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SF-0107 · Scenario · Medium

What if we neither have any criteria to meet nor any formula to evaluate, then how can we skip the rule criteria as it is mandatory field?

✓ Verified by Vikas Singhal · Last reviewed 5/17/2026 · Updated for Spring '26

Salesforce requires a workflow rule to have a non-empty Rule Criteria field — the form won’t save otherwise. The trick when you genuinely want the rule to fire on every save is to enter a formula that’s always TRUE.

The standard answers

Any of these work:

FormulaWhy it works
1 = 1A tautology — always TRUE
TRUELiteral TRUE constant
NOT(ISNULL(Id))The record’s Id is never null, so always TRUE
ISCHANGED(Id) OR NOT(ISCHANGED(Id))Either it changed or it didn’t — TRUE

The most idiomatic and what Salesforce documentation suggests is 1 = 1 because it’s instantly recognisable as “this rule has no actual condition.”

Why you’d want this

Combined with the right evaluation criteria, an always-TRUE formula gives you:

  • Criteria 1 + 1=1 → fire on every insert, no condition
  • Criteria 3 + 1=1 → fire on every save, ever
  • Criteria 2 + 1=1 → tricky — the rule “newly meets criteria” only on insert, because the criteria are TRUE on every prior save too. So this acts like Criteria 1.

Use this sparingly

A rule with 1=1 runs on every applicable save. If you couple it with an email alert, you’ll send an email every time the record is edited, regardless of what changed. Common pitfalls:

  • Auto-response email loops — record updates spawn an email which updates the record which spawns another email
  • Inflated email-alert daily limit consumption
  • Workflow + trigger races — 1=1 rules tend to fire after every other automation, which can confuse debugging

Better patterns when you find yourself reaching for 1=1:

  • Filter on a meaningful field — even just RecordType != null
  • Use a flow with a more expressive entry condition
  • Add at least a defensive Owner != null to the criteria for documentation

What interviewers want

  • The trick — 1=1 named first
  • Acknowledgement that the criteria field is mandatory
  • Bonus: the warning that an always-TRUE rule paired with Criteria 3 can flood users with email
  • What are the different evaluation criteria we have in workflows?
  • What are the different options we have in workflow rule criteria?

Verified against: Salesforce Help — Workflow Rule Criteria. Last reviewed 2026-05-17 for Spring ‘26 release.