Validation Rule Patterns

When to Use This Skill

• Creating validation rules with the /create-validation-rule wizard
• Writing custom formula logic for field validation
• Reviewing existing validation rules for optimization
• Troubleshooting validation rule errors
• Understanding formula function syntax

Quick Reference

Template Categories (30 Templates)

Category	Count	Common Use Cases
Required Field	5	Conditional required, stage-specific, record type
Data Format	5	Email, phone, URLs, regex patterns
Business Logic	5	Date ranges, amount limits, status transitions
Cross-Object	5	Parent-child validation, rollup checks
Date/Time	5	Future dates, business hours, date sequences
Security/Compliance	5	PII protection, audit fields, approval gates

Complexity Scoring

Score	Rating	Recommendation
0-25	Simple	No concerns
26-50	Moderate	Review for optimization
51-75	Complex	Consider splitting
76-100	Critical	Refactor required

Commands

/create-validation-rule                    # Interactive wizard
/create-validation-rule --template <id>    # Direct template
/create-validation-rule --custom           # Custom formula

Essential Formula Patterns

Required Field When Condition Met

// Formula
AND(
  ISPICKVAL(StageName, "Closed Won"),
  ISBLANK(Amount)
)

// Error Message
"Amount is required when Stage is Closed Won."

Picklist Field Validation

// IMPORTANT: Never use ISBLANK() on picklist fields
// WRONG:
ISBLANK(Status__c)

// CORRECT:
TEXT(Status__c) = ""
// or
ISPICKVAL(Status__c, "")

Email Format Validation

// Formula
AND(
  NOT(ISBLANK(Email)),
  NOT(REGEX(Email, "^[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$"))
)

// Error Message
"Please enter a valid email address."

Phone Number Format (US)

// Formula
AND(
  NOT(ISBLANK(Phone)),
  NOT(REGEX(Phone, "^\\(?[0-9]{3}\\)?[-. ]?[0-9]{3}[-. ]?[0-9]{4}$"))
)

// Error Message
"Phone must be in format: (XXX) XXX-XXXX or XXX-XXX-XXXX"

Date Range Validation

// End date must be after start date
AND(
  NOT(ISBLANK(Start_Date__c)),
  NOT(ISBLANK(End_Date__c)),
  End_Date__c <= Start_Date__c
)

// Error Message
"End Date must be after Start Date."

Cross-Object Validation

// Amount cannot exceed Account's credit limit
AND(
  NOT(ISBLANK(Amount)),
  Amount > Account.Credit_Limit__c
)

// Error Message
"Order Amount exceeds Account credit limit."

Status Transition Rules

// Prevent skipping stages (must go through Qualification)
AND(
  ISCHANGED(StageName),
  NOT(ISPICKVAL(PRIORVALUE(StageName), "Qualification")),
  ISPICKVAL(StageName, "Proposal")
)

// Error Message
"Cannot move to Proposal without passing through Qualification stage."

Record Type Specific Validation

// Require field only for specific record type
AND(
  RecordType.DeveloperName = "Enterprise_Opportunity",
  ISBLANK(Contract_Start_Date__c)
)

// Error Message
"Contract Start Date is required for Enterprise Opportunities."

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Anti-Pattern	Problem	Fix
ISBLANK(PicklistField)	Fails on picklist	Use TEXT(field) = ""
ISNULL(PicklistField)	Same as above	Use ISPICKVAL(field, "")
Deeply nested IF()	Hard to maintain	Use CASE() or split rules
SOQL-like logic	Not supported	Use formula functions only
5000+ character formulas	Performance impact	Split into multiple rules

Impact Analysis Guidelines

Before deploying, run impact analysis:

Violation Rate	Risk Level	Recommendation
< 1%	LOW	Safe to deploy
1-5%	MEDIUM	Notify affected users
5-10%	HIGH	Phase deployment, communicate
> 10%	CRITICAL	Review rule logic, data cleanup first

Detailed Documentation

See supporting files:

• templates.md - Full template catalog with parameters
• formulas.md - Formula function reference
• troubleshooting.md - Common errors and solutions