Your Guide to Native Apps on AppExchange

TDX is just around the corner and we’re prepping for our very first live session in 3 years! We’re eager to learn more about the latest innovations in Salesforce tech, and of course, connect with our Trailblazers. While we’re excited to meet face to face, we’re also stoked to showcase our newest Collection page on AppExchange, which features some of our favorite Native Apps.

What is a Native App?

If you are a member of the Salesforce ecosystem, chances are you’ve browsed AppExchange at least a few times. During your app searching adventure, you’ve probably come across this “Native” badge more times than you can count.
What exactly does this badge signify? Should you be interested?​​​​​​

​​​​​​First, let’s get a bit into APIs. API stands for “ application programming interface.” APIs enable different programs to communicate with each other and offer services. For example, when you watch a Labs Demo on AppExchange, you’re using the Youtube API to view the video right in the listing. Both AppExchange and Youtube work together to bring the video to the platform.

If an app is fully native, it means it has been built entirely inside Salesforce, and thus lives and functions entirely in the Lightning platform. A native app does not need to request data from external servers, and already lives and thrives within Salesforce only. (However, some apps are “partly native, ” meaning they utilize Salesforce APIs, such as the My Salesforce Trust Monitor.)

​​​​​​While integrations and external APIs can be beneficial to businesses, some organizations are cautious about using them. This is because, in the process of two systems communicating with each other, there’s a chance the shared data will be stored in another external database or shared with third parties. Generally, the least amount of places your data is stored, the better. With a native app, your private data stays secured inside Salesforce.

Listed below are some great starter apps you can deploy to your environment immediately. Here’s the best part? They’re all fully native! If your organization is strict with external APIs, or you’re still getting familiar with integrations, these apps are a great way for you to get started.

Key Takeaways
- APIs enable programs to communicate with each other and offer services to each other
- A Native App refers to an app that has been built entirely in the Salesforce platform

Pros of Native Apps:
- Your data is 100% secure. All of your data stays right inside Salesforce and complies with Salesforce security policies
- Your data is updated in realtime
- Does not require additional login credentials

Explore Native Apps on AppExchange
Now that you know what Native Apps are and why some companies love them so much, be sure to check out all the native apps AppExchange has to offer. You can explore all free, employee-built native apps by Salesforce Labs on our new Force Collection page.

Events App
Now that IRL events are back, you’ll likely want to start planning your epic return to customers through in-person sessions. The Events App is a fully native event planning solution that enables you and your marketing team to keep track of registrations, manage venues, and budgets. It’s also fully mobile-ready, so you can track and manage your events on the go.

OrgChart
Want to view your organization’s hierarchy right in Lightning? The OrgChart component lets you visualize your entire business’ order and view the managers, colleagues, and reporters of any employee in your organization. Simply drag the component on your Lightning pages, and you’re good to go!

Einstein Contact Us Bot
This out-of-the-box Einstein Bot is the perfect starter kit for your service implementation. The Contact Us Bot allows you to collect more leads based on a conversational experience, rather than a traditional web form. It’s also fully customizable through the Einstein Bot Builder, so you can configure it to meet your business needs.

Graphics Pack
The Graphics Pack contains everything you need to customize your own Image formulas, tabs, and Visualforce pages. This solution provides the user with tons of icons and images that can be deployed to your tabs and image formulas and includes various themes like animals, robots, sports, and desktop icons.

My Salesforce Trust Monitor
View the trust status of multiple Salesforce orgs right in your own environment. My Salesforce Trust Monitor projects information pulled from Trust.Salesforce.com and allows admins to monitor upcoming maintenances and reported incidents. The app is also mobile-ready, so you can keep track of your org’s instance from anywhere.

Connect with Us!
If you’re not already, be sure to follow Salesforce Labs on Twitter to stay updated on new Labs released on AppExchange! Our community of talented builders is always bringing new innovative solutions to help solve some of your most common business challenges.

Have you tried any of these solutions? Let us know what you thought on Twitter, or leave a review on AppExchange to share your feedback!