What is a method to obtain a record ID?

Obtaining a record ID using the record's URL is a valid and straightforward method. When you navigate to a specific record within Salesforce, the URL in your browser will contain the record's unique ID. This ID typically follows a standard format that includes a 15-character or 18-character alphanumeric string, which uniquely identifies the record in the database. For example, a URL might look like this: https://<instance>.salesforce.com/<record_id>. By accessing the URL, users can easily extract the record ID, facilitating direct reference or further actions involving that record.

The other options may involve different methods or tools, but they do not directly correlate with consistently obtaining record IDs in the straightforward way that the URL method does. For instance, while the Excel Connector allows for data export and manipulation, it does not inherently provide a simple means to retrieve a specific record ID in the same manner. Reports can show data summaries but usually do not display or allow extraction of IDs in a straightforward manner. External applications may interact with Salesforce in various ways, but retrieving an ID directly from these applications requires additional integration processes, making the URL method the most accessible.