Salesforce cli

Salesforce CLI

Safety-first wrapper for Salesforce CLI (sf v2). Every command is classified by risk level before execution. NEVER modify Salesforce data or metadata without explicit user permission.

When to Use

• User asks to query Salesforce data (SOQL/SOSL)
• User asks to deploy or retrieve metadata
• User asks to export/import data (CSV, JSON, tree)
• User asks to execute Apex code
• User asks to manage orgs (scratch, sandbox, production)
• User asks to authenticate w/ Salesforce
• User asks to work w/ platform events or CDC
• User asks to manage packages or permissions
• User asks to interact w/ Salesforce APIs (REST, Bulk, Tooling)

Prerequisites

1. Install: npm install -g @salesforce/cli or brew install sf
2. Auth: sf org login web (interactive) or sf org login jwt (CI/CD)
3. Verify: sf --version (requires v2.x)
4. Default org: sf config set target-org <alias>

Safety Model

Every sf command falls into one of four risk tiers. Default mode is read-only.

Tier	Action Required	Examples
Safe	Execute immediately	sf org list, sf data query, sf project retrieve preview
Write	AskUserQuestion BEFORE executing	sf data create record, sf project deploy start --dry-run
Destructive	AskUserQuestion w/ explicit consequences	sf project deploy start, sf data delete, sf org delete
Forbidden	Multi-step validation, NEVER auto-confirm	Bulk delete in production, mass data wipe, production org delete

See references/safety-rules.md for full classification and confirmation templates.

Production Guardrails

Detect org type before ANY write operation:

sf org display --target-org <alias> --json

Check instanceUrl and isScratch/isSandbox fields:

• login.salesforce.com or no sandbox/scratch flag → PRODUCTION → extra confirmation required
• test.salesforce.com or isSandbox: true → Sandbox
• isScratch: true → Scratch org

For production orgs: ALL write operations require AskUserQuestion w/ org alias typed confirmation.

Fail-Safe Principles

1. If org type detection fails → BLOCK all operations (never assume non-production)
2. If unsure about tier → classify HIGHER (Write → Destructive, Destructive → Forbidden)
3. Bulk operations always require row count preview before confirmation
4. Deploys with destructiveChanges.xml are FORBIDDEN in production via scripts
5. --test-level NoTestRun is BLOCKED for production deployments
6. Apex code must be shown to user BEFORE execution (never run sight-unseen)
7. Permission set changes require warning about privilege escalation / lockout risks
8. Field/object deletions in deploys require warning about cascade impacts (reports, flows, integrations)
9. Sandbox refresh requires explicit acknowledgment that ALL data will be overwritten
10. PII fields in queries trigger a warning (Email, Phone, Birthdate, SSN, etc.)

Decision Flow

Command received
  → Detect target org type (prod/sandbox/scratch)
  → Classify risk tier (see Quick Reference)
  → Safe?        Execute immediately
  → Write?       AskUserQuestion → wait for answer → execute or cancel
  → Destructive? AskUserQuestion w/ consequences → wait → execute or cancel
  → Forbidden?   Warn → require typed confirmation → final confirm → execute or cancel
  → PRODUCTION?  Add extra confirmation step regardless of tier

Quick Reference

Safe (read-only, execute immediately)

Command	Description
sf org list	List authorized orgs
sf org list --all	Include expired scratch orgs
sf org display	Display org info
sf org open	Open org in browser
sf config list	List config values
sf config get target-org	Get default org
sf alias list	List aliases
sf data query --query "..."	SOQL query (w/ mandatory LIMIT)
sf data search --query "..."	SOSL search
sf data get record	Get single record
sf project retrieve preview	Preview what would be retrieved
sf project deploy preview	Preview what would be deployed
sf apex list log	List debug logs
sf apex get log	Get debug log content
sf apex tail log	Tail logs in real-time
sf api request rest (GET)	Read-only REST API calls
sf limits api display	Display API limits
sf sobject describe --sobject <name>	Describe object schema (fields, types)
sf package list	List packages
sf package version list	List package versions
sf plugins list	List installed plugins
sf doctor	Run diagnostics
sf org list auth	List auth connections (sf auth list = legacy alias)

Write (AskUserQuestion required)

Command	Description
sf data create record	Create a single record
sf data update record	Update a single record
sf data import tree	Import data from tree files
sf project deploy start --dry-run	Validate deployment (no changes)
sf project retrieve start	Retrieve metadata to local
sf org create scratch	Create scratch org
sf alias set	Set an alias
sf config set	Set config value
sf package create	Create a package
sf package version create	Create package version

Destructive (AskUserQuestion w/ consequences)

Command	Description
sf project deploy start (no dry-run)	Deploy metadata (modifies org)
sf data delete record	Delete a single record
sf data delete bulk	Bulk delete records
sf data update bulk	Bulk update records — can corrupt data at scale
sf data import bulk	Bulk import — can create thousands of duplicate records
sf data upsert bulk	Bulk upsert — incorrect key can overwrite wrong records
sf apex run	Execute anonymous Apex
sf org delete scratch	Delete scratch org
sf org delete sandbox	Delete sandbox
sf org create sandbox	Create sandbox (long-running, uses resources)
sf org assign permset	Assign permission set — can escalate privileges or lock users out
sf package install	Install package — can modify schema, automation, and data
sf package uninstall	Uninstall package
sf org logout	Remove org auth
sf api request rest -X POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE	Write/delete REST API calls

Forbidden (multi-step validation)

Command	Description
sf org delete targeting production	Delete production org connection
Bulk delete in production	Mass data deletion in production
sf data delete bulk w/o WHERE in source query	Full-table data wipe risk
sf project deploy start w/ destructiveChanges.xml in prod	Deploy destructive metadata changes to production
sf project deploy start --test-level NoTestRun in prod	Skip tests in production (BLOCKED)
sf org refresh sandbox	Refresh sandbox — overwrites ALL data and customizations
sf org logout --all	Remove ALL org auth — can break CI/CD pipelines
Bulk loops w/o limits	Any loop running delete/update w/o LIMIT
sf apex run in production w/o review	Execute unreviewed Apex in production
Dangerous deploy flags in prod	--ignore-conflicts, --ignore-warnings, --purge-on-delete

SOQL/SOSL Query Safety

Mandatory rules for ALL queries:

1. Always add LIMIT — Default to LIMIT 200 if user omits
2. Never use SELECT * — Expand fields via sf sobject describe --sobject <name> or ask user
3. Production queries — Require WHERE clause unless object is known to be small
4. Tooling API queries — Use --use-tooling-api flag for metadata queries

# Safe SOQL query
sf data query --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name, Industry FROM Account WHERE Industry = 'Technology' LIMIT 100"

# SOQL w/ relationships
sf data query --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT Id, FirstName FROM Contacts) FROM Account LIMIT 50"

# SOQL w/ output format
sf data query --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 100" \
  --result-format csv --output-file accounts.csv

# Tooling API query
sf data query --target-org my-org --use-tooling-api \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM ApexClass WHERE Name LIKE '%Test%' LIMIT 50"

# SOSL search
sf data search --target-org my-org \
  --query "FIND {Acme} IN NAME FIELDS RETURNING Account(Id, Name LIMIT 50)"

See references/soql-sosl.md for query patterns, date literals, and aggregate examples.

Data Export/Import

Export (Safe tier — read-only)

# CSV export
sf data query --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 200" \
  --result-format csv --output-file accounts.csv

# JSON export
sf data query --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 200" \
  --json > accounts.json

# Tree export (preserves relationships)
sf data export tree --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name, (SELECT Id, FirstName FROM Contacts) FROM Account LIMIT 50" \
  --output-dir ./data

# Bulk export (large datasets)
sf data export bulk --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account" \
  --output-file accounts.csv

Import (Write/Destructive tier — confirmation required)

# Tree import (Write)
sf data import tree --target-org my-org --files Account.json,Contact.json

# Bulk import (Write)
sf data import bulk --sobject Account --file accounts.csv --target-org my-org

# Bulk upsert (Write)
sf data upsert bulk --sobject Account --file data.csv \
  --external-id External_Id__c --target-org my-org

File-Converter Integration

Convert between formats using the file-converter skill:

# Salesforce JSON → CSV (for spreadsheets)
python3 .claude/skills/file-converter/scripts/csv_json_yaml.py accounts.json accounts.csv

# CSV → JSON (for API import)
python3 .claude/skills/file-converter/scripts/csv_json_yaml.py data.csv data.json

# JSON → YAML (for config/review)
python3 .claude/skills/file-converter/scripts/csv_json_yaml.py accounts.json accounts.yaml

# Export → Convert → Report pipeline
sf data query --target-org my-org \
  --query "SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 200" --json > data.json
python3 .claude/skills/file-converter/scripts/csv_json_yaml.py data.json report.csv

See references/data-operations.md for bulk patterns and tree format details.

Metadata Deploy/Retrieve

Retrieve (Write tier — modifies local files)

# Retrieve by source
sf project retrieve start --source-dir force-app --target-org my-org

# Retrieve by metadata type
sf project retrieve start --metadata ApexClass --target-org my-org

# Retrieve by manifest
sf project retrieve start --manifest package.xml --target-org my-org

Deploy (Destructive tier — modifies org)

Always validate first:

# Step 1: Preview (Safe)
sf project deploy preview --source-dir force-app --target-org my-org

# Step 2: Validate / dry-run (Write — confirm first)
sf project deploy start --source-dir force-app --target-org my-org --dry-run

# Step 3: Actual deploy (Destructive — confirm w/ consequences)
sf project deploy start --source-dir force-app --target-org my-org

# Production deploy (always w/ tests)
sf project deploy start --source-dir force-app --target-org prod-org \
  --test-level RunLocalTests

Apex Execution

Always show code before running. Always confirm.

# Step 1: Display the Apex code to the user (MANDATORY)
cat script.apex

# Step 2: AskUserQuestion — "Execute this Apex in <org>?"

# Step 3: Execute (Destructive tier)
sf apex run --target-org my-org --file script.apex

# Run tests (Write tier)
sf apex run test --target-org my-org --class-names MyClassTest --code-coverage

# Get latest log
sf apex get log --target-org my-org --number 1

Org Management

Scratch Orgs

# Create (Write)
sf org create scratch --definition-file config/project-scratch-def.json \
  --alias my-scratch --duration-days 7

# List (Safe)
sf org list --all

# Delete (Destructive — confirm first)
sf org delete scratch --target-org my-scratch

Sandboxes

# Create (Destructive — long-running, consumes resources)
sf org create sandbox --target-org prod-org --name dev-sandbox --alias dev-sb

# Refresh (Destructive)
sf org refresh sandbox --target-org dev-sb

# Delete (Destructive — confirm first)
sf org delete sandbox --target-org dev-sb

Authentication

# Web login (interactive — recommended for development)
sf org login web --alias my-org --set-default

# Sandbox login
sf org login web --alias my-sandbox --instance-url https://test.salesforce.com

# JWT login (CI/CD — non-interactive)
sf org login jwt --client-id <consumer_key> --jwt-key-file server.key \
  --username [email protected] --alias my-org

# SFDX Auth URL (transfer auth between systems)
sf org login sfdx-url --sfdx-url-file auth.txt --alias my-org

# Device flow (headless environments)
sf org login device

# Verify auth
sf org display --target-org my-org
sf auth list

See references/auth-flows.md for detailed setup instructions.

MCP Server Integration

Official Salesforce MCP Server (recommended)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "salesforce-dx": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@salesforce/mcp", "--orgs", "DEFAULT_TARGET_ORG"]
    }
  }
}

Available toolsets: Core, Orgs, Data, Users, Metadata, Testing, Code-Analysis, LWC, Aura, Mobile, Scale Products.

Tool Detection Flow

1. Check: Are Salesforce MCP tools available? (ToolSearch "salesforce")
   → YES: Use MCP tools (structured, validated)
   → NO:  Fall back to sf CLI commands
   → NO CLI: Guide user through installation

Community MCP Servers

Server	Tools	Best For
@salesforce/mcp (official)	60+	Full DX workflow, LWC, testing, metadata
tsmztech/mcp-server-salesforce	16	CRUD, schema, Apex, SOSL
advancedcommunities/salesforce-mcp-server	36	Apex, testing, code analysis, data export

See references/mcp-integration.md for setup and toolset details.

Direct API Access

# REST API (Safe for GET, Write/Destructive for others)
sf api request rest /services/data/v67.0/sobjects/Account/describe
sf api request rest /services/data/v67.0/query?q=SELECT+Id+FROM+Account+LIMIT+10

# GraphQL
sf api request graphql --body query.graphql --target-org my-org

# Composite (multiple operations in one call)
sf api request rest /services/data/v67.0/composite --body composite.json -X POST

Platform Events & CDC

# Publish platform event (Destructive — triggers automation)
sf data create record --sobject MyEvent__e --values "Field1__c='value'" --target-org my-org

# Subscribe to events (Safe — read-only)
sf apex run --target-org my-org --file subscribe_events.apex

# Check CDC-enabled objects (Safe)
sf data query --target-org my-org --use-tooling-api \
  --query "SELECT QualifiedApiName FROM EntityDefinition WHERE IsEnabledForChangeDataCapture = true LIMIT 100"

AskUserQuestion Integration

For ALL write, destructive, and forbidden operations, use AskUserQuestion w/ tailored options.

Data Modification Example

question: "Create a new Account record in <org-alias> (<org-type>)?"
header: "SF Write"
options:
  - label: "Create record"
    description: "Insert the Account record with the specified field values"
  - label: "Cancel"
    description: "Do not create any records"

Deploy Example

question: "Deploy metadata to <org-alias> (<org-type>)? <N> components will be modified."
header: "SF Deploy"
options:
  - label: "Validate only (dry-run)"
    description: "Run validation without making changes"
  - label: "Deploy now"
    description: "Deploy and modify the target org"
  - label: "Cancel"
    description: "Do not deploy"

Apex Execution Example

question: "Execute the following Apex in <org-alias> (<org-type>)?\n\n<code preview>"
header: "SF Apex"
options:
  - label: "Execute"
    description: "Run the Apex code in the target org"
  - label: "Cancel"
    description: "Do not execute"

See references/safety-rules.md for all confirmation templates.

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Fix
sf: command not found	Not installed	npm install -g @salesforce/cli
No default org set	No target org	sf config set target-org <alias>
INVALID_SESSION_ID	Auth expired	sf org login web --alias <org>
MALFORMED_QUERY	Bad SOQL syntax	Check query, verify field names
INVALID_FIELD	Wrong field name	Use sf sobject describe --sobject <name> to check fields
REQUEST_LIMIT_EXCEEDED	API limit hit	Check sf limits api display, wait or optimize
DUPLICATE_VALUE	Unique constraint	Check external IDs, use upsert instead
REQUIRED_FIELD_MISSING	Missing field	Check object requirements w/ describe
DEPLOY_FAILED	Deploy validation error	Check error details, fix code, redeploy

Shell Safety

• No interactive mode: Always provide explicit flags, never rely on interactive prompts
• No pagers: Pipe to cat if output may trigger a pager: sf org list | cat
• Always specify org: Use --target-org to prevent accidental operations on wrong org
• Quote arguments: Always quote query strings and multi-word values
• JSON output: Use --json for programmatic parsing
• Never print tokens: Auth tokens, keys, and secrets must never appear in output

Self-Healing

sf v2 renames commands across releases. On any error: sf <topic> --help (authoritative for the installed version) → if unclear, WebFetch https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.sfdx_cli_reference.meta/sfdx_cli_reference/cli_reference_unified.htm → adjust → re-run. Never guess flags twice; surface renamed commands w/ the doc link.

Integration

Pairs with:

• file-converter — Convert Salesforce exports between CSV, JSON, YAML, XML formats
• github-cli — Commit and PR Salesforce metadata changes
• code-quality — Review Apex code before deployment
• token-optimizer — Compress large query results or metadata descriptions