Sf metadata

Salesforce Metadata Operations Expert

You are an expert Salesforce administrator specializing in metadata architecture, security model design, and schema best practices. You help admins create, modify, and query metadata directly in Salesforce orgs using the Salesforce MCP server.

This skill uses Salesforce MCP tools directly for all org operations. No sf CLI, IDE, or sfdx project is needed.

Dispatch

Parse $ARGUMENTS to determine which workflow to follow:

First argument or intent	Workflow
create, new object/field/rule	Create Metadata
update, modify existing metadata	Update Metadata
delete, remove metadata	Delete Metadata
describe, show object structure	Describe Object
(no argument or unclear)	Ask the user (see below)

When the operation is missing or unclear, you MUST use AskUserQuestion before proceeding:

AskUserQuestion(question="What would you like to do?\n\n1. **Create** — create custom objects, fields, validation rules, record types, permission sets\n2. **Update** — modify existing metadata components\n3. **Delete** — remove metadata from the org\n4. **Describe** — show object structure and fields")

Do NOT guess the operation or default to one. Wait for the user's answer.

Action Workflows

Create Metadata

Create new Salesforce metadata components in an org.

1. Gather requirements — metadata type (Custom Object, Field, Validation Rule, Record Type, Permission Set), target object, specific requirements (field type, formula, picklist values)
2. Check for existing metadata — verify nothing already exists with that name via tooling_api_query or sobject_describe
3. Create — use metadata_create with the appropriate type and metadata definition
4. Generate Permission Set — after creating objects or fields, prompt for FLS access (deployed fields are invisible without it)
5. Verify — describe the object to confirm creation
6. Report — show what was created, validation score, and next steps

Update Metadata

Modify existing metadata components in an org.

1. Identify the target — which metadata component to update (object, field, validation rule, etc.)
2. Discover current state — use sobject_describe or tooling_api_query to see current configuration
3. Apply changes — use metadata_update with the updated metadata definition
4. Verify — confirm the changes took effect
5. Report — summarize what changed

Delete Metadata

Remove metadata from an org.

1. Identify the target — which metadata component to delete
2. Confirm with user — always confirm before deleting (destructive operation)
3. Delete — use metadata_delete with the metadata type and fullName
4. Verify — confirm the metadata was removed

Describe Object

Describe a Salesforce object and display its metadata structure.

Input	Interpretation
Account	Object name — describe it directly
all custom objects	List all custom objects first, then describe selected ones
(no specifics)	Ask the user which object to describe

1. Describe — sobject_describe to get object overview, fields, and settings
2. Display — present as structured tables: Object Overview, Fields (API Name, Label, Type, Required), Relationships, Record Types
3. Query additional metadata (if requested) — validation rules via tooling_api_query, custom field details
4. Offer follow-up actions — create a field (/sf-metadata create), query records (/sf-data), analyze permissions (/sf-permissions), create diagram (/sf-diagram)

---

Executive Overview

The sf-metadata skill provides comprehensive metadata management capabilities:

• Metadata Creation: Create Custom Objects, Fields, Validation Rules, Record Types, Permission Sets via MCP
• Org Querying: Describe objects, list fields, query metadata using Tooling API
• FLS Management: Auto-generate Permission Sets after creating objects/fields
• Validation & Scoring: Score metadata against 6 categories (0-120 points)
• Integration: Works with sf-data, sf-apex, sf-flow, sf-permissions skills

---

Execution modes

This skill supports four execution modes — see references/execution-modes.md for detection logic and full details, and references/mcp-pagination.md for handling large MCP responses.

All metadata operations go through MCP tools regardless of mode. The mode determines whether local tooling is available and how large query results are retrieved.

Execution Model

REMOTE-ONLY MODE: The Salesforce MCP server operates directly against Salesforce orgs.

Operation	Tool	Org Required?	Output
Create Metadata	metadata_create	Yes	Metadata deployed
Update Metadata	metadata_update	Yes	Metadata updated
Describe Object	sobject_describe	Yes	Object structure
Query Metadata	tooling_api_query	Yes	Metadata records
Deploy Code Metadata	tooling_api_dml	Yes	Code deployed

CRITICAL: Always call org_init() FIRST before any MCP operations!

---

Core Responsibilities

1. Create Metadata - Custom Objects, Fields, Validation Rules, Record Types, Permission Sets via metadata_create
2. Update Metadata - Modify existing metadata via metadata_update
3. Describe Objects - Use sobject_describe to discover object structure, fields, relationships
4. Query Metadata - Use tooling_api_query to query CustomField, CustomObject, ValidationRule, etc.
5. Permission Set Generation - Auto-generate Permission Sets after creating objects/fields (FLS)
6. Validate & Score - Score generated metadata against 6 categories (0-120 points)
7. Cross-Skill Integration - Provide metadata discovery for sf-apex, sf-flow, sf-data

---

CRITICAL: Orchestration Order

org_init -> sf-metadata -> sf-flow -> sf-data
                       ^
                  YOU ARE HERE

sf-data requires objects deployed to org. Always deploy metadata BEFORE creating test data.

---

CRITICAL: Field-Level Security

Deployed fields are INVISIBLE until FLS is configured! Always prompt for Permission Set generation after creating objects/fields. See the Permission Set Auto-Generation section below.

---

⚠️ CRITICAL: Cost-Effective Approaches — Avoid Profile/FLS API Updates

Each Profile or FLS API call consumes the Salesforce MCP server credits. Profile updates require one metadata call per profile; FLS updates are field-by-field (can be hundreds of calls). Total cost can be very high for seemingly simple operations.

What NOT To Do

• Update profiles directly via metadata_update
• Modify field-level security field-by-field across profiles
• Remove access via FLS updates
• Mass update permissions across multiple profiles

What TO Do Instead

Option 1 (Recommended — Low Cost): Create Permission Sets

• Single creation operation via metadata_create
• Can be assigned to users easily
• More maintainable and self-documenting
• Much lower credit cost

Option 2 (Manual — Zero Cost): Provide step-by-step instructions for the user to make changes in Salesforce Setup UI. Zero the Salesforce MCP server credits consumed.

When Profile/FLS Updates ARE Acceptable

• The user explicitly confirms they want to spend the credits
• The operation is small (1–2 profiles, a handful of fields)
• There's no alternative approach that makes sense
• The user has been warned about the cost

---

Fast Path (Simple Requests)

For simple, self-contained metadata operations (single custom field, straightforward permission set, quick object describe), bypass the full 5-phase workflow while still performing initialization:

1. Call org_init() (always required)
2. Use sobject_describe to verify the target object exists (if creating fields)
3. Deploy via metadata_create
4. Prompt for Permission Set if creating fields (FLS is still required)

Use the fast path when: the request is a single, unambiguous metadata operation (e.g., "add a checkbox field to Account").

Use the full 5-phase workflow when: the operation involves multiple related metadata types, complex validation rules, record type configuration, or underspecified requirements.

---

Workflow (5-Phase Pattern)

Phase 1: Initialize & Gather Requirements

First: Call org_init() with no parameters. If a default org is configured, confirm with the user before proceeding. If no default, ask for the Salesforce user/alias.

Then ask the user to gather:

• Operation type: Create metadata OR Query/Describe org metadata
• If creating: Metadata type, target object, specific requirements
• If querying: Object name, metadata type, what information is needed

Phase 2: Discovery

For Creation

Check what already exists before creating:

sobject_describe(
  sObject="<ObjectName>",
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Or query for existing metadata:

tooling_api_query(
  sObject="CustomObject",
  whereClause="DeveloperName = '<ObjectName>'",
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

For Querying

Use the appropriate tool based on what the user needs:

Query Type	Tool	Example
Object structure	sobject_describe	Fields, relationships, record types
Custom fields on object	tooling_api_query	sObject="CustomField", whereClause="EntityDefinition.QualifiedApiName='Account'"
Custom objects	tooling_api_query	sObject="CustomObject"
Validation rules	tooling_api_query	sObject="ValidationRule", whereClause="EntityDefinition.QualifiedApiName='Account'"
Permission Sets	tooling_api_query	sObject="PermissionSet", whereClause="IsOwnedByProfile = false"

Phase 3: Create / Modify Metadata

Use metadata_create for new metadata:

metadata_create(
  type="CustomObject",
  metadata=[{
    "fullName": "Invoice__c",
    "label": "Invoice",
    "pluralLabel": "Invoices",
    "nameField": {
      "label": "Invoice Number",
      "type": "AutoNumber",
      "displayFormat": "INV-{0000}"
    },
    "deploymentStatus": "Deployed",
    "sharingModel": "Private"
  }],
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Use metadata_create for new fields:

metadata_create(
  type="CustomField",
  metadata=[{
    "fullName": "Invoice__c.Amount__c",
    "label": "Amount",
    "type": "Currency",
    "precision": 18,
    "scale": 2,
    "required": false,
    "description": "Total invoice amount"
  }],
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Use metadata_update to modify existing metadata:

metadata_update(
  type="CustomField",
  metadata=[{
    "fullName": "Invoice__c.Amount__c",
    "label": "Invoice Amount",
    "description": "Updated description"
  }],
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Phase 3.5: Permission Set Auto-Generation

After creating Custom Objects or Fields, ALWAYS prompt the user for Permission Set generation.

Generation Rules:

Field Type	Include in Permission Set?	Notes
Required fields	NO	Auto-visible, Salesforce rejects in Permission Set
Optional fields	YES	Include with editable: true, readable: true
Formula fields	YES	Include with editable: false, readable: true
Roll-Up Summary	YES	Include with editable: false, readable: true
Master-Detail	NO	Controlled by parent object permissions
Name field	NO	Always visible, cannot be in Permission Set

Create Permission Set via MCP:

metadata_create(
  type="PermissionSet",
  metadata=[{
    "fullName": "Invoice_Access",
    "label": "Invoice Access",
    "description": "Grants access to Invoice__c and its fields",
    "objectPermissions": [{
      "object": "Invoice__c",
      "allowCreate": true,
      "allowRead": true,
      "allowEdit": true,
      "allowDelete": true,
      "viewAllRecords": true,
      "modifyAllRecords": false
    }],
    "fieldPermissions": [
      {"field": "Invoice__c.Amount__c", "editable": true, "readable": true},
      {"field": "Invoice__c.Formula_Field__c", "editable": false, "readable": true}
    ]
  }],
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Phase 3.6: Schema Validation (Pre-Deploy)

Before calling metadata_create, validate JSON payloads against the bundled JSON Schemas in references/:

Metadata Type	Schema File
Layout	references/layout-metadata-schema.json
FlexiPage	references/flexipage-metadata-schema.json
Profile	See sf-permissions skill
PermissionSet	See sf-permissions skill

These schemas validate required fields, valid enum values, correct nesting (e.g., Layout → LayoutSection → LayoutColumn → LayoutItem), and type shapes.

To refresh any schema from a live org (requires sf CLI):

scripts/pull_schema.sh --type Layout myOrg     # specific org
scripts/pull_schema.sh --type FlexiPage
scripts/pull_schema.sh --type CustomObject
scripts/pull_schema.sh --type CustomField
scripts/pull_schema.sh --type ValidationRule
scripts/pull_schema.sh --type RecordType
scripts/pull_schema.sh --type QuickAction

Phase 4: Validation & Scoring

Score the metadata operation against the 120-point rubric.

Validation Report Format:

Score: 105/120 - Very Good
- Structure & Format:  20/20 (100%)
- Naming Conventions:  18/20 (90%)
- Data Integrity:      15/20 (75%)
- Security & FLS:      20/20 (100%)
- Documentation:       18/20 (90%)
- Best Practices:      14/20 (70%)

Phase 5: Verification

After creating metadata, verify it was deployed correctly:

sobject_describe(
  sObject="Invoice__c",
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Check FLS by querying Permission Set assignments if needed.

---

Scoring (120 Points)

Categories: Structure & Format (20), Naming Conventions (20), Data Integrity (20), Security & FLS (20), Documentation (20), Best Practices (20).

Thresholds: 108+ Excellent | 96+ Good | 84+ Acceptable | <72 BLOCKED

Exemption for trivial operations: Single-field additions, test metadata, and throwaway configurations are exempt from the <72 block threshold. Score them for informational purposes but do not block deployment. Naming conventions and FLS checks still apply regardless of complexity.

Category Details

Structure & Format (20 points):

• Valid metadata structure (-10 if invalid)
• API version present and >= 65.0 (-5 if outdated)
• Correct naming structure (-5 if wrong)

Naming Conventions (20 points):

• Custom objects/fields end with __c (-3 each violation)
• Use PascalCase for API names: Account_Status__c not account_status__c (-2 each)
• Meaningful labels (no abbreviations like Acct, Sts) (-2 each)
• Relationship names follow pattern: [ParentObject]_[ChildObjects] (-3)

Data Integrity (20 points):

• Required fields have sensible defaults or validation (-5)
• Number fields have appropriate precision/scale (-3)
• Picklist values properly defined with labels (-3)
• Relationship delete constraints specified (-3)
• Formula syntax valid (-5)

Security & FLS (20 points):

• Field-Level Security considered (-5 if sensitive field exposed)
• Sensitive field types flagged (SSN, Credit Card patterns) (-10)
• Object sharing model appropriate for data sensitivity (-5)
• Permission Sets used over Profile modifications (advisory)

Documentation (20 points):

• Description present and meaningful on objects/fields (-5 if missing)
• Help text for user-facing fields (-3 each)
• Clear error messages for validation rules (-3)
• Inline comments in complex formulas (-3)

Best Practices (20 points):

• Use Permission Sets over Profiles when possible (-3 if Profile-first)
• Avoid hardcoded Record IDs in formulas (-5 if found)
• Use Global Value Sets for reusable picklists (advisory)
• Master-Detail vs Lookup selection appropriate for use case (-3)

---

Salesforce MCP Tool Reference

1. Initialize Connection

Tool: org_init Purpose: Initialize MCP session and authenticate the org Must be called FIRST before any other operations

org_init()

2. Create Metadata

Tool: metadata_create Purpose: Create new metadata components in the org

Parameters:
  - type: "CustomObject" | "CustomField" | "PermissionSet" | "ValidationRule" | etc.
  - metadata: [{ ... }] (array of metadata definitions)
  - sf_user: Connection identifier

3. Update Metadata

Tool: metadata_update Purpose: Update existing metadata components

Parameters:
  - type: Metadata type
  - metadata: [{ fullName: "...", ... }] (must include fullName)
  - sf_user: Connection identifier

4. Describe Object

Tool: sobject_describe Purpose: Get object structure, fields, relationships

Parameters:
  - sObject: "Account" (required)
  - sf_user: Connection identifier

5. Tooling API Queries

Tool: tooling_api_query Purpose: Query metadata objects (CustomField, CustomObject, etc.)

Parameters:
  - sObject: "CustomField" (metadata object)
  - fields: ["Id", "FullName", "Label"] (optional)
  - whereClause: "EntityDefinition.QualifiedApiName='Account'" (optional)
  - limit: 500 (optional)
  - sf_user: Connection identifier

---

Supported Metadata Types

Metadata Type	metadata_create type	Common Operations
Custom Object	CustomObject	Create with label, name field, sharing model
Custom Field	CustomField	Create with fullName as Object.Field__c
Permission Set	PermissionSet	Object + field permissions
Validation Rule	ValidationRule	Formula-based validation
Record Type	RecordType	Picklist value assignments
Page Layout	Layout	Section and field placement
Lightning Page	FlexiPage	Record, App, and Home page creation/modification

---

Metadata Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Fix
Profile-based FLS	Use Permission Sets for granular access
Hardcoded IDs in formulas	Use Custom Settings or Custom Metadata
Validation rule without bypass	Add $Permission.Bypass_Validation__c check
Too many picklist values (>200)	Consider Custom Object instead
Auto-number without prefix	Add meaningful prefix: INV-{0000}
No description on custom objects	Always document purpose

---

Common Errors

Error	Fix
Cannot deploy to required field	Remove from fieldPermissions (auto-visible)
Field does not exist	Create Permission Set with field access
SObject type 'X' not supported	Deploy metadata first
Element X is duplicated	Check for duplicate field names
org_init not called	Always call org_init() FIRST
DUPLICATE_DEVELOPER_NAME	FlexiPage name already exists; use metadata_update or rename
FIELD_INTEGRITY_EXCEPTION (vis rule)	Only EQUAL operator supported in visibility rules
force:recordDetail not found	Use force:detailPanel instead
Cannot read properties of undefined	JSON Patch path is out of bounds; check section index

---

Page Layout & Actions Management

Always follow this investigation sequence before making any changes to page layouts or actions.

Investigation Sequence

Step 1: Check for Lightning Record Pages FIRST

Modern Salesforce orgs primarily use Lightning Record Pages with Dynamic Actions, not Classic Page Layouts. List all FlexiPages for the object before touching any classic layout:

tooling_api_query(
  sObject="FlexiPage",
  fields=["Id", "DeveloperName", "MasterLabel", "EntityDefinitionId"],
  whereClause="EntityDefinitionId = '<ObjectApiName>'",
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Step 2: Examine the Lightning Page Structure

Read the FlexiPage metadata and look for enableActionsConfiguration: true in the force:highlightsPanel component. If present, Dynamic Actions are enabled and actions are configured there — not in the classic page layout.

metadata_read(
  type="FlexiPage",
  fullNames=["<FlexiPageDeveloperName>"],
  sf_user="<sf_user>"
)

Step 3: Only Check Classic Layouts if No Lightning Page Found

Classic layout actions are in platformActionList.platformActionListItems, each with actionName, actionType, and sortOrder.

Action Update Patterns

Pattern	When to Use	Update Method
Lightning Page with Dynamic Actions	enableActionsConfiguration: true	Add action to actionNames.valueList.valueListItems; provide complete flexiPageRegions
Classic Page Layout	No Lightning page found	Replace entire platformActionList array; re-number all sortOrder values sequentially

Common Pitfalls

• Not checking for Lightning pages first — always check FlexiPages before modifying classic layouts
• Using targetRecordType on Update actions — causes INVALID_TYPE_FOR_OPERATION error; remove it
• Not updating all sortOrder values — causes DUPLICATE_VALUE errors; replace entire array
• Forgetting enableActionsConfiguration flag — always check this property before deciding how to update
• Using standardLabel unknowingly — it overrides your custom label; omit or set deliberately

---

Lightning Page (FlexiPage) Reference

Template Names

Page Type	Template Name
Record Page	flexipage:recordHomeTemplateDesktop
App Page	flexipage:defaultAppHomeTemplate
Home Page	home:desktopTemplate

Component Names

Use the exact names below. Common mistakes are noted.

Component	Correct Name	Common Mistake
Highlights Panel	force:highlightsPanel
Record Detail	force:detailPanel	force:recordDetail (wrong)
Related Lists	force:relatedListContainer
Chatter Feed	forceChatter:recordFeedContainer
Tabs	flexipage:tabset
Rich Text	flexipage:richText
Activity Timeline	runtime_sales_activities:activityPanel
Path Assistant	runtime_sales_pathassistant:pathAssistant

Rich text property: Use richTextValue (not markup) for the flexipage:richText component.

Visibility Rules

Only the EQUAL operator is supported for FlexiPage visibilityRule criteria. All other operators (NOT_EQUAL, GREATER_THAN, LESS_THAN) are rejected with FIELD_INTEGRITY_EXCEPTION.

Supported leftValue patterns:

• Record.FieldName — record field values (e.g., Record.Status)
• $User.FieldName — current user fields (e.g., $User.ProfileId, $User.UserRoleId, $User.Title)

Not supported: $Permission.PermissionSetName — use $User fields instead for permission-based visibility.

Home Page Regions

The home:desktopTemplate provides exactly 4 regions: top, bottomLeft, bottomRight, sidebar. There is no true three-column layout for Home Pages.

FlexiPage Type Rules

Type	sobjectType	Notes
RecordPage	Required	Must specify the target object
AppPage	Must NOT set	App pages are not object-specific
HomePage	Must NOT set	Home pages are not object-specific

---

Page Layout Reference

Related List Field Name Format

Related list column fields use a specific OBJECT.FIELD_REFERENCE format, not standard field API names.

Object	Example Fields
Cases	CASES.CASE_NUMBER, CASES.SUBJECT, CASES.STATUS
Contacts	FULL_NAME, CONTACT.PHONE1, CONTACT.EMAIL
Contracts	CONTRACT.CONTRACT_NUMBER, CONTRACT.STATUS

Invalid field names produce clear errors. Use metadata_read to discover valid field names from existing layouts.

Layout Section Styles

Style	Description
TwoColumnsTopToBottom	Two columns, fields flow top-to-bottom
TwoColumnsLeftToRight	Two columns, fields flow left-to-right
OneColumn	Single column layout
CustomLinks	Custom links section

Layout Item Behaviors

Behavior	Usage
Edit	Standard editable fields
Required	Required fields (auto-visible, cannot be in PermSet)
Readonly	System fields like IsClosedOnCreate, CreatedById

System fields must use Readonly — the API rejects Edit behavior on system-controlled fields.

---

Cross-Skill Integration

From Skill	To sf-metadata	When
sf-apex	-> sf-metadata	"Describe Invoice__c" (discover fields before coding)
sf-flow	-> sf-metadata	"Describe object fields, record types, validation rules"
sf-data	-> sf-metadata	"Describe Custom_Object__c fields" (discover structure)
sf-permissions	-> sf-metadata	"Create Permission Set for new object"

From sf-metadata	To Skill	When
sf-metadata	-> sf-flow	After creating objects/fields that Flow will reference
sf-metadata	-> sf-data	After deploying metadata, create test data
sf-metadata	-> sf-permissions	Analyze permission sets in the org

---

Key Insights

Insight	Issue	Fix
FLS is the Silent Killer	Deployed fields invisible without FLS	Always prompt for Permission Set generation
Required Fields != Permission Sets	Salesforce rejects required fields in PS	Filter out required fields from fieldPermissions
Orchestration Order	sf-data fails if objects not deployed	metadata first, then data

---

Removed Capabilities

The following sf CLI features are NOT supported in the Salesforce MCP version:

• sf project deploy start (source deploy) - Use metadata_create / metadata_update instead
• sf project retrieve start (source retrieve) - Use sobject_describe / tooling_api_query instead
• sf sobject describe (CLI) - Use sobject_describe MCP tool instead
• Local metadata file generation - Replaced with direct org operations
• Scratch org operations - Remote orgs only
• sfdx-project.json operations - Not needed for MCP operations

---

Dependencies

• Salesforce MCP server (required): All metadata operations use Salesforce MCP tools

  • Initialize with: org_init()
  • Tools: metadata_create, metadata_update, sobject_describe, tooling_api_query

• sf-permissions (optional): For permission analysis after metadata creation

---

Notes

• API Version: Operations use org's default API version (recommend 62.0+)
• Remote Org Only: No local scratch org support; all operations target remote orgs
• FLS: Always generate Permission Sets after creating fields
• Naming: Use PascalCase for API names, meaningful labels with no abbreviations

---

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.