Salesforce Agentforce Analysis
Jitendra's Blog

Salesforce Agentforce Out-of-Box Agents

Complete analysis of all pre-built AI agents, their capabilities, prerequisites, licensing requirements, and pricing models for Salesforce's Agentforce platform.

15+

Out-of-Box Agents Available

$2

Starting Price Per Conversation

8+

Industry-Specific Solutions

24/7

Autonomous AI Operations

1. Agentforce Platform Overview

Salesforce Agentforce is an AI-powered digital labor platform that enables organizations to build, customize, and deploy autonomous AI agents across their business operations. Launched in October 2024, Agentforce represents Salesforce's vision for the future of enterprise AI, combining generative AI capabilities with deep CRM integration.[1]

Key Differentiator

Unlike traditional chatbots that require preprogrammed scenarios, Agentforce agents use the Atlas Reasoning Engine to make autonomous decisions, prioritize actions, and execute complex tasks without human intervention.[2]

Core Platform Components

Component Description Purpose
Atlas Reasoning Engine The proprietary AI "brain" that powers all Agentforce agents Processes queries, formulates action plans, ensures accuracy[3]
Agent Builder Low-code tool for creating and customizing AI agents Define topics, instructions, and actions using natural language[4]
Einstein Trust Layer Security framework with zero data retention Ensures data privacy, prevents abuse, reduces hallucinations[5]
Data Cloud Integration Unified data platform for real-time customer insights Grounds agents in trusted, contextual data[6]
Topics & Actions Building blocks that define agent capabilities Categorize tasks and execute specific functions[7]

Agentforce 2.0 Enhancements (December 2024)

Salesforce unveiled Agentforce 2.0 on December 17, 2024, introducing significant improvements:[8]

  • Pre-Built Skills Library: New library spanning CRM, Slack, Tableau, and partner-developed skills
  • Slack Deployment: Ability to deploy Agentforce directly in Slack workspaces
  • Enhanced RAG: Advanced retrieval augmented generation for better responses
  • MuleSoft Integration: API-first approach making every connection "agent-ready"[9]
  • Natural Language Agent Creation: Build agents in seconds using simple descriptions

2. Core Out-of-Box Agents Summary

Salesforce provides a comprehensive suite of pre-built AI agents designed to address common business needs across sales, service, commerce, and specialized industries. Below is an overview of all available out-of-box agents:

Service Agent

Customer Service

Replaces traditional chatbots with AI that handles a wide range of service issues without preprogrammed scenarios. Provides 24/7 support across multiple channels.[10]

GA - Oct 2024 Multi-Channel 24/7

SDR Agent

Sales Development

Engages with prospects around the clock, answering questions, managing objections, and scheduling meetings based on CRM and external data.[11]

GA - Dec 2024 Lead Nurturing Autonomous

Sales Coach

Sales Enablement

Provides deal-specific, personalized coaching with AI-driven role-play scenarios. Simulates buyer conversations for practice.[12]

GA - Dec 2024 Role-Play Feedback

Campaign Optimizer

Marketing

Automates the full campaign lifecycle using AI to analyze, generate, personalize, and optimize marketing campaigns based on business goals.[13]

GA - 2024 Automation Analytics

Personal Shopper

B2C Commerce

Digital concierge on ecommerce sites or messaging apps offering personalized product recommendations using natural language search.[14]

GA - Feb 2025 WhatsApp Personalization

Buyer Agent

B2B Commerce

Delivers autonomous shopping experience for B2B buyers, handling product discovery, orders, and reorders with pre-negotiated pricing.[15]

GA - Feb 2025 B2B Ordering

Merchant Agent

Commerce Operations

Works with merchandisers to build and manage ecommerce sites through conversational setup, promotions, and data-driven insights.[16]

GA - Oct 2024 Site Setup Promotions

Field Service Agent

Field Operations

Augments dispatchers and technicians with AI for scheduling, gap resolution, and troubleshooting. Deploys in as little as one hour.[17]

GA - 2025 Scheduling Dispatch

3. Service Agent - Deep Dive

Agentforce Service Agent was the first generally available out-of-box agent, representing a significant leap forward in customer service automation. It replaces traditional chatbots with intelligent AI that can handle complex service scenarios.[10]

Availability Status

Generally Available since October 25, 2024. Pricing starts at $2 per conversation with volume discounts available.[1]

Key Capabilities

Capability Description
24/7 Autonomous Operation Responds to customers anytime, answering questions, deflecting cases, and meeting service goals across all channels
Multi-Channel Support Engage customers through SMS, voice (inbound calls), web chat, mobile, email, and Slack[18]
Multi-Modal Understanding Interprets text, images, and audio using NLP and computer vision technologies
Natural Language Responses Uses generative AI to craft conversational responses that match brand voice
Seamless Human Handoff Transfers or escalates complex issues to live agents with full conversation context
Quick Deployment Sets up using service-specific templates without coding, dialog definition, or LLM training

Building Blocks

Service Agent uses three key elements that shape decision-making:[7]

1

Topics

Categorize the "Job To Be Done" and guide the agent to apply correct instructions. Example: "Account Management" topic includes all account-related tasks.

2

Actions

Define specific tasks the agent performs. Examples: summarizing account details, retrieving knowledge base articles, drafting email responses.

3

Instructions

Provide detailed context for agent behavior including tone, style, and response boundaries. Highly customizable using natural language.

Common Use Cases

  • Order Management: Processing returns, tracking shipments, handling order inquiries
  • Case Resolution: Troubleshooting issues, answering FAQs, resolving complaints
  • Account Support: Password resets, profile updates, billing inquiries
  • Retail Specific: Order management topics for retail, billing and payment support for financial services[19]

4. Sales Agents (SDR & Coach)

SDR Agent (Sales Development Representative)

Einstein SDR Agent autonomously engages with inbound prospects to nurture pipeline 24/7. Unlike chatbots limited to preprogrammed questions, SDR Agent makes decisions and prioritizes actions aligned with desired outcomes.[11]

Real-World Success

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland implemented Agentforce SDR to automatically qualify and engage with incoming leads. Result: They now connect with nearly every single lead - a task that previously took their SDR team hours or days.[20]

SDR Agent Feature Description
Lead Engagement Engages every inbound lead, automates outreach and prospecting
Question Handling Autonomously answers product questions and handles objections
Meeting Scheduling Books meetings for sales reps based on CRM and external data
Lead Qualification Qualifies leads with autonomous AI based on engagement
Pricing $2 per conversation - consumed when initial email is sent to a lead[21]

Sales Coach Agent

Agentforce Sales Coach provides deal-specific, personalized feedback to sellers on messaging and customer communication. It offers autonomous, on-demand coaching where reps can receive guidance anytime without needing a live coach.[12]

Sales Coach Feature Description
AI-Driven Role-Play Simulates a buyer using generative AI, converting text to speech for realistic practice
Prebuilt Topics Includes Negotiation/Review Role-Play, Proposal Quote Role-Play, and Opportunity Coaching[22]
Real-Time Analysis Listens and analyzes conversations, providing instant feedback on tone, clarity, empathy
CRM Grounding Uses RAG to ground responses in deal, account, and customer correspondence data
Pricing Included with Agentforce SKU; Salesforce Foundations includes 1,000 free conversations[23]

5. Commerce Agents

Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers three distinct Agentforce agents for different commerce scenarios. These agents unify B2C, DTC, and B2B Commerce on a single integrated platform powered by enterprise-wide data.[24]

Merchant Agent

GA - October 2024

Works autonomously with merchandisers to build and manage ecommerce sites through easy, conversational setup and goal setting. Handles site setup, promotions, and product descriptions.[16]

Site Management Promotions KPI Analysis

Personal Shopper

GA - February 2025

Acts as a digital concierge using generative AI. Taps into retailer catalogs and product data, learning from shopper behavior and preferences for personalized recommendations.[14]

WhatsApp Natural Language Checkout

Buyer Agent

GA - February 2025

Delivers autonomous B2B shopping experience. Helps buyers find products, make purchases, and track orders with pre-negotiated pricing through chat or sales portals.[15]

B2B Reordering WISMO

Commerce Skills for Guided Shopping

Commerce Skills help retailers scale personalized one-to-one concierge services:[25]

  • Product Search: Natural language product discovery grounded in inventory and operational data
  • Cart Management: Add items to cart conversationally without leaving the chat
  • One-Click Checkout: Complete purchases at twice the performance speed
  • Order Tracking: Get updates and track orders from the same conversation
  • Multi-Language: Converse in 7+ languages based on shopper locale[26]
Business Impact

Salesforce reports that AI assistants have grown retail traffic volumes by 119%. Guided Shopping drives higher conversion rates and larger cart sizes through agent-guided, conversational shopping.[27]

6. Industry-Specific Agents

Salesforce provides specialized Agentforce editions tailored to specific industry requirements, with pre-built topics, actions, and compliance features.

Financial Services

Agentforce for Financial Services includes pre-built, role-based AI agent templates that automate front-office tasks using industry-specific data, workflows, and policies.[28]

Agent Type Capabilities Availability
Banking Service Agent Balance inquiries, lost card reports, fee reversals, card replacement GA Now
Insurance Service Agent Policy quoting, coverage checks, claims assistance GA Now
Digital Loan Officer 24/7 loan discovery, answering questions, recommending options Summer '25[29]
Financial Advisor Assistance Automates client meeting preparation and administrative tasks Summer '25
Compliance Built-In

Agentforce for Financial Services works within guardrails, Einstein Trust Layer, and Financial Services Cloud compliance features, ensuring agents follow rules, approvals, disclosures, and audit trails.[30]

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Agentforce for Health includes pre-built agent skills and actions that augment care teams, clinicians, and service reps with agentic AI.[31]

Capability Description
Patient Access & Services Answers inquiries, performs eligibility checks with insurers
Provider Search & Scheduling Matches patients with in-network providers, schedules appointments via athenahealth integration[32]
Waitlist Management Manages multi-participant appointments, reduces no-shows
HIPAA Compliance HIPAA-ready architecture ensures patient data security and privacy
EHR Integration Pulls data from EHRs, public health systems, and scientific publications
Time Savings

Healthcare teams estimate saving up to 10 hours per week using AI agents. Facilities report up to 40% productivity enhancement by automating administrative tasks.[33]

Retail & Consumer Goods

Solution Key Features Availability
Agentforce for Retail Order management, appointment scheduling, personal shopping, return management[34] GA - Jan 2025
Agentforce for Consumer Goods Sales & account management, visit scheduling, field management, customer service skills[35] GA - 2025

Field Service

Agentforce for Field Service augments dispatchers and technicians with AI agents to eliminate scheduling bottlenecks and handle routine tasks.[17]

  • Automated Scheduling: Creates work orders, arranges appointments based on location, skills, and availability
  • Gap Resolution: Uses optimization engine to fill schedule gaps from cancellations or early completions
  • Rapid Deployment: Pre-built topics and actions enable deployment in as little as one hour[36]
Customer Success

CPI Security reduced calls by 30% using Agentforce for scheduling. TOMRA improved technician response times by 20%. AAA deployed Agentforce to production in just four days.[37]

7. Employee & Internal Agents

Agentforce supports employees across Salesforce Lightning, Mobile, and Slack with multi-turn, multi-channel agent conversations. Employee agents come preconfigured with topics and actions for many use cases.[38]

HR Service Agent

Human Resources

Embedded in HR Service with Employee Portal and HR Service Console. Handles leave requests, PTO balances, direct deposit updates, benefits inquiries, and onboarding.[39]

Leave Management Benefits Onboarding

IT Service Agent

IT Support

Resolves help-desk tickets, manages incident communications, and provides technical support. Part of Salesforce's upcoming ITSM product launch.[40]

Tickets Incidents Slack-First

Security Agent

Security Operations

Autonomously monitors security threat detection, shares network insights, and resolves customer and employee helpdesk security cases.[41]

Threat Detection Monitoring

Finance Agent

Finance Operations

Shares insights on financial reporting and risk assessments, acts on fraud detection, and resolves compliance-related queries.[41]

Reporting Fraud Compliance

Common Employee Agent Use Cases

  • Wellness Benefits: Query and understand employee wellness programs
  • Internal Library Search: Find documents, policies, and procedures
  • Record Queries: Search and retrieve CRM data autonomously
  • Career Development: Guide employees through training and advancement paths

8. Prerequisites & Setup Requirements

Before deploying Agentforce agents, organizations must meet specific technical and licensing prerequisites.

Edition Requirements

Minimum Edition Required

Agentforce requires Salesforce Enterprise Edition or higher. Organizations on Starter or Pro editions must upgrade to access Agentforce features.[42]

Technical Prerequisites

Requirement Details Setup Steps
Data Cloud Enablement Required for Einstein Trust Layer and AI features[43] Enable Data Cloud in Setup with Data Cloud Admin permission set
Einstein Setup Must enable Einstein and Einstein Copilot for Salesforce (Agentforce) Navigate to Einstein Setup and toggle features on
Einstein Trust Layer Provides data masking and security protections Enable in Quick Find after Data Cloud is active[44]
Lightning Experience Required for all Agentforce features Must be on Lightning Experience, not Classic

Permission Set Requirements

1

Data Cloud Admin Permission Set

Required to enable Data Cloud. Assign through User Settings > Permission Set Assignments.

2

Enable Data Cloud

After assigning permission, navigate to Data Cloud Setup and click "Get Started".

3

Configure Einstein Trust Layer

Search "Einstein Trust Layer" in Quick Find and enable Large Language Model Data Masking.[45]

Cloud-Specific Requirements

Agentforce Type Required Cloud Add-On Needed
Service Agent Service Cloud (Enterprise+) Agentforce Add-on or SKU
Sales Agents Sales Cloud (Enterprise+) Agentforce Add-on or SKU
Commerce Agents Commerce Cloud Agentforce Add-on
Financial Services Financial Services Cloud Salesforce Foundations + Agentforce SKU[46]
Healthcare Health Cloud / Life Sciences Cloud Agentforce Add-on (HIPAA tier)
Field Service Field Service Agentforce Add-on
Free Tier Available

All customers with Enterprise Edition or above can get 100,000 Flex Credits for $0 with Salesforce Foundations.[47]

9. Pricing & Licensing Models

Salesforce offers multiple pricing models for Agentforce to accommodate different organizational needs and usage patterns.

Per Conversation

$2/conversation

Original pricing model for customer-facing bots

  • 24-hour chat sessions
  • Volume discounts available
  • Simple usage tracking
  • Overages at ~$2.50[48]

Flex Credits

$0.10/action

New consumption-based model (May 2025)

  • 20 credits per action
  • 100,000 credits = $500
  • Pay for exact usage
  • Record updates, workflows[49]

Per User Add-On

$125/user/month

Unlimited employee-facing usage

  • Unlimited agent usage
  • Role-specific templates
  • Tableau Next included
  • Prompt Builder access[50]

Complete Pricing Breakdown

License Type Price Best For Included Features
Agentforce Add-on (Standard) $125/user/month Sales, Service, Field Service teams Unlimited employee agent usage, predictive + generative + agentic AI
Premium Add-on (Regulated Industries) $150/user/month Financial Services, Health Cloud, Manufacturing[51] HIPAA-ready agents, compliance features, industry workflows
Public Sector $650/user/month Government organizations FedRAMP High authorization, advanced compliance monitoring
Agentforce 1 Editions $550/user/month Full-featured deployment Bundled cloud features, 1M Flex Credits/org, 2.5M Data Services Credits[52]
Salesforce Foundations (Free) $0 Enterprise+ customers testing 100,000 Flex Credits, 1,000 Sales Coach conversations

Payment Options (August 2025)

1

Pay-as-you-go

No up-front commitment, monthly payment for Flex Credits used. Best for unpredictable usage patterns.[53]

2

Pre-commit

Up-front commitment for more favorable pricing. Suitable for organizations with estimated usage projections.

3

Pre-purchase

Pay up front for maximum savings. Ideal for businesses with predictable, consistent usage patterns.

2025 Price Increase

Starting August 1, 2025, list prices for Enterprise and Unlimited Editions across Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Field Service, and select Industry Clouds will rise by an average of 6%. Starter, Pro, and Foundations Editions remain unchanged.[54]

10. Agent Comparison Matrix

Comprehensive comparison of all out-of-box Agentforce agents by category, capabilities, and availability.

Agent Category Key Capabilities Availability Primary Use Case
Service Agent Customer Service Multi-channel support, case resolution, human handoff GA Oct 2024 Customer support automation
SDR Agent Sales Lead nurturing, objection handling, meeting scheduling GA Dec 2024 Inbound lead engagement
Sales Coach Sales Enablement Role-play, real-time feedback, pitch practice GA Dec 2024 Sales rep training
Campaign Optimizer Marketing Campaign automation, personalization, optimization GA 2024 Marketing automation
Merchant Agent Commerce Site setup, promotions, KPI analysis GA Oct 2024 E-commerce management
Personal Shopper B2C Commerce Product recommendations, cart management, checkout GA Feb 2025 Customer shopping assistance
Buyer Agent B2B Commerce Product discovery, ordering, WISMO GA Feb 2025 B2B purchasing automation
Field Service Agent Field Operations Scheduling, dispatch optimization, gap resolution GA 2025 Field technician scheduling
Banking Service Agent Financial Services Balance inquiries, card services, fee reversals GA Now Banking customer service
Healthcare Agent Healthcare Patient access, provider search, scheduling GA Now Patient services
HR Service Agent Employee Services Leave management, benefits, onboarding GA 2025 Employee self-service
IT Service Agent IT Operations Help desk, incident management, troubleshooting Coming Soon IT support automation
Digital Loan Officer Financial Services Loan discovery, Q&A, option recommendations Summer '25 Loan origination support
Tableau Agent Analytics Data visualization, insights, analysis suggestions GA 2025 Business intelligence

11. Implementation Best Practices

Follow these best practices for successful Agentforce deployment based on Salesforce recommendations and customer experiences.

1

Start with Pre-Built Templates

Use service-specific templates and existing workflows to set up quickly without writing dialogs, defining intents, or training LLMs. Customize after initial deployment.[55]

2

Define Clear Topics and Instructions

Create specific, well-defined topics that categorize tasks. Provide detailed natural language instructions that specify tone, style, and response boundaries.

3

Leverage Existing Data

Ground agents in trusted sources like Knowledge articles, similar cases, and CRM data. Integrate with Data Cloud for comprehensive customer context.[56]

4

Configure Guardrails Appropriately

Use built-in low-code guardrails and security tools to prevent abuse and reduce hallucinations. These are enabled by default but highly configurable.

5

Plan Human Handoff Scenarios

Define clear escalation paths for complex issues. Ensure seamless transfer to live agents with full conversation context preserved.

6

Test in Sandbox First

Deploy to sandbox environment before production. AAA successfully deployed in four days, but thorough testing ensures quality outcomes.[57]

Quick Deployment Tip

Agentforce for Field Service offers pre-built topics and actions that enable deployment in as little as one hour for scheduling and job summarization use cases.[36]

12. Future Roadmap & Upcoming Features

Salesforce continues to expand Agentforce capabilities with new agents, skills, and integrations planned for 2025 and beyond.

Confirmed Upcoming Releases

Feature Description Expected Release
Pre-Built Financial Services Agents Complete suite including Digital Loan Officer and Financial Advisor Assistance[29] Summer '25
IT Service Management (ITSM) Collaboration, Slack, and agent-first IT service experience[40] 2025
Tableau Next with Agentforce Data Pro, Concierge, and Inspector agents for analytics[58] Rolling 2025
Partner Ecosystem Expansion AI Employee Service Agent (Workday), actions from Asymbl, DocuSign, Neuron 7[59] Ongoing

Platform Evolution

  • Natural Language Agent Creation: Build agents in seconds using simple descriptions (GA January 2025)
  • MuleSoft Topic Center: Turn any API into an Agentforce skill automatically
  • Enhanced Atlas Reasoning: Continued improvements to the AI reasoning engine
  • Slack Actions Expansion: More pre-built actions like "Create Canvas" and "Message Channel"[60]
Salesforce's Vision

Salesforce positions Agentforce as the "digital labor platform for building a limitless workforce," aiming to fundamentally transform how organizations scale their operations with autonomous AI agents.[61]

X

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.