Salesforce users are struggling with a noticeable change in the Help & Training environment. On September 29, the vendor removed the search function that had been the fastest way to navigate documentation and manuals for years. Instead, Salesforce introduced Agentforce, an AI assistant that provides answers through conversation.
For many members of the Salesforce community, this change feels like a step backward. Whereas the search bar delivered immediate and reliable results, Agentforce is perceived as slow, cumbersome, and less accurate. Users complain that the new method takes more time to find the right information.
The criticism is loud on platforms such as LinkedIn, where Salesforce consultants share their frustration. According to them, it is incomprehensible that Salesforce is replacing a working search function with an AI that is not yet at the same level. The concerns are not only about productivity, but also about sustainability. A classic search index consumes less energy than a generative model that uses computing power for every answer.
Within the Trailblazer Community, Salesforce’s official user network where members share feedback, an initiative has been launched to bring back the search function. Users can support this idea by upvoting it in the official feedback environment. The sentiment within the community is clear. People want to be able to choose between a quick text search and the new agentic conversation.
Agentforce too inaccurate
The discussion is not limited to official channels. Users are also expressing their dissatisfaction on Reddit, pointing out in particular the inaccuracy of Agentforce. According to various reports, the AI often gives repetitive answers or even incorrect information, making it more difficult to quickly find the right documentation.
The decision to make Agentforce mandatory is part of a broader strategy by Salesforce. Agentforce is not just a chatbot but the umbrella brand name for the company’s agentic AI technology, based on the Atlas Reasoning Engine developed by its own AI research department. Salesforce has long placed the technology at the heart of its product portfolio and also links AI to pricing models that have been increased in recent years. The mandatory use of Agentforce in the help environment reinforces the impression that the company wants to further accelerate its AI adoption, regardless of whether customers have requested it themselves.
Salesforce has not yet responded to criticism or questions from The Register about the motivation behind the change. It therefore remains unclear whether the search function is definitively a thing of the past or whether feedback from the community still has a chance of being heard.