SF-Data-Arch Data Governance Practice Question
A Salesforce org has a data governance policy that requires all new custom objects to have a description and a data owner assigned before deployment to production. The architect needs to enforce this policy automatically during the development lifecycle. Which approach should the architect take?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that declarative Salesforce features like validation rules or workflow rules can enforce metadata requirements, when they only work on record data.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a Salesforce CLI plugin or a script in the CI/CD pipeline to check metadata for description and owner before deployment.
Enforcing metadata standards like requiring a description and data owner on custom objects requires checking metadata before deployment. A CI/CD pipeline with Salesforce CLI or scripts can automate these checks, preventing non-compliant metadata from being deployed. Validation rules, permission sets, and workflow rules operate on data or user access, not metadata, so they cannot enforce this policy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure a permission set that only allows users to create custom objects if they include a description.
Why it's wrong here
Permission sets control user access to features and data, but they do not enforce metadata content requirements. There is no permission that conditionally allows object creation based on metadata attributes. Users with 'Customize Application' permission can create objects regardless of description. Therefore, this does not enforce the policy and is not a feasible solution.
- ✓
Use a Salesforce CLI plugin or a script in the CI/CD pipeline to check metadata for description and owner before deployment.
Why this is correct
A CI/CD pipeline can run automated checks on metadata using Salesforce CLI or custom scripts. By querying the Metadata API or using tools like SFDX Scanner, you can verify that each custom object has a description and an owner field populated. This enforcement happens before deployment, ensuring compliance with the governance policy. It is a proactive, automated approach that aligns with DevOps best practices.
- ✗
Create a validation rule on the custom object that requires the description field to be populated.
Why it's wrong here
Validation rules apply to record data, not to metadata. They cannot enforce that a custom object's description or owner is set in the metadata. Validation rules operate on fields within records, so they are not applicable to object-level metadata requirements. This approach would not enforce the governance policy during deployment or development.
- ✗
Set up a workflow rule that sends an email to the data governance team when a new custom object is created without a description.
Why it's wrong here
Workflow rules operate on record data, not metadata. They cannot trigger on metadata creation or modification. Even if they could, an email notification is a reactive measure, not an enforcement mechanism. The policy requires enforcement before deployment, so a notification after the fact would not prevent non-compliant objects from being deployed to production.
About these practice questions
One of 222 original SF-Data-Arch practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Salesforce exam blueprint
This SF-Data-Arch practice question is part of Courseiva's free Salesforce certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SF-Data-Arch exam.