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Hello

It’s been one of those weeks where the ecosystem feels split between excitement and exhaustion.
On one side - everyone’s experimenting with Agentforce, vibe coding, and AI-powered everything. On the other - people are venting about renewal nightmares and even wondering if it’s time to move away from Salesforce altogether.

Amid all that noise, Data Cloud skills are quietly becoming one of the hottest topics - maybe because companies finally realize how much customer data they’re sitting on. And for developers and architects, Winter ’26 brings plenty to explore: new APIs, Flow updates, and even Setup powered by AI.

Feels like the platform is reinventing itself again - faster than ever - and we’re all trying to keep up.

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For everyone

  1. Platform Users Usage Tips
    https://www.freelikeapuppy.tech/post/platform-users-usage-tips
    Salesforce platform licenses let organizations add users cheaply, but admins will face setup challenges - whether permissions use profiles or permission sets, platform users need different handling than full users.

  2. Monitor Performance with the New Test Health Report in Scale Test
    https://developer.salesforce.com/blogs/2025/09/monitor-performance-with-the-new-test-health-report-in-scale-test.html
    New Test Health Report in Scale Test helps users find scalability issues in Salesforce apps. Scale Test is a paid add-on that simulates production traffic in full-copy sandboxes. The report shows RPS throughput variances and infrastructure limits - making workload planning and test preparation simpler and more reliable.

  3. Why Senior Salesforce Professionals Should Plan Their Own Succession (And How to Do It Right)
    https://www.salesforceben.com/why-senior-salesforce-professionals-should-plan-their-own-succession-and-how-to-do-it-right/
    A senior Salesforce professional often spends a career building systems, hiring and leading teams, and solving hard problems, yet rarely plans a legacy or succession. This is crucial to do now. Succession planning isn't leaving - it's strengthening leadership and ensuring work keeps moving forward.

  4. XL-Connector for Salesforce: Bulk Field, Metadata, and Permission Management
    https://salesforcegeek.in/xl-connector-for-salesforce-bulk-field-metadata-and-permission-management/
    Managing Salesforce fields, permissions, or metadata one by one takes a lot of time. XL-Connector lets users work in Excel to export, review, and update records in bulk, saving time, reducing mistakes, and keeping the org tidy. Key features - "Power Tools" help admins and developers manage the org more efficiently.

  5. How to Create Validation Rules on Multi-Select Picklists in Salesforce: 5 Use Cases
    https://www.salesforceben.com/how-to-create-validation-rules-on-multi-select-picklists/
    Multi-select picklists remain common in Salesforce and have useful purposes. Admins must know how to use them within Salesforce limits. This article shows how to use them with validation rules - five example rules provided.

  6. Salesforce Launches 'Setup Powered by Agentforce' Following Admin Complaints 
    https://www.salesforceben.com/salesforce-launches-setup-powered-by-agentforce-following-admin-complaints/
    Salesforce is launching an Agentforce-powered solution to simplify Setup after admins said the current state was unacceptable. The pilot covers common admin tasks like user management, troubleshooting, and custom object/field creation. Agentforce navigates to needed Setup pages, recommends next steps, and pulls Help content to cut clicks. It adds an agent, refreshed Setup Home, and a tabbed conversational interface - debuting at the admin Keynote at Dreamforce.

  7. Notes from Designing Content Authoring Experiences
    https://katiekodes.com/dunlap-book-notes/
    Works in tech - often fixing printers and building small business websites. Greg Dunlap's new book "Designing Content Authoring Experiences" is a resource that would've been invaluable over the past two decades.

  8. How to Set Up a Lightweight MuleSoft Environment with VS Code?
    https://www.infallibletechie.com/2025/10/how-to-set-up-a-lightweight-mulesoft-environment-with-vs-code.html
    Anypoint Studio has long been the go-to IDE for MuleSoft developers, but VS Code offers a lighter, faster, customizable alternative - the Salesforce Anypoint Extension Pack turns VS Code into a robust MuleSoft environment, and this guide covers setup from installation to starting the first project.

For architects

  1. Mastering 'Single Source of Truth' With CRM, CDPs, and Your Tech Stack
    https://www.salesforceben.com/mastering-single-source-of-truth-with-crm-cdps-and-your-tech-stack/
    Salesforce moved from a simple CRM to a data platform. Data Cloud and Agentforce make data's actionability - unified, secure, accessible, and relevant - more important than mere accuracy. This shifts the meaning of "Single Source of Truth" and gives admins and architects an opportunity to turn the change into an advantage.

  2. Salesforce Architect Guide to Mastering APIs for Scalable Integration
    https://salesforcecodex.com/salesforce/salesforce-architect-guide-to-mastering-apis-for-scalable-integration/
    A Salesforce Architect ensures Salesforce connects smoothly with other systems to give a 360° customer view - pulling data from CRM, ERP, billing, marketing and more. APIs let systems talk and share data. The architect designs integrations that are reliable, scalable and secure to meet business needs.

  3. Cloud Penetration Testing: Redefining Trust and Cybersecurity in Salesforce
    https://www.salesforceben.com/cloud-penetration-testing-redefining-trust-and-cybersecurity-in-salesforce/
    Salesforce runs CRM and critical business apps worldwide, but added features increase attack surface - cloud penetration testing finds vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weak access controls before attackers can exploit them. Pen testing simulates real threats so organizations can fix issues, boost security, and meet compliance.

Reddit Discussions

  1. Thoughts on Agentforce?
    https://old.reddit.com/r/salesforce/comments/1nqcm4s/thoughts_on_agentforce/
    Questions usefulness of it, sees only ecommerce chatbot or case-article summarizer as practical uses - asks if missing the bigger picture.

  2. My enterprise renewal experience every year is abysmal
    https://old.reddit.com/r/salesforce/comments/1nr8mhz/my_enterprise_renewal_experience_every_year_is/
    OP started on Heroku, switched to Heroku Enterprise and saved money, but annual renewals with Salesforce are a nightmare. Same products, unexplained price hikes, constant staff turnover, pushy tactics like "lock in" or "required uplift" that aren't in contracts, surprise terms added (like annual billing), wrong contact info on quotes - feels scummy. OP just wants a small capacity bump without a yearly battle.

  3. My fellow long time Salesforce developers, what is your most controversial hot take about the platform?
    https://old.reddit.com/r/salesforce/comments/1nrft34/my_fellow_long_time_salesforce_developers_what_is/
    Says Force.com site development is far more pleasant and productive than developing for Experience Cloud - finds Force.com easier, faster, and more enjoyable.

  4. Did your org jump from SF to a competitor?
    https://old.reddit.com/r/salesforce/comments/1ntpt9l/did_your_org_jump_from_sf_to_a_competitor/
    Poster, after 15+ years, is tired of defending Salesforce to orgs and is considering switching after repeated AE pressure and a claimed 9% uplift; current use is basic Sales Cloud so requirements could be replicated in another CRM - asks if others have moved off Salesforce.

  5. Why Salesforce Data Cloud Skills Are the Next Big Hiring Trend
    https://old.reddit.com/r/salesforce/comments/1nv0nm6/why_salesforce_data_cloud_skills_are_the_next_big/
    Salesforce Data Cloud skills are rising as companies realize they have lots of customer data but don't use it well. Data Cloud unifies sales, service, marketing and external data into one view, which becomes very valuable with AI - asks if others see growing demand for Data Cloud roles or if it's mostly hype.

For AI enthusiasts

  1. Unleash Your Innovation with Agentforce Vibes: Vibe Coding for the Enterprise
    https://developer.salesforce.com/blogs/2025/10/unleash-your-innovation-with-agentforce-vibes-vibe-coding-for-the-enterprise.html
    Salesforce announces Agentforce Vibes, a new enterprise vibe coding offering that speeds development, automates work, and ensures quality, scalable apps. It turns ideas into working applications faster, unlocking creativity, speed - and scale.

  2. Vibe Coding on Salesforce: Setup Guide for Agentforce for Developers (The New AI Dev Agent)
    https://www.infallibletechie.com/2025/10/vibe-coding-on-salesforce-setup-guide-for-agentforce-for-developers-the-new-ai-dev-agent.html
    Vibe Coding lets Salesforce developers describe intent in plain language while an AI agent writes boilerplate and focuses work on architecture and business logic. Salesforce’s Agentforce for Developers replaces Dev Assistant and can generate Apex, LWC and more. To use full agent power, enable Act Mode in VS Code and connect to MCP Servers - setup guide included.

  3. Agentforce Web-to-Lead Vulnerability Exposed: Could You Be Impacted? 
    https://www.salesforceben.com/agentforce-web-to-lead-vulnerability-exposed-could-you-be-impacted/
    A vulnerability in Salesforce Agentforce could let external attackers steal CRM data. Israeli startup Noma Security found the critical chain, notified Salesforce, which released patches blocking Agentforce outputs to untrusted URLs. Organizations using Agentforce Web-to-Lead, especially sales and marketing teams processing external leads, could have been affected.

  4. Personalize Customer Greetings in Salesforce Agentforce: Use Context Variables to Greet Customers by Name
    https://www.infallibletechie.com/2025/09/personalize-customer-greetings-in-salesforce-agentforce-use-context-variables-to-greet-customers-by-name.html
    Personalization is expected - greeting customers by name raises satisfaction and loyalty. Salesforce Agentforce (Messaging for In-App and Web) can add this using Context Variables. A simple three-step setup configures welcome messages to greet every verified customer by name.

  5. 4 Trends Signaling How AI Is Changing the Future of Professional Services
    https://www.salesforceben.com/4-trends-signaling-how-ai-is-changing-the-future-of-professional-services/
    For years, professional services were limited by how many experts existed and how many hours they had. Agentic AI now brings always-on, scalable digital labor - changing how services are sold, staffed, and delivered. This shift is already real. Salesforce professionals must learn it to lead change and prepare for four key AI trends.

Winter'26

  1. Improve Automation With Winter '26 Flow Features | Be Release Ready
    https://admin.salesforce.com/blog/2025/improve-automation-with-winter-26-flow-features-be-release-ready
    Winter '26 brings fast Flow improvements. Admins and teams should review Flow features and use Be Release Ready for prep resources. Key areas include general Flow Builder enhancements; flow management; screen flows; Flow Orchestrations; Flow Approvals; and MuleSoft for Flow.

  2. Structured Output from Flow Agent Actions in Winter '26
    https://bobbuzzard.blogspot.com/2025/10/structured-output-from-flow-agent.html
    A presenter preparing for the Credera Winter '26 release webinar paused over the release notes because the feature was unclear - wondered if custom agent actions returned complex data types, so only one way to find out.

  3. Lightning Out 2.0 Is Now Generally Available in Winter '26
    https://developer.salesforce.com/blogs/2025/10/lightning-out-2-0-is-now-generally-available-in-winter-26.html
    Lightning Out 2.0 lets orgs reuse Lightning Web Components (LWCs) and show Salesforce data inside external, non-Salesforce apps. It makes embedding LWCs easier - faster - more secure, so customer portals, partner sites, and enterprise tools can deliver Salesforce features inside existing apps.

  4. Winter 26 release features for Architects That Save Time, Strengthen Security, and Stop Problems Before They Start
    https://sforcemaximizer.com/winter-26-release-features-for-architects-that-save-time-strengthen-security-and-stop-problems-before-they-start/
    Blog post helps architects explore Winter 26 features, focusing on well-architected (easy, adaptable and trusted) approaches and tools that enable more capability and prevent problems.

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Grzegorz Skaruz

Grzegorz Skaruz

https://skaruz.com

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