BusinessProcess Metadata Type Reference

The BusinessProcess metadata type defines a Sales Process (Opportunity), Support Process (Case), Lead Process (Lead), or Solution Process (Solution). Introduced in API version 17.0, BusinessProcess acts as the mandatory bridge between the org-wide master lifecycle picklist (StandardValueSet: OpportunityStage, CaseStatus, LeadStatus) and an object’s RecordType.

In Salesforce DX projects, business processes are decomposed inside their parent object folder at force-app/main/default/objects/<ObjectName>/businessProcesses/<ProcessName>.businessProcess-meta.xml.

Key Metadata Fields#

Production-Grade XML Example (Opportunity Sales Process)#

Below is a BusinessProcess for Opportunity (force-app/main/default/objects/Opportunity/businessProcesses/Enterprise_Sales_Process.businessProcess-meta.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<BusinessProcess xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <fullName>Enterprise_Sales_Process</fullName>
    <description>Multi-stage sales process for B2B Enterprise direct sales opportunities.</description>
    <isActive>true</isActive>
    <values>
        <fullName>Discovery</fullName>
        <default>false</default>
    </values>
    <values>
        <fullName>Technical Validation</fullName>
        <default>false</default>
    </values>
    <values>
        <fullName>Contract Negotiation</fullName>
        <default>false</default>
    </values>
    <values>
        <fullName>Closed Won</fullName>
        <default>false</default>
    </values>
    <values>
        <fullName>Closed Lost</fullName>
        <default>false</default>
    </values>
</BusinessProcess>

Querying BusinessProcess with SOQL#

-- 1. List all active Sales, Support, and Lead Processes in the org
SELECT Id, Name, TableEnumOrId, Description, IsActive, LastModifiedDate
FROM BusinessProcess
WHERE IsActive = true
ORDER BY TableEnumOrId, Name ASC

-- 2. Inspect which BusinessProcess is linked to each RecordType
SELECT Id, DeveloperName, Name, SobjectType, BusinessProcessId
FROM RecordType
WHERE SobjectType IN ('Opportunity', 'Case', 'Lead') AND IsActive = true
ORDER BY SobjectType, Name ASC

Frequently asked questions

Which four objects in Salesforce use BusinessProcess metadata?

BusinessProcess applies to exactly four standard objects: Opportunity (Sales Processes controlling StageName), Case (Support Processes controlling Status), Lead (Lead Processes controlling Status), and Solution (Solution Processes controlling Status).

Why can I not create a RecordType on Opportunity, Case, or Lead without a BusinessProcess?

Unlike custom objects and other standard objects where RecordTypes control all picklists directly, Opportunity, Case, and Lead require every RecordType to reference a BusinessProcess in its businessProcess field to govern the primary lifecycle picklist.

Where are BusinessProcess files stored in SFDX source format?

In SFDX source format, BusinessProcess files are decomposed inside the parent object's folder at force-app/main/default/objects/ObjectName/businessProcesses/ProcessName.businessProcess-meta.xml.

What is the relationship between StandardValueSet and BusinessProcess?

StandardValueSet (such as OpportunityStage or CaseStatus) defines the org-wide master list of picklist values and their probabilities or closed flags. BusinessProcess selects a subset of those master values to display on a specific RecordType.

Can I query active BusinessProcesses using standard SOQL?

Yes. Query the standard BusinessProcess object in SOQL for Id, Name, Description, TableEnumOrId (Opportunity, Case, Lead), and IsActive.