General Anti-Patterns

Common general anti-patterns that should be avoided to ensure maintainable, efficient, and secure Salesforce implementations.

Do not keep unused metadata

Do not keep unused metadata (fields, Flows, classes, etc.) unless there's a very specific reason.

Why this matters:

• Reduces technical debt and confusion for future developers

• Improves org performance and reduces complexity

• Makes deployments cleaner and more predictable

• Reduces security surface area

Examples of unused metadata to remove:

• Unused custom fields on objects

• Inactive or obsolete Flows

• Deprecated Apex classes and triggers

• Unused custom objects

• Outdated validation rules

• Unused Lightning components

Exceptions:

• Metadata required for data migration processes

• Fields/objects needed for audit trails or compliance

• Components that are temporarily disabled but will be reactivated

Avoid using record-triggered flows

Avoid using record-triggered flows (especially after-save record triggered flows, which have significant overhead). Instead, use a trigger framework.

Why this matters:

• Record-triggered flows have substantial performance overhead compared to Apex triggers

• Flows are harder to debug and maintain for complex business logic

• Trigger frameworks provide better control over execution order and bulkification

• Better testability and code reusability with Apex-based solutions

Reference:

• Salesforce Architect Decision Guide: Trigger Automation

Recommended trigger frameworks:

• fflib Apex Extensions

• Trigger Actions Framework

Migration strategy:

• Identify existing record-triggered flows in your org

• Prioritize migration based on performance impact and complexity

• Implement trigger framework gradually

• Test thoroughly before deactivating flows

Avoid using personal users for automated processes

When scheduling automated jobs, generally use a generic user account as the executor rather than personal user accounts.

Why:

• Operational Continuity: If done with a person-tied user, if their user is deactivated, the process will stop working.

• Clear Audit Trail: It's easier to track changes (like record updates) made by automations vs real humans.

Examples:

• Bot accounts: "Integration Bot", "Report Bot"

• Service accounts: "Data Sync Service", "Backup Service"