What defines a standard object in Salesforce?

A standard object in Salesforce is defined as pre-defined entities that are included with Salesforce by default, such as Account, Contact, Lead, and Opportunity. These objects are fundamental components of the Salesforce data model and serve as essential building blocks for CRM functionality.

Each of these standard objects has predefined fields and relationships that help organizations manage customer information, sales processes, and business operations effectively. For instance, the Account object stores company information, the Contact object holds individual user details, the Lead object contains potential customer data, and the Opportunity object tracks sales prospects.

Understanding standard objects is crucial for users and developers as they establish the core activities within Salesforce and allow users to leverage Salesforce's built-in capabilities without the need for creating custom data models from scratch. This foundational knowledge is vital when configuring the platform to meet specific business requirements.