups

Schedule the backup instead of running it "when you remember". A backup from three months ago isn't much use. Check a sample across Accounts, Opportunities and Cases before deleting anything. Set retention rules on the cloud side if your industry requires records to be kept for a set number of years. And run a fresh sync before any big change, like a migration, a mass delete or an org merge. It's the cheapest insurance you'll get.

Frequently asked questions

Does Salesforce automatically back up my files?

Salesforce runs the platform, but you're responsible for keeping your own copy of your data. A separate backup in your own cloud protects you from accidental deletions, bad data loads and audit requests.

Can I back up Salesforce files to Google Drive automatically?

Yes. With DumpingCloud Cloud Sync you can link Google Drive, then use Schedule Sync to copy your Salesforce files on a recurring schedule, for example daily at a set time.

Which cloud platforms does Cloud Sync support?

Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure and SharePoint.

Is the Salesforce folder structure kept in the backup?

Yes. Files sync with the same parent-child layout, so Accounts, Opportunities and Cases keep their files together.

Does DumpingCloud store my Salesforce files?

No. Files go straight from Salesforce to your own cloud. DumpingCloud only acts as the pathway.

Is it safe to delete files from Salesforce after syncing?

It's safe once you've verified the copies in your cloud. Sync first, spot-check a few records, and only then bulk delete from Salesforce.

Does DumpingCloud cost anything?

DumpingCloud is free to use.

Start backing up your Salesforce files today

Your files deserve the same care as the rest of your business data, and it doesn't take an enterprise tool to give them that. Set up Cloud Sync once, let it run on a schedule, and you have a backup in a cloud you already trust and, if you want it, a lower Salesforce storage bill.

Install the DumpingCloud extension, open Salesforce and run your first sync today.