tools-only Official Salesforce Architect ERD Aesthetic Guide
Reference for generating ERDs matching the architect.salesforce.com visual style. This is the default style for all ERD diagrams generated by sf-diagram-nanobananapro.
Cloud-Specific Color Palettes
Each Salesforce cloud has its own brand color. The skill auto-detects which cloud to use based on the objects requested.
| Cloud | Border Color | Fill (~25% opacity) | Detect By Objects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Cloud | #0B827C (Teal) |
Light Teal | Lead, Opportunity, Quote, Campaign, Order |
| Service Cloud | #9E2A7D (Magenta) |
Light Pink | Case, Knowledge, Entitlement, Swarm, Incident |
| Platform | #5A67D8 (Purple) |
Light Purple | Account, Contact only (no cloud-specific objects) |
| Industries/Scheduler | #BA4383 (Pink) |
Light Pink | ServiceTerritory, WorkType, Shift, ServiceResource |
| Nonprofit Cloud | #032D60 (Navy) |
Light Gray | Survey, Donation, Program objects |
The Signature Box Style: "Dark Border + Light Fill"
This is the defining visual pattern of architect.salesforce.com diagrams:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Border | Solid 2px in cloud's brand color |
| Fill | Same hue at ~25% opacity (translucent) |
| Corners | Rounded (8-12px radius) |
| Text | Dark gray/black on light fill |
Visual Example
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │ ← Light translucent fill
│ ░ Opportunity ░ │ ← Bold logical name
│ ░ Opportunity ░ │ ← Smaller italic API name
│ ░ • Name ░ │ ← Key fields with bullets
│ ░ • Amount ░ │
│ ░ • Close Date ░ │
└─────────────────────────┘
↑ Dark solid border
Page Structure
1. Page Title (Top)
Large bold text centered at the very top:
- Format:
"[Cloud Name] Overview Data Model" - Example:
"Sales Cloud Overview Data Model"
2. Header Banner
Below the title, a horizontal banner containing:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [salesforce] SALES CLOUD │ LEGEND: │
│ Overview │ ENTITIES │ RELATIONSHIPS │
│ │ [boxes...] │ [symbols...] │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Left Section:
- Salesforce cloud logo
- "[CLOUD NAME] Overview" in dark background
Center Section - ENTITIES:
- Cloud Entity (dark border + light fill)
- Related Entity (dark border + light fill)
- External Entity (black border + white fill)
Right Section - RELATIONSHIPS:
- Parent to Child (Many-to-One)
- Required to Required (One-to-One)
- Optional to Optional (Zero-or-One to Zero-or-One)
- Many-to-Many
3. Main Diagram Area
The ERD with objects and relationship lines.
4. Footer
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ©2024 Salesforce - Subject to change without notice Last modified: [DATE]│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Entity Box Format
Each object box contains:
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Opportunity │ ← Bold logical name (larger font)
│ Opportunity │ ← API name (smaller, italic, gray)
│ • Name │ ← Key field 1 with bullet
│ • Amount │ ← Key field 2 with bullet
│ • Close Date │ ← Key field 3 with bullet
│ • StageName │ ← Key field 4 (optional)
└─────────────────────────┘
Recommended Fields by Object
| Object | Key Fields |
|---|---|
| Account | Account Number, Name, Industry, Type |
| Contact | Name, Email, Title, Phone |
| Lead | Name, Company, Status, Rating |
| Opportunity | Name, Amount, Close Date, StageName |
| Campaign | Name, Type, Status, StartDate |
| Case | CaseNumber, Type, Priority, Status |
| Quote | Name, ExpirationDate, Status |
| Order | OrderNumber, EffectiveDate, Status |
| Product2 | Name, ProductCode, IsActive |
Relationship Line Labels
Always include descriptive text labels on relationship lines.
| Relationship Type | Label Examples |
|---|---|
| Parent-Child | "child of", "parent of" |
| Lookup | "related to" |
| Junction | "member of", "participant in" |
| Conversion | "converts to", "promoted to" |
| Association | "assigned to", "owned by" |
Line Styling
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Stroke width | 1-2px |
| Color | Black (#000000) |
| Direction | Straight horizontal or vertical only (NO diagonals) |
| Crow's foot | On "many" side of relationship |
| Bar | On "one" side (required) |
| Circle + Bar | On "one" side (optional) |
Master Prompt Template
Use this template when generating ERDs:
Create a Salesforce [CLOUD_NAME] ERD in the EXACT architect.salesforce.com style:
PAGE TITLE (very top, large bold text):
'[Cloud Name] Overview Data Model'
HEADER SECTION (below title):
- Left: Salesforce cloud logo + '[CLOUD_NAME] Overview' in dark [COLOR] (#[HEX]) banner box
- Center: LEGEND with 'ENTITIES' section showing:
* Cloud Entity box (dark [COLOR] border, light [COLOR] ~25% opacity fill)
* Related Entity box (dark border, lighter fill)
* External Entity box (black border, white fill)
- Right: 'RELATIONSHIPS' section showing notation symbols
BOX STYLING - CRITICAL:
- DARK BORDER: Solid 2px border in dark [COLOR] (#[HEX])
- LIGHT TRANSLUCENT FILL: Same [COLOR] hue at ~25% opacity
- Rounded corners (8-12px radius)
- Text in dark gray/black on the light fill
ENTITY BOX FORMAT:
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Logical Name │ (Bold, larger)
│ APIName │ (Smaller, italic, gray)
│ • Field1 │ (Bullet points)
│ • Field2 │
└─────────────────────────┘
OBJECTS TO INCLUDE:
[List objects with their fields]
RELATIONSHIP LINES:
- Thin black lines with text labels ON the lines
- 'child of' / 'parent of' / 'related to' labels
- Crow's foot on many side, bar on one side
- STRAIGHT LINES ONLY (horizontal and vertical)
FOOTER:
Left: '©[YEAR] Salesforce - Subject to change without notice'
Right: 'Last modified: [DATE]'
CRITICAL: Dark [COLOR] borders with LIGHT translucent [COLOR] fill.
Cloud-Specific Templates
Sales Cloud
COLOR: Teal #0B827C
OBJECTS: Lead, Account, Contact, Opportunity, Campaign, CampaignMember,
Quote, Order, Product2, PricebookEntry, Territory
Service Cloud
COLOR: Magenta #9E2A7D
OBJECTS: Case, Knowledge, KnowledgeArticle, Entitlement, Asset,
ServiceContract, WorkOrder, Swarm, Incident, Problem
Platform (Generic)
COLOR: Purple #5A67D8
OBJECTS: Account, Contact, User, Custom Objects
Quick Reference Checklist
ARCHITECT.SALESFORCE.COM ERD CHECKLIST
═══════════════════════════════════════
☐ Page title at very top ("[Cloud] Overview Data Model")
☐ Header banner with Salesforce logo + "[CLOUD] Overview"
☐ Legend bar (ENTITIES + RELATIONSHIPS sections)
☐ DARK border in cloud's brand color
☐ LIGHT translucent fill (~25% opacity)
☐ Entity boxes: Name + API Name + bullet fields
☐ Labeled relationship lines ("child of", "related to")
☐ Crow's foot notation for many-side
☐ Straight lines only (no diagonals)
☐ Footer with copyright + last modified date
☐ Clean white background
Version History
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 2024-01-14 | Initial version with Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Platform styles |