1. Introduction
1.1 About This Guide
This guide is designed for end users, sales representatives, managers, and administrators who need to understand how 360 InstantDocs organizes, stores, and syncs the documents it generates. It covers how documents attach to records, how version history works, where files are stored by default, and how to extend storage beyond Salesforce when your team needs it.
For document generation and template-building instructions, please refer to the 360 InstantDocs Feature & User Guide.
1.2 What Document Management & Storage Means in Salesforce
Generating a document is only half the job. Once a contract, invoice, or offer letter exists, someone still has to make sure it lands on the right record, stays organized, and can be found again in seconds. In Salesforce, document management covers four things:
- Where the file lives – attached to the record it belongs to, or floating in a shared inbox?
- How it’s tracked – can you tell which version is current, and who generated it?
- How it’s found – can any team member pull it up from the record in seconds?
- Who can access it – is visibility controlled the same way your other Salesforce data is?
360 InstantDocs handles all four natively. Every generated document is organized, attached, version-tracked, and stored inside Salesforce by default, and synced externally when your team needs it there too.
Note: Most teams solve document generation long before they solve document management. Without a system like this, files get emailed, saved locally, or dropped into a shared drive with no link back to the Salesforce record that created them.
2. Auto-Attach Documents to the Right Record
Every document 360 InstantDocs generates is automatically attached to the Salesforce record it was created from, no manual upload, no drag-and-drop, no separate filing step.
2.1 How Auto-Attach Works
- Generate a document from any record – Opportunity, Contact, Case, or a custom object.
- 360 InstantDocs completes the merge and produces the output file (DOCX or PDF).
- The file is attached to the source record automatically, the moment generation completes.
- The document appears directly in the record’s file list – no intermediate holding area, no manual filing step.
2.2 Auto-Attach During Bulk Generation
Bulk-generated documents follow the same rule. Each file in a batch run attaches to its own source record, not to a shared folder.
Tip: This matters most for teams running volume. A finance team generating fifty invoices in a single run doesn’t want to spend the next hour matching each PDF back to the right Account. With auto-attach, that step never exists in the first place.
3. Version History & Instant Retrieval
Documents change. A contract gets redlined, an offer letter gets revised, an invoice gets corrected. What matters is being able to tell, at a glance, which version is current – and pulling up the right one without guessing.
3.1 How Versions Are Tracked
- Every document generated from a record is saved with a timestamp, so the most recent version is always identifiable.
- Admins and users with the right permissions can see the full generation history for a record, including how many documents were created and when.
- Because each generation creates its own tracked record, nothing overwrites silently – prior versions remain visible alongside the latest one.
3.2 Retrieving a Document
- Open the Salesforce record the document was generated from.
- Locate the record’s file list or related list of generated documents.
- Identify the correct version using the generation timestamp.
- Open or download the file directly – no separate drive, folder, or filename search required.
Note: This is especially useful during handovers. When an account manager leaves and a new one takes over, they shouldn’t have to reconstruct document history from someone else’s inbox. If it was generated through 360 InstantDocs, it’s already sitting on the record, in order.
4. Secure Storage in Salesforce Files
By default, every document 360 InstantDocs generates is saved to Salesforce Files on the source record. This isn’t a bolt-on, it’s the native storage layer, which means generated documents inherit the same security model as the rest of your Salesforce data.
4.1 Default Storage Behavior
| Behavior | Detail |
|---|---|
| Storage location | Salesforce Files, attached to the source record |
| Manual filing required | None – storage happens automatically on generation |
| External dependency | None – documents can be generated, stored, and retrieved entirely inside Salesforce |
4.2 Access Control & Audit Trail
- Access control follows your existing setup. Sharing rules, profiles, and permission sets that already govern who sees a record also govern who sees the documents attached to it. There’s no separate permissions system to configure.
- Audit trail built in. Because files live inside Salesforce, they’re part of the same reporting and audit surface as everything else on the record – useful for compliance-sensitive teams in legal, finance, and HR.
Tip: For most teams, Salesforce Files is the whole story. It’s simple, it’s governed, and it’s already where your data lives.
5. External Storage & File Sync
Salesforce’s native file storage is limited and gets expensive fast, exceeding your storage allotment brings substantial additional monthly fees, and files scattered across drives with no centralized structure make retrieval harder as volume grows. Manual syncing processes compound the problem, creating data inconsistencies and slowing the CRM down as file counts climb.
360 InstantDocs file sync feature solves this by connecting Salesforce directly to the cloud storage platforms your teams already use, with centralized, structured, two-way synchronization, so documents stay accessible, storage costs stay down, and collaboration doesn’t require anyone to leave the tool they prefer.
5.1 Supported Storage Platforms
360 InstantDocs file sync feature connects Salesforce to the following storage platforms:
| Platform | Sync Type |
|---|---|
| Google Drive | Native, two-click connection |
| Microsoft OneDrive | Native, two-click connection |
| SharePoint | Native, two-click connection |
| Microsoft Teams | Native, two-click connection |
| AWS S3 | Native, two-click connection |
| Box | Native, two-click connection |
| SFTP | Native, two-click connection |
Note: All seven platforms connect through the same two-click authentication flow inside the app – there’s no separate setup process per provider.
5.2 Setting Up File Sync
Follow these steps to connect a cloud drive and sync a Salesforce object to it.
Step 1: Open the 360 InstantDocs App
- Navigate to the App Launcher in Salesforce.
- Search for and open “360 InstantDocs.”
Step 2: Connect Your Cloud Drive
- Choose your drive provider (e.g., Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, AWS S3, Teams, Box, or SFTP).
- Authenticate by logging into your drive account.
- Grant the necessary permissions when prompted, then continue.
- You’ll be navigated back to your Salesforce org – the drive is now connected and reflected in your org’s Storage Setup tab.
Step 3: Set Up the Object to Sync
- Within the app, navigate to “Object Setup” and click “New.”
- Select the Salesforce object you want to sync files with (e.g., Account, Opportunity, Lead).
- Click “Next” to move to Folder Setup.
- Map key fields: the Primary Key Field (e.g., Record ID or Name) and an optional Folder Naming Convention for how folders appear in the connected drive.
- Select your Sync Preferences (e.g., Notes and Attachments) and click “Next.”
Step 4: Configure Sync Setup
On the Sync Setup screen, three controls determine sync behavior:
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Sync Records | Toggle to initiate syncing for existing records. |
| Custom Range | Choose “Sync All Records” to synchronize all records, including historical data, from Salesforce to the connected drive. Choose Custom Range to sync only records within a specific start and end date. |
| Delete Synced Files | If enabled, files are automatically deleted from Salesforce (Notes and Attachments) once they’ve synced to the connected storage service. |
Important: Deleting files that are synced to a connected drive from Salesforce Files may disrupt other Salesforce features or functions that rely on those files. Proceed with caution and confirm you understand the impact before enabling Delete Synced Files.
Step 5: Save Configuration
- Review the object setup summary – object name, folder name, and unsynced file count – for accuracy.
- Click “Save.” This setup is a one-time process, so confirm everything is correct before saving.
- The system automatically creates matching folders in the connected drive based on this setup.
- Synced files then appear in the Salesforce org, in the related section of each record (e.g., under Notes & Attachments).
5.3 Sync Options Explained
- Real-time two-way sync. Documents generated or edited in Salesforce sync to the connected drive, and edits made in the drive sync back to the Salesforce record, so both teams can work in the tool they prefer without duplicating files or losing track of the latest version.
- Structured, parent-child folder syncing. Folders are created and organized automatically based on your object and field setup, rather than requiring manual structuring in the destination drive.
- Historical and custom-range sync. Sync everything at once, or scope the sync to a defined date range, useful for phased rollouts or storage cleanup projects.
Example workflow: an Opportunity closes → a contract generates → it saves to the connected drive (e.g., Google Drive or SharePoint) → legal edits it there → the edits sync back to Salesforce automatically.
5.4 Why Teams Choose 360 InstantDocs File Sync
| Feature | 360 InstantDocs File Sync | Typical Competitors |
|---|---|---|
| Integration ease | Two-click integration | Complex setup |
| Automated syncing | Flexible auto-sync schedules | Limited options |
| Real-time two-way sync | Full synchronization | Partial syncing |
| Storage optimization | Intelligent sync-delete | Limited deletion |
| Centralized management | Complete file centralization | Fragmented systems |
| Structured file management | Structured parent-child syncing | Manual structuring |
Note: File Sync extends where documents can live once they’re generated, but Salesforce Files remains the primary, governed home for every document 360 InstantDocs produces. Position File Sync as a powerful extension of document management, not a replacement for native Salesforce storage.
6. Best Practices for a Clean Document System
A few habits keep document storage clean as volume grows:
- Let Salesforce Files be the source of truth. Even when syncing to Google Drive or exporting to OneDrive/SharePoint, treat the Salesforce record as the authoritative copy, it’s the version with the audit trail and access controls attached.
- Standardize document naming at the template level. Use dynamic naming (e.g., “Invoice – [Account Name] – [Date]”) so files are identifiable without opening them, whether viewed in Salesforce Files or an external drive.
- Only activate templates that are review-ready. Draft templates aren’t available for generation, which prevents outdated or unapproved documents from ever reaching a record.
- Turn on Google Drive sync selectively. Enable it for teams or document types that genuinely need external collaboration – legal redlines, shared proposals – rather than syncing everything by default.
- Review object-level access periodically. Since document visibility follows record-level permissions, an outdated sharing rule can unintentionally over- or under-expose generated files.
- Use bulk generation for volume, not manual filing. If your team is generating and then manually organizing more than a handful of documents a week, that’s a signal to move that workflow to list-view bulk generation instead.
