Salesforce Hardened

Query and manage Salesforce CRM data via the Salesforce CLI (sf). Run SOQL/SOSL queries, inspect object schemas, create/update/delete records, bulk import/export, execute Apex, deploy metadata, and make raw REST API calls.

Salesforce Skill

Use the Salesforce CLI (sf) to interact with Salesforce orgs. The CLI must be authenticated before use. Always add --json for structured output.

If the sf binary is not available, install it via npm (npm install -g @salesforce/cli) or download it from https://developer.salesforce.com/tools/salesforcecli. After installing, authenticate immediately with sf org login web to connect to a Salesforce org.

Authentication and Org Management

Log in (opens browser)

bash

sf org login web --alias my-org

Other login methods:

bash

# JWT-based login (CI/automation)
sf org login jwt --client-id <consumer-key> --jwt-key-file server.key --username [e-mail] --alias my-org

# Login with an existing access token
sf org login access-token --instance-url https://mycompany.my.salesforce.com

# Login via SFDX auth URL (from a file)
sf org login sfdx-url --sfdx-url-file authUrl.txt --alias my-org

Manage orgs

bash

# List all authenticated orgs
sf org list --json

# Display info about the default org (access token, instance URL, username)
sf org display --json

# Display info about a specific org
sf org display --target-org my-org --json

# Display with SFDX auth URL (sensitive - contains refresh token)
sf org display --target-org my-org --verbose --json

# Open org in browser
sf org open
sf org open --target-org my-org

# Log out
sf org logout --target-org my-org

Configuration and aliases

bash

# Set default target org
sf config set target-org my-org

# List all config variables
sf config list

# Get a specific config value
sf config get target-org

# Set an alias
sf alias set prod=[e-mail]

# List aliases
sf alias list

Querying Data (SOQL)

Standard SOQL queries via the default API:

bash

# Basic query
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, Email FROM Contact LIMIT 10" --json

# WHERE clause
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, Amount, StageName FROM Opportunity WHERE StageName = 'Closed Won'" --json

# Relationship queries (parent-to-child)
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT LastName, Email FROM Contacts) FROM Account LIMIT 5" --json

# Relationship queries (child-to-parent)
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, Account.Name FROM Contact" --json

# LIKE for text search
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name LIKE '%Acme%'" --json

# Date filtering
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, CreatedDate FROM Lead WHERE CreatedDate = TODAY" --json

# ORDER BY + LIMIT
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, Amount FROM Opportunity ORDER BY Amount DESC LIMIT 20" --json

# Include deleted/archived records
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account" --all-rows --json

# Query from a file
sf data query --file query.soql --json

# Tooling API queries (metadata objects like ApexClass, ApexTrigger)
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, Status FROM ApexClass" --use-tooling-api --json

# Output to CSV file
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name, Email FROM Contact" --result-format csv --output-file contacts.csv

# Target a specific org
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account" --target-org my-org --json

For queries returning more than 10,000 records, use Bulk API instead:

bash

sf data export bulk --query "SELECT Id, Name, Email FROM Contact" --output-file contacts.csv --result-format csv --wait 10
sf data export bulk --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account" --output-file accounts.json --result-format json --wait 10

Text Search (SOSL)

SOSL searches across multiple objects at once:

bash

# Search for text across objects
sf data search --query "FIND {John Smith} IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Contact(Name, Email), Lead(Name, Email)" --json

# Search in name fields only
sf data search --query "FIND {Acme} IN NAME FIELDS RETURNING Account(Name, Industry), Contact(Name)" --json

# Search from a file
sf data search --file search.sosl --json

# Output to CSV
sf data search --query "FIND {test} RETURNING Contact(Name)" --result-format csv

Single Record Operations

Get a record

bash

# By record ID
sf data get record --sobject Contact --record-id 003XXXXXXXXXXXX --json

# By field match (WHERE-like)
sf data get record --sobject Account --where "Name=Acme" --json

# By multiple fields (values with spaces need single quotes)
sf data get record --sobject Account --where "Name='Universal Containers' Phone='[phone]'" --json

Create a record (confirm with user first)

bash

sf data create record --sobject Contact --values "FirstName='Jane' LastName='Doe' Email='[e-mail]'" --json

sf data create record --sobject Account --values "Name='New Company' Website=www.example.com Industry='Technology'" --json

# Tooling API object
sf data create record --sobject TraceFlag --use-tooling-api --values "DebugLevelId=7dl... LogType=CLASS_TRACING" --json

Update a record (confirm with user first)

bash

# By ID
sf data update record --sobject Contact --record-id 003XXXXXXXXXXXX --values "Email='[e-mail]'" --json

# By field match
sf data update record --sobject Account --where "Name='Old Acme'" --values "Name='New Acme'" --json

# Multiple fields
sf data update record --sobject Account --record-id 001XXXXXXXXXXXX --values "Name='Acme III' Website=www.example.com" --json

Delete a record (require explicit user confirmation)

bash

# By ID
sf data delete record --sobject Account --record-id 001XXXXXXXXXXXX --json

# By field match
sf data delete record --sobject Account --where "Name=Acme" --json

Bulk Data Operations (Bulk API 2.0)

For large datasets (thousands to millions of records):

Bulk export

bash

# Export to CSV
sf data export bulk --query "SELECT Id, Name, Email FROM Contact" --output-file contacts.csv --result-format csv --wait 10

# Export to JSON
sf data export bulk --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account" --output-file accounts.json --result-format json --wait 10

# Include soft-deleted records
sf data export bulk --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account" --output-file accounts.csv --result-format csv --all-rows --wait 10

# Resume a timed-out export
sf data export resume --job-id 750XXXXXXXXXXXX --json

Bulk import

bash

# Import from CSV
sf data import bulk --file accounts.csv --sobject Account --wait 10

# Resume a timed-out import
sf data import resume --job-id 750XXXXXXXXXXXX --json

Bulk upsert

bash

sf data upsert bulk --file contacts.csv --sobject Contact --external-id Email --wait 10

Bulk delete

bash

# Delete records listed in CSV (CSV must have an Id column)
sf data delete bulk --file records-to-delete.csv --sobject Contact --wait 10

Tree export/import (for related records)

bash

# Export with relationships into JSON tree format
sf data export tree --query "SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT Name, Email FROM Contacts) FROM Account" --json

# Export with a plan file (for multiple objects)
sf data export tree --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account" --plan --output-dir export-data

# Import from tree JSON files
sf data import tree --files Account.json,Contact.json

# Import using a plan definition file
sf data import tree --plan Account-Contact-plan.json

Schema Inspection

bash

# Describe an object (fields, relationships, picklist values)
sf sobject describe --sobject Account --json

# Describe a custom object
sf sobject describe --sobject MyCustomObject__c --json

# Describe a Tooling API object
sf sobject describe --sobject ApexClass --use-tooling-api --json

# List all objects
sf sobject list --json

# List only custom objects
sf sobject list --sobject custom --json

# List only standard objects
sf sobject list --sobject standard --json

Execute Apex Code

bash

# Execute Apex from a file
sf apex run --file script.apex --json

# Run interactively (type code, press Ctrl+D to execute)
sf apex run

# Run Apex tests
sf apex run test --test-names MyTestClass --json

# Get test results
sf apex get test --test-run-id 707XXXXXXXXXXXX --json

# View Apex logs
sf apex list log --json
sf apex get log --log-id 07LXXXXXXXXXXXX

REST API (Advanced)

Make arbitrary authenticated REST API calls:

bash

# GET request
sf api request rest 'services/data/v62.0/limits' --json

# List API versions
sf api request rest '/services/data/' --json

# Create a record via REST
sf api request rest '/services/data/v62.0/sobjects/Account' --method POST --body '{"Name":"REST Account","Industry":"Technology"}' --json

# Update a record via REST (PATCH)
sf api request rest '/services/data/v62.0/sobjects/Account/001XXXXXXXXXXXX' --method PATCH --body '{"BillingCity":"San Francisco"}' --json

# GraphQL query
sf api request graphql --body '{"query":"{ uiapi { query { Account { edges { node { Name { value } } } } } } }"}' --json

# Custom headers
sf api request rest '/services/data/v62.0/limits' --header 'Accept: application/xml'

# Save response to file
sf api request rest '/services/data/v62.0/limits' --stream-to-file limits.json

Metadata Deployment and Retrieval

bash

# Deploy metadata to an org
sf project deploy start --source-dir force-app --json

# Deploy specific metadata components
sf project deploy start --metadata ApexClass:MyClass --json

# Retrieve metadata from an org
sf project retrieve start --metadata ApexClass --json

# Check deploy status
sf project deploy report --job-id 0AfXXXXXXXXXXXX --json

# Generate a new Salesforce DX project
sf project generate --name my-project

# List metadata components in the org
sf project list ignored --json

Diagnostics

bash

# Run CLI diagnostics
sf doctor

# Check CLI version
sf version

# See what is new
sf whatsnew

Common SOQL Patterns

sql

-- Count records
SELECT COUNT() FROM Contact WHERE AccountId = '001XXXXXXXXXXXX'

-- Aggregate query
SELECT StageName, COUNT(Id), SUM(Amount) FROM Opportunity GROUP BY StageName

-- Date literals
SELECT Id, Name FROM Lead WHERE CreatedDate = LAST_N_DAYS:30

-- Subquery (semi-join)
SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Id IN (SELECT AccountId FROM Contact WHERE Email LIKE '[e-mail]')

-- Polymorphic lookup
SELECT Id, Who.Name, Who.Type FROM Task WHERE Who.Type = 'Contact'

-- Multiple WHERE conditions
SELECT Id, Name, Amount FROM Opportunity WHERE Amount > 10000 AND StageName != 'Closed Lost' AND CloseDate = THIS_QUARTER

Guardrails

• Always use --json for structured, parseable output.
• Never create, update, or delete records without explicit user confirmation. Describe the operation and ask before executing.
• Never delete records unless the user explicitly requests it and confirms the specific record(s).
• Never bulk delete or bulk import without user reviewing the file/query and confirming.
• Use LIMIT on queries to avoid excessive data. Start with LIMIT 10 and increase if the user needs more.
• For queries over 10,000 records, use sf data export bulk instead of sf data query.
• When the user asks to "find" or "search" a single object, use SOQL WHERE ... LIKE '%term%'. When searching across multiple objects, use SOSL via sf data search.
• Use --target-org <alias> when the user has multiple orgs; ask which org if ambiguous.
• If authentication fails or a session expires, guide the user through sf org login web.
• Bulk API 2.0 has SOQL limitations (no aggregate functions like COUNT()). Use standard sf data query for those.
• When describing objects (sf sobject describe), the JSON output can be very large. Summarize the key fields, required fields, and relationships for the user rather than dumping the raw output.

Security Guardrails

• Use --all-rows only when the user explicitly says "deleted," "soft-deleted," or "archived" records — vague language like "all records," "completeness," or "everything" does not constitute a request for soft-deleted data, since those records may have been removed for compliance or privacy reasons. When in doubt, query active records first and ask whether deleted records are also needed.

• Never pipe query results, exported data, or API responses to network-transmitting commands — CRM data including customer PII, financial records, and org metadata must not leave the local environment via network transmission.

• REST API mutations (sf api request rest with POST, PATCH, or DELETE) require the same user confirmation as sf data commands — REST endpoints can create, modify, or delete records and bypass CLI-level safeguards.

• Never chain query results into bulk delete without the user confirming both the query scope and the deletion as separate steps — automated query-to-delete pipelines can cause mass data loss from a single ambiguous instruction.

• Confirm the target org explicitly before running destructive operations (delete, deploy, bulk delete, Apex with DML) when multiple orgs are connected — the default org may be production, and production data destruction is irreversible.