Top 30 Most Common Sfdc Developer Interview Questions You Should Prepare For
Written by
James Miller, Career Coach
Introduction
Preparing for sfdc developer interview questions is crucial for landing your dream job in the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce Development, particularly utilizing Apex, Lightning Web Components, and integrations, is a highly sought-after skill. Companies rely on skilled sfdc developers to customize their platforms, build complex business logic, and integrate Salesforce with other systems. Interviewers assess candidates on their understanding of core Salesforce development concepts, architectural best practices, governor limits, testing, and integration patterns. Mastering common sfdc developer interview questions demonstrates your technical proficiency and readiness to tackle real-world development challenges on the Salesforce platform. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of essential topics and detailed answers to help you confidently navigate your next sfdc developer interview, covering everything from fundamental Apex and SOQL to advanced topics like asynchronous processing and integration strategies, ensuring you are well-prepared to showcase your expertise in response to typical sfdc developer interview questions.
What Are sfdc developer interview questions?
sfdc developer interview questions are specific technical and scenario-based queries posed to candidates applying for roles focused on developing on the Salesforce platform. These questions cover a wide range of topics, including proficiency in Apex, SOQL, SOSL, Visualforce (though less common now), Lightning Component frameworks (Aura and LWC), integrations (REST, SOAP, Bulk, Streaming APIs), asynchronous Apex (Batch, Queueable, Future), testing best practices, governor limits, and data modeling. They aim to evaluate a candidate's understanding of Salesforce's multi-tenant architecture, coding standards, debugging skills, and ability to design and implement robust, scalable solutions within the platform's constraints. Common sfdc developer interview questions often probe how you handle large data volumes, asynchronous processes, security, and deployments.
Why Do Interviewers Ask sfdc developer interview questions?
Interviewers ask sfdc developer interview questions to gauge a candidate's practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and problem-solving abilities within the Salesforce context. These questions help determine if a candidate can write efficient, scalable, and secure code that adheres to Salesforce best practices and governor limits. They want to understand how you approach development challenges, debug issues, design data models, and integrate Salesforce with other systems. Asking specific sfdc developer interview questions about asynchronous processing or bulk data handling, for instance, reveals your experience with complex scenarios. Moreover, questions on testing and deployment show your understanding of the full development lifecycle. Ultimately, sfdc developer interview questions serve as a filter to identify candidates who possess the necessary expertise to contribute effectively to their team and build high-quality solutions on the Salesforce platform.
Preview List
What are Governor Limits in Salesforce?
What programming languages can be used to customize Salesforce?
What is Apex?
What is SOQL?
What is the difference between SOAP API and REST API?
What are the different types of Salesforce integrations?
What are Triggers in Salesforce?
How many triggers can you have on a Salesforce object?
What is Batch Apex? Describe its use.
What are the main methods required in Batch Apex?
What is a Trigger.new and Trigger.old context variable?
What is Salesforce Lightning?
Explain the difference between a Lookup and Master-Detail relationship.
What is a Visualforce page?
What are the different Salesforce environments (orgs)?
What is a Connected App in Salesforce?
What is OAuth in Salesforce?
What is a Trigger Handler?
What is a Roll-up Summary Field?
How can you avoid hitting governor limits in Salesforce?
What is the difference between 'with sharing' and 'without sharing' in Apex?
Explain the use of @future annotation in Apex.
What is a Custom Setting?
What is the difference between a Custom Object and a Custom Metadata Type?
What are Platform Events in Salesforce?
What are Named Credentials?
What is Salesforce DX?
What is the difference between Enterprise WSDL and Partner WSDL?
What is the difference between JSON and XML?
How do you test Apex code in Salesforce?
1. What are Governor Limits in Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
This is fundamental for any sfdc developer interview. It assesses your awareness of the multi-tenant architecture constraints and how they impact code development and design.
How to answer:
Explain that they are resource limits enforced by Salesforce to prevent code from consuming excessive resources on the shared platform. Mention examples like SOQL queries, DML statements, and CPU time.
Example answer:
Governor limits are runtime limits Salesforce imposes to ensure efficient resource usage in its multi-tenant environment. They limit operations per transaction like SOQL queries (max 100), DML statements (max 150), CPU time, heap size, etc.
2. What programming languages can be used to customize Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
Evaluates your knowledge of the core technologies used for development on the Salesforce platform, crucial for any sfdc developer interview.
How to answer:
List the primary languages: Apex for server-side logic, SOQL for database queries, and JavaScript (with LWC) or Aura framework for modern front-end development, plus Visualforce for older UIs.
Example answer:
Salesforce customization primarily uses Apex for backend logic, SOQL for querying data, and JavaScript for front-end development with Lightning Web Components. Visualforce and its tag-based language are used for legacy UI.
3. What is Apex?
Why you might get asked this:
A core sfdc developer interview question. It tests your understanding of Salesforce's proprietary backend programming language.
How to answer:
Define Apex as a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language used on the Salesforce platform to execute flow and transaction control on the server.
Example answer:
Apex is Salesforce's proprietary programming language. It's used to execute business logic, add custom validation, and handle complex operations on the Salesforce platform, often triggered by events or invoked by Lightning components.
4. What is SOQL?
Why you might get asked this:
Essential for any sfdc developer interview. It checks your ability to retrieve data from the Salesforce database.
How to answer:
Explain SOQL as Salesforce Object Query Language, used to query records from a single standard or custom object. Highlight its similarity to SQL but mention its limitations (no SELECT *, single object query).
Example answer:
SOQL, Salesforce Object Query Language, is used to query data from Salesforce records. It's similar to SQL but is specific to Salesforce objects. You use it to retrieve fields from a single sObject or related sObjects.
5. What is the difference between SOAP API and REST API?
Why you might get asked this:
Assesses your understanding of integration patterns, a common topic in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Compare them: SOAP is protocol-based, XML-heavy, strict, and uses WSDL; REST is architectural style-based, lighter (JSON/XML), stateless, and simpler, using standard HTTP methods.
Example answer:
SOAP API is a protocol using XML over HTTP, requiring strict XML formats (WSDL). REST API is an architectural style using HTTP methods and typically JSON, simpler and more flexible, commonly used for mobile/web integrations.
6. What are the different types of Salesforce integrations?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your knowledge of various methods to connect Salesforce with external systems, relevant for many sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
List key integration methods: REST API, SOAP API, Bulk API (for large data), Streaming API (event-based), Apex callouts, Salesforce Connect, and Platform Events.
Example answer:
Salesforce supports various integration types: REST API, SOAP API, Bulk API for large data volumes, Streaming API for real-time events, Apex Callouts to external services, and Platform Events for event-driven architecture.
7. What are Triggers in Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
A fundamental concept for any sfdc developer interview involving data manipulation logic.
How to answer:
Define triggers as Apex code that executes before or after DML operations (Insert, Update, Delete, Undelete) on specific sObjects, enabling custom automation.
Example answer:
Triggers are Apex scripts that execute automatically before or after specific database operations like inserting, updating, or deleting records. They're used to perform custom actions or validations beyond standard configurations.
8. How many triggers can you have on a Salesforce object?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests knowledge of best practices and trigger execution order, often included in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
State that technically you can have multiple, but the best practice is one trigger per object using a trigger handler class to manage different events.
Example answer:
While technically possible to have multiple triggers, the best practice is to have just one trigger per object. This trigger then calls a handler class to manage the logic for different events (before insert, after update, etc.).
9. What is Batch Apex? Describe its use.
Why you might get asked this:
Crucial for handling large data volumes without hitting governor limits, a common scenario in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Explain Batch Apex as an asynchronous method for processing large datasets by breaking them into smaller batches, ideal for data maintenance or complex calculations on many records.
Example answer:
Batch Apex is used for processing large numbers of records that would exceed synchronous governor limits. It processes data in chunks (batches), making it suitable for data cleansing, archiving, or complex bulk updates.
10. What are the main methods required in Batch Apex?
Why you might get asked this:
Probes your practical knowledge of implementing Batch Apex, a common follow-up in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
List the three required methods: start(), execute(), and finish(), describing the purpose of each (collecting data, processing batches, post-processing).
Example answer:
Batch Apex requires three methods: start(), which gathers the data to be processed; execute(), which processes each batch of records; and finish(), which runs once the job is complete, often for follow-up actions.
11. What is a Trigger.new and Trigger.old context variable?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of trigger context and how to access data within a trigger, fundamental for sfdc developer interview questions on triggers.
How to answer:
Explain Trigger.new as a list of the new versions of records being processed (insert/update) and Trigger.old as a list of the old versions of records before update/delete.
Example answer:
Trigger.new holds the list of records currently being processed in insert or update triggers (the new values). Trigger.old contains the old versions of records before an update or delete, useful for comparing changes.
12. What is Salesforce Lightning?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests awareness of the modern Salesforce user interface and development framework, highly relevant for current sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Describe Lightning as Salesforce's modern UI framework, encompassing Lightning Experience (the UI), Lightning Components (Aura/LWC framework), and Lightning App Builder for building dynamic applications.
Example answer:
Salesforce Lightning is the modern UI and development framework. It includes Lightning Experience (the new user interface) and Lightning Components (built with Aura or LWC) for building dynamic, mobile-first applications.
13. Explain the difference between a Lookup and Master-Detail relationship.
Why you might get asked this:
Assesses your understanding of Salesforce data modeling, a key area for any sfdc developer interview.
How to answer:
Contrast them: Lookup is a loosely coupled parent-child relationship where child records can exist independently; Master-Detail is tightly coupled, deleting the parent deletes the child, and child inherits security/sharing from the master.
Example answer:
Lookup is a loosely coupled relationship; deleting the parent record doesn't delete the child. Master-Detail is tightly coupled; deleting the parent record automatically deletes related child records, and children inherit security from the parent.
14. What is a Visualforce page?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests knowledge of the older UI framework, still relevant in many orgs and a common topic in sfdc developer interview questions for roles in established companies.
How to answer:
Define Visualforce as a tag-based markup language for building custom UIs on the Salesforce platform, often used with Apex controllers.
Example answer:
Visualforce is a framework using a tag-based markup language to create custom user interfaces hosted natively on Salesforce. It's often used with Apex controllers to retrieve and manipulate data for the page.
15. What are the different Salesforce environments (orgs)?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests familiarity with the Salesforce development lifecycle environments, important for any sfdc developer interview.
How to answer:
List common org types: Production, Sandbox (Developer, Developer Pro, Partial Copy, Full), Developer Edition, and Scratch Orgs. Briefly explain their purpose (live, testing, development, temporary).
Example answer:
Salesforce environments include Production (live data), Sandboxes (Developer, Partial, Full for testing/development), Developer Edition (free for building), and Scratch Orgs (disposable, source-driven for DX).
16. What is a Connected App in Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
Relevant for integration-focused sfdc developer interview questions. It assesses how external applications securely interact with Salesforce.
How to answer:
Explain a Connected App as a framework that allows external applications to integrate with Salesforce using standard protocols like OAuth, providing secure data access and authentication.
Example answer:
A Connected App is used to integrate external applications with Salesforce via APIs. It uses standard protocols like OAuth for secure authentication and authorization, enabling external apps to access Salesforce data safely.
17. What is OAuth in Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
A key security and integration concept for sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Describe OAuth as an open standard for authorization, allowing third-party applications to access user data without needing their username/password, granting delegated access using tokens.
Example answer:
OAuth is an authorization protocol that allows external applications to securely access Salesforce data on behalf of a user without needing their credentials. Salesforce supports various OAuth flows for different integration scenarios.
18. What is a Trigger Handler?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of Apex trigger best practices, crucial for writing maintainable code and a common sfdc developer interview topic.
How to answer:
Define a trigger handler as a design pattern where trigger logic is moved into separate Apex classes to improve code modularity, reusability, and testability, rather than having all logic directly in the trigger body.
Example answer:
A trigger handler is a best practice pattern where the logic within a trigger is delegated to a separate Apex class. This makes the trigger code cleaner, more manageable, and improves reusability and testability of the business logic.
19. What is a Roll-up Summary Field?
Why you might get asked this:
Evaluates your knowledge of declarative data summarization, useful even for developers in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Explain it as a field on a master record in a master-detail relationship that aggregates data (SUM, COUNT, MIN, MAX) from its child records.
Example answer:
A Roll-up Summary field is on a master object in a master-detail relationship. It aggregates data (like sum, count, min, max) from the related detail records onto the master record automatically.
20. How can you avoid hitting governor limits in Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
A critical sfdc developer interview question assessing your ability to write scalable and efficient code.
How to answer:
Discuss key strategies: bulkifying code (using collections), querying data efficiently (avoiding SOQL in loops), minimizing DML operations inside loops, using asynchronous Apex (Batch, Queueable), and selective queries.
Example answer:
Avoid hitting limits by bulkifying code (processing lists), avoiding SOQL/DML in loops, using asynchronous Apex (Batch, Queueable) for bulk operations, querying only necessary fields, and using appropriate filters in SOQL.
21. What is the difference between 'with sharing' and 'without sharing' in Apex?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your understanding of Apex security context, vital for writing secure applications, a common sfdc developer interview topic.
How to answer:
Explain that with sharing enforces sharing rules (record-level security) for the current user, while without sharing bypasses sharing rules, running in system context and accessing all data.
Example answer:
With sharing enforces the sharing rules (record-level security) of the running user in Apex code. Without sharing executes Apex code without enforcing sharing rules, accessing all data regardless of user permissions.
22. Explain the use of @future annotation in Apex.
Why you might get asked this:
Assesses your knowledge of asynchronous Apex, crucial for handling long-running processes or callouts in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Describe @future as marking methods for asynchronous execution in a separate thread, suitable for processes like callouts to external services that don't need immediate response.
Example answer:
The @future annotation is used to run Apex methods asynchronously, typically for callouts to external services or operations that don't need to complete within the current transaction's limits. These methods run in the background.
23. What is a Custom Setting?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests your knowledge of storing application configuration data, relevant for managing settings declaratively or with Apex in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Define Custom Settings as cached sets of data similar to custom objects but used for configuration data that can be accessed easily in Apex without SOQL queries, improving performance.
Example answer:
Custom Settings are like custom objects but used for application configuration data. They are cached, providing faster access than querying custom objects, and are useful for storing settings or parameters that don't change frequently.
24. What is the difference between a Custom Object and a Custom Metadata Type?
Why you might get asked this:
Evaluates your understanding of different data storage mechanisms and their use cases, often covered in sfdc developer interview questions on architecture.
How to answer:
Contrast them: Custom Objects store record data; Custom Metadata Types store configurable metadata that can be packaged, referenced in Apex, formulas, validation rules, etc., and support versioning like code.
Example answer:
Custom Objects store records (data). Custom Metadata Types store configuration data that can be packaged and referenced in Apex, formulas, etc. Unlike Custom Settings, they are deployable metadata and support version control.
25. What are Platform Events in Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests knowledge of event-driven architecture for integrations and internal communication, a modern topic in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Explain Platform Events as a technology enabling event-driven integrations by allowing apps to publish and subscribe to custom-defined events, supporting real-time data exchange.
Example answer:
Platform Events enable event-driven architecture in Salesforce. They allow applications to publish custom events and subscribe to them, facilitating asynchronous integrations and loosely coupled communication within and outside Salesforce.
26. What are Named Credentials?
Why you might get asked this:
Relevant for secure integration practices, often part of sfdc developer interview questions on external callouts.
How to answer:
Describe Named Credentials as a feature storing authentication settings for external systems, simplifying callouts by handling authentication securely without hardcoding credentials in code.
Example answer:
Named Credentials store the URL and authentication parameters needed to call an external system. They simplify Apex callouts by handling authentication securely, preventing the need to hardcode credentials directly in the code.
27. What is Salesforce DX?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests familiarity with modern Salesforce development lifecycle tools, including source control and CI/CD, increasingly common in sfdc developer interview questions.
How to answer:
Define Salesforce DX as a set of tools enhancing the development lifecycle, focusing on source-driven development, version control, command-line interface (CLI), and ephemeral environments like Scratch Orgs.
Example answer:
Salesforce DX is a set of tools for source-driven development, emphasizing version control, using a command-line interface (CLI), and employing scratch orgs for development and testing. It streamlines the development lifecycle.
28. What is the difference between Enterprise WSDL and Partner WSDL?
Why you might get asked this:
Relevant for sfdc developer interview questions on SOAP API integrations.
How to answer:
Explain Enterprise WSDL as strongly typed and specific to an org's schema, while Partner WSDL is loosely typed and generic, suitable for client applications connecting to multiple orgs with different schemas.
Example answer:
Enterprise WSDL is strongly typed and specific to your Salesforce org's unique configuration. Partner WSDL is loosely typed and generic, suitable for client applications that connect to multiple Salesforce orgs with varying schemas.
29. What is the difference between JSON and XML?
Why you might get asked this:
Tests basic data format knowledge essential for API integrations, often included in sfdc developer interview questions involving REST/SOAP.
How to answer:
Compare them as data formats: JSON is lightweight, easy to read, widely used in REST APIs; XML is more verbose, supports attributes, and is common in SOAP APIs.
Example answer:
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, easy-to-read data format widely used in REST APIs. XML (Extensible Markup Language) is more verbose, uses tags and attributes, and is commonly used in SOAP APIs.
30. How do you test Apex code in Salesforce?
Why you might get asked this:
Mandatory for any sfdc developer interview, covering code quality and deployment readiness.
How to answer:
Explain writing unit tests using @isTest annotation, creating test data, executing DML, calling the methods being tested, and using System.assert methods to verify expected outcomes. Mention the 75% code coverage requirement.
Example answer:
Apex code is tested using unit tests marked with @isTest. You create test data, call the code you want to test, and use System.assert methods to verify results. Salesforce requires at least 75% code coverage for deployment.
Other Tips to Prepare for a sfdc developer interview
Beyond mastering these sfdc developer interview questions, comprehensive preparation involves understanding the nuances of the Salesforce platform. Practice coding scenarios that involve triggers, asynchronous Apex, and integrations. Get hands-on experience with Lightning Web Components if the role requires it, as modern sfdc developer interview questions heavily feature LWC. Familiarize yourself with Salesforce DX and source control practices. "Understanding the 'why' behind best practices is just as important as knowing 'what' they are," notes one experienced sfdc developer. Be ready to discuss real-world problems you've solved using Apex and other Salesforce tools. Articulating your problem-solving process is key. Consider using a tool like Verve AI Interview Copilot to practice your answers to common sfdc developer interview questions and get feedback. Verve AI Interview Copilot can simulate interview scenarios, helping you refine your responses. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer about the team, project, and company culture – this shows genuine interest. Leverage resources like the Verve AI Interview Copilot platform to enhance your interview readiness. Remember, confidence often comes from preparation. Utilizing resources like Verve AI Interview Copilot at https://vervecopilot.com can provide valuable mock interview practice specifically tailored for sfdc developer interview questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the minimum code coverage for deployment? A1: Salesforce requires at least 75% average Apex code coverage across all Apex classes and triggers for deployment to production.
Q2: Can you call a future method from a batch class? A2: No, you cannot directly call a future method from a batch Apex execute or start method.
Q3: What is the order of execution in Salesforce? A3: The order involves validation rules, before triggers, system validation, after triggers, assignment rules, auto-response rules, workflow rules, escalation rules, and then process builder/flow.
Q4: What are the main differences between Apex and Java? A4: Apex is multi-tenant aware, enforced by governor limits, and runs on Salesforce servers; Java is a general-purpose language not specific to Salesforce.
Q5: What is SOSL used for? A5: SOSL (Salesforce Object Search Language) is used to perform text-based searches across multiple standard and custom objects simultaneously.
Q6: How do you handle security in LWC? A6: Security in LWC involves enforcing CRUD/FLS in Apex controllers, using with sharing, and handling client-side validation carefully.
