Explanation: The Lead Source field is a standard picklist field that indicates the source of the lead, such as web, phone inquiry, partner referral, and others1. The Lead Source field is related to the contact, account, and opportunity Source fields, and the value can be inherited from one field to the next as a lead progresses through the funnel2. To ensure that a user populates the Lead Source field prior to converting a lead, the best option is to use a validation rule. A validation rule is a formula that evaluates the data in one or more fields and returns a value of true or false3. Validation rules verify that the data a user enters in a record meets the standards you specify before the user can save the record3. By creating a validation rule on the Lead object that checks if the Lead Source field is blank, you can prevent the user from converting the lead without filling in the Lead Source field. You can also display a custom error message to inform the user of the requirement3. For example, the validation rule formula could be:
ISBLANK(LeadSource)
And the error message could be:
Please enter a value for Lead Source before converting the lead.
Using a formula field, Lead Conversion field mapping, or an after trigger on Lead are not effective ways to ensure that the user populates the Lead Source field prior to converting a lead. A formula field is a read-only field that derives its value from a formula expression you define. It cannot be edited by the user and cannot enforce data entry. Lead Conversion field mapping is a way to specify how fields in the lead record are transferred to the fields in the contact, account, and opportunity records during lead conversion. It cannot prevent the user from converting the lead without entering the Lead Source field. An after trigger on Lead is a piece of Apex code that executes after a lead record is inserted, updated, deleted, or undeleted. It cannot validate the data entered by the user before the lead conversion occurs. References: 1 Lead | Object Reference for the Salesforce Platform | Salesforce Developers1, 2 Let’s Talk About Salesforce Lead Source | Salesforce Ben2, 3 Validation Rules | Salesforce Help3, Formula Field | Salesforce Field Reference Guide | Salesforce Developers, Map Lead Fields for Lead Conversion | Salesforce Help, Triggers | Apex Developer Guide | Salesforce Developers