Raheem Sterling has scored four goals in eight appearances this season for Chelsea
In his competition debut, the former Brighton boss picked Raheem Sterling as an advanced wing-back but saw the gamble pay off when the forward curled into the bottom corner shortly after the break.
It was a much-improved performance from Chelsea's defeat by Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Group E game last week, which spelled the end for former manager Thomas Tuchel.
But Matthias Jaissle's well-drilled Austrian side got an equaliser on 75 minutes when Thiago Silva missed a tackle, allowing Noah Okafor to clip in Junior Adamu's low cross.
That goal highlighted the risks involved in Potter's positive approach, with Sterling and Marc Cucurella caught out of position. But the hosts could have earned victory when Reece James fired over from a free-kick and substitute Hakim Ziyech almost headed in at the back post.
Following AC Milan's earlier 3-1 win over Zagreb, Chelsea sit bottom of Group E after two games with the Serie A champions up next at Stamford Bridge on 5 October.
Potter was appointed six days ago, and following a week which he called a "whirlwind" got his first taste of Champions League football, having never seen the competition before in the flesh.
There have been questions about his credentials, having managed for only three years in the Premier League with Brighton. And although it was a positive display from his side and they wasted several good chances late on with Armando Broja also firing over, he will now realise he has to quickly turn things around in Europe after Chelsea's poor start to the season.
The 47-year-old, who watched in a black suit as Stamford Bridge observed impeccably a minute's silence to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, quickly established his own stamp on the team by dropping Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Ben Chilwell from the side that lost at Dinamo Zagreb last week.
That saw Silva and Cucurella make up a back three with Cesar Azpilicueta, but the biggest surprise was seeing Sterling at left wing-back in a 3-4-3 formation.
That may have been too simplistic, though, as the forward was stationed way up the pitch for the most part and twice wasted good chances at the back post in the first half.
The closest the two teams came to opening the scoring before the break came within a minute of each other. Mason Mount sliced a shot inches wide of the post after another deep run and cross from Cucurella, before Benjamin Sesko had a curling effort tipped around the post by Kepa Arrizabalaga after Sterling gave the ball away.
But the England international made up for that mistake and showed why he was positioned so far up the pitch three minutes after the break.
James started the move on the right flank with a powerful run and fed Mount, whose low cross was miscontrolled by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Fortunately, Sterling took a measured touch before finding the inside of the post for his fourth of the season.
At that stage Chelsea began to control the game and looked like they would add to their lead.
However, the desire to play in Salzburg's half backfired when both Sterling and Cucurella were dispossessed near the halfway line, leading to the equaliser.
Once the ball was played wide of Silva, he seemed as if he would close down Adamu and avert danger.
But the normally reliable Brazilian missed the tackle, with Okafor adding to the goal he scored against AC Milan in Salzburg's draw last week.
There were plenty of chances for Chelsea to take the lead again as Potter made five substitutes in search of a goal.
But the Austrian champions held on after Ziyech and Broja were wasteful.
-- Courtesy of BBC Sport