Salesforce Core Workflow A — CRUD & SOQL

Overview

Primary workflow: perform CRUD operations on standard sObjects (Account, Contact, Lead, Opportunity) using SOQL queries, jsforce methods, and REST API endpoints.

Prerequisites

• Completed

  salesforce-install-auth

  setup
• jsforce installed and connection configured
• Understanding of Salesforce sObject model

Instructions

Step 1: SOQL Queries (Read Operations)

import { getConnection } from './salesforce/connection';

const conn = await getConnection();

// Basic query — all open opportunities closing this quarter
const opps = await conn.query(`
  SELECT Id, Name, Amount, StageName, CloseDate, Account.Name
  FROM Opportunity
  WHERE IsClosed = false
    AND CloseDate = THIS_QUARTER
  ORDER BY Amount DESC
  LIMIT 50
`);

// Relationship query — Accounts with their Contacts
const accountsWithContacts = await conn.query(`
  SELECT Id, Name, Industry,
    (SELECT Id, FirstName, LastName, Email FROM Contacts)
  FROM Account
  WHERE Industry = 'Technology'
  LIMIT 20
`);

// Aggregate query
const revByIndustry = await conn.query(`
  SELECT Industry, COUNT(Id) numAccounts, SUM(AnnualRevenue) totalRevenue
  FROM Account
  WHERE Industry != null
  GROUP BY Industry
  ORDER BY SUM(AnnualRevenue) DESC
`);

// SOSL search — full-text search across objects
const searchResults = await conn.search(
  `FIND {Acme} IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING
    Account(Id, Name, Industry),
    Contact(Id, FirstName, LastName, Email),
    Lead(Id, Name, Company, Status)`
);

Step 2: Create Records

// Single record create via sObject
const newLead = await conn.sobject('Lead').create({
  FirstName: 'Jane',
  LastName: 'Smith',
  Company: 'Acme Corp',
  Email: 'jane.smith@acme.example.com',
  Status: 'Open - Not Contacted',
  LeadSource: 'Web',
});
console.log('Lead ID:', newLead.id); // '00Qxx...'

// Create with relationship (Contact linked to Account)
const newContact = await conn.sobject('Contact').create({
  FirstName: 'John',
  LastName: 'Doe',
  Email: 'john.doe@example.com',
  AccountId: '001xxxxxxxxxxxx', // Existing Account ID
  Title: 'VP Engineering',
});

// Create Opportunity with all key fields
const newOpp = await conn.sobject('Opportunity').create({
  Name: 'Acme Corp — Enterprise License',
  AccountId: '001xxxxxxxxxxxx',
  StageName: 'Prospecting',
  CloseDate: '2026-06-30',
  Amount: 50000,
});

Step 3: Bulk Create with sObject Collections

// Create up to 200 records in a single API call (sObject Collections)
const contacts = [
  { FirstName: 'Alice', LastName: 'A', Email: 'alice@example.com', AccountId: '001xx' },
  { FirstName: 'Bob', LastName: 'B', Email: 'bob@example.com', AccountId: '001xx' },
  { FirstName: 'Carol', LastName: 'C', Email: 'carol@example.com', AccountId: '001xx' },
];

const results = await conn.sobject('Contact').create(contacts);
// Returns array: [{ id: '003xx', success: true }, ...]

// Check for partial failures
for (const result of results) {
  if (!result.success) {
    console.error('Failed:', result.errors);
  }
}

Step 4: Update Records

// Single update
await conn.sobject('Opportunity').update({
  Id: '006xxxxxxxxxxxx',
  StageName: 'Qualification',
  Amount: 75000,
  Description: 'Upgraded after demo call',
});

// Bulk update (up to 200)
const updates = [
  { Id: '003xx1', Title: 'Senior Engineer' },
  { Id: '003xx2', Title: 'Staff Engineer' },
  { Id: '003xx3', Title: 'Principal Engineer' },
];
await conn.sobject('Contact').update(updates);

Step 5: Upsert (Insert or Update by External ID)

// Upsert uses an External ID field to match existing records
// Requires a custom External ID field on the sObject
await conn.sobject('Account').upsert({
  External_ID__c: 'EXT-12345',  // Custom external ID field
  Name: 'Acme Corporation',
  Industry: 'Technology',
  Website: 'https://acme.example.com',
}, 'External_ID__c');  // Field to match on

Step 6: Delete Records

// Single delete
await conn.sobject('Lead').destroy('00Qxxxxxxxxxxxx');

// Bulk delete (up to 200)
const idsToDelete = ['00Qxx1', '00Qxx2', '00Qxx3'];
await conn.sobject('Lead').destroy(idsToDelete);

Step 7: Direct REST API Calls

// When jsforce doesn't wrap what you need, use raw REST
// GET — describe an sObject
const accountMeta = await conn.request(
  '/services/data/v59.0/sobjects/Account/describe'
);
console.log('Fields:', accountMeta.fields.map((f: any) => f.name));

// POST — create via REST
const created = await conn.request({
  method: 'POST',
  url: '/services/data/v59.0/sobjects/Account/',
  body: JSON.stringify({ Name: 'REST Created Account' }),
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
});

// PATCH — update via REST
await conn.request({
  method: 'PATCH',
  url: `/services/data/v59.0/sobjects/Account/${created.id}`,
  body: JSON.stringify({ Industry: 'Consulting' }),
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
});

Output

• SOQL queries returning typed sObject records
• Single and bulk record creation
• Record updates and upserts by External ID
• Record deletion (single and bulk)
• Direct REST API calls for advanced use cases

Error Handling

INVALID_FIELD

REQUIRED_FIELD_MISSING

DUPLICATE_VALUE

INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_OR_READONLY

UNABLE_TO_LOCK_ROW

ENTITY_IS_DELETED

ALL ROWS

Resources

• sObject CRUD (REST API)
• sObject Collections
• SOQL Reference
• SOSL Reference

Next Steps

For Bulk API and Composite API patterns, see

salesforce-core-workflow-b