Ever had a sales rep come to you panicking because a record they just worked on vanished? It happens all the time, and usually, it’s because they need to view converted leads but don’t know where they went.
The short answer? They aren’t actually gone. Salesforce just moves them out of the way so your pipeline doesn’t look like a cluttered mess of old data. But sometimes you need to get back in there to check an old description field or verify a referral source.
Why you can’t easily view converted leads in the Lead tab
When you hit that convert button, Salesforce flips a hidden switch on the record called IsConverted. Once that’s set to true, the record stops showing up in your standard “My Leads” or “Open Leads” list views. It’s a built-in behavior to keep users focused on the new Account, Contact, and Opportunity records.
But here’s the thing: the data is still there. It’s just sitting in a read-only state in the background. If you’re trying to find them, you just need to know which back door to use. Let’s break down the best ways to get that visibility back.
Practical ways to view converted leads
I’ve seen teams try all sorts of messy workarounds for this, but you really only need a few reliable methods. Depending on whether you’re a daily user or an admin, one of these will definitely do the trick.
1. Build a Lead Report
This is my go-to recommendation for 90 percent of users. It’s simple, it’s native, and it doesn’t require any special technical skills. You just need to create a new report using the standard Leads report type.
Once you’re in the report builder, go to your filters and find the field named “Converted.” Set that filter to “True.” Now, your report will only show those “missing” records. If you’re new to this, it helps to understand how Salesforce report types work so you can pull in data from the resulting Account or Opportunity as well.
2. Use Global Search
Did you know you can still find these records using the search bar at the top of your screen? If you type in the name of a converted lead, it might show up in the results. The behavior here can be a bit wonky though.
Sometimes Salesforce will redirect you straight to the Contact record instead. But if you look at the search results page closely, you can often find the Lead record specifically. It’s a quick way to view converted leads without building a whole report for a one-off request.
3. Use SOQL or Data Tools
If you’re an admin or a developer, you probably don’t want to click through the UI. You can run a quick query in the Developer Console or Workbench to see exactly what’s happening under the hood. Use a query like this:
SELECT Id, Name, ConvertedContactId, ConvertedAccountId FROM Lead WHERE IsConverted = true
This is perfect for when you’re doing a data audit or trying to figure out why a conversion went sideways. It gives you the raw IDs so you can see exactly which records were created during the process.
Pro tip: Converted leads are almost always read-only. If you find yourself needing to edit them constantly, you might need to look at your business process rather than a technical fix.
Troubleshooting why you can’t view converted leads
So, what if you’ve tried the report and the search, but you still can’t see anything? This is where permissions come into play. There isn’t a single “View Converted Leads” checkbox in the setup menu, which is what usually trips people up.
Access is mostly governed by standard Lead object permissions. If a user doesn’t have “Read” access to Leads, they aren’t going to see them anywhere. You also need to make sure their sharing settings allow them to see those specific records. If you’re struggling with this, checking the differences in Salesforce roles vs profiles can help you see if a hierarchy issue is blocking the view.
Also, double-check that the “Run Reports” permission is active for the user. I’ve spent an hour debugging a visibility issue only to realize the user just didn’t have permission to run the report I built for them. Don’t be that person.
Key Takeaways
- Converted leads aren’t deleted; they are just flagged as
IsConverted = true. - The easiest way to see them is a Lead report with a “Converted = True” filter.
- Global search can find them, but it often redirects you to the new Contact record.
- Permissions are tied to the Lead object itself, not a special “converted” setting.
- SOQL is the fastest way for admins to view converted leads in bulk.
At the end of the day, managing these records is all about knowing where Salesforce hides the “Done” pile. Start with a report, check your filters, and you’ll usually find what you’re looking for. If you’re still stuck, run that SOQL query to confirm the records actually exist in the database before you spend too much time digging through the UI.