platform-metadata-deploy

platform-metadata-deploy: Comprehensive Salesforce DevOps Automation

Use this skill when the user needs deployment orchestration: dry-run validation, targeted or manifest-based deploys, CI/CD workflow advice, scratch-org management, failure triage, or safe rollout sequencing for Salesforce metadata.

When This Skill Owns the Task

Use platform-metadata-deploy when the work involves:

• sf project deploy start, quick, report, or retrieval workflows
• release sequencing across objects, permission sets, Apex, and Flows
• CI/CD gates, test-level selection, or deployment reports
• troubleshooting deployment failures and dependency ordering

Delegate elsewhere when the user is:

• authoring Apex code → [platform-apex-generate](../platform-apex-generate/SKILL.md)
• authoring LWC components → [experience-lwc-generate](../experience-lwc-generate/SKILL.md)
• creating custom objects or fields → [platform-custom-object-generate](../platform-custom-object-generate/SKILL.md), [platform-custom-field-generate](../platform-custom-field-generate/SKILL.md)
• building Flows → [automation-flow-generate](../automation-flow-generate/SKILL.md)
• doing org data operations → [platform-data-manage](../platform-data-manage/SKILL.md)
• authoring or testing Agentforce agents → [agentforce-generate](../agentforce-generate/SKILL.md)

---

Critical Operating Rules

• Use sf CLI v2 only.
• On non-source-tracking orgs, deploy/retrieve commands require an explicit scope such as --source-dir, --metadata, or --manifest.
• Prefer --dry-run first before real deploys.
• For Flows, deploy safely and activate only after validation.
• Keep test-data creation guidance delegated to platform-data-manage after metadata is validated or deployed.

Default deployment order

| Phase | Metadata |

|---|---|

| 1 | Custom objects / fields |

| 2 | Permission sets |

| 3 | Apex |

| 4 | Flows as Draft |

| 5 | Flow activation / post-verify |

This ordering prevents many dependency and FLS failures.

---

Required Context to Gather First

Ask for or infer:

• target org alias and environment type
• deployment scope: source-dir, metadata list, or manifest
• whether this is validate-only, deploy, quick deploy, retrieve, or CI/CD guidance
• required test level and rollback expectations
• whether special metadata types are involved (Flow, permission sets, agents, packages)

Preflight checks:

sf --version
sf org list
sf org display --target-org <alias> --json
test -f sfdx-project.json

---

Recommended Workflow

1. Preflight

Confirm auth, repo shape, package directories, and target scope.

2. Validate first

sf project deploy start --dry-run --source-dir force-app --target-org <alias> --wait 30 --json

Use manifest- or metadata-scoped validation when the change set is targeted.

3. If validation succeeds, offer the next safe workflow

After a successful validation, guide the user to the correct next action:

1. deploy now
2. assign permission sets
3. create test data via [platform-data-manage](../platform-data-manage/SKILL.md)
4. run tests / smoke checks
5. orchestrate multiple post-deploy steps in order

4. Deploy the smallest correct scope

# source-dir deploy
sf project deploy start --source-dir force-app --target-org <alias> --wait 30 --json

# manifest deploy
sf project deploy start --manifest manifest/package.xml --target-org <alias> --test-level RunLocalTests --wait 30 --json

# manifest deploy with Spring '26 relevant-test selection
sf project deploy start --manifest manifest/package.xml --target-org <alias> --test-level RunRelevantTests --wait 30 --json

# quick deploy after successful validation
sf project deploy quick --job-id <validation-job-id> --target-org <alias> --json

5. Verify

sf project deploy report --job-id <job-id> --target-org <alias> --json

Then verify tests, Flow state, permission assignments, and smoke-test behavior.

6. Report clearly

Summarize what deployed, what failed, what was skipped, and what the next safe action is.

Output template: [references/deployment-report-template.md](references/deployment-report-template.md)

---

High-Signal Failure Patterns

| Error / symptom | Likely cause | Default fix direction |

|---|---|---|

| FIELD_CUSTOM_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION | validation rule or bad test data | adjust data or rule timing |

| INVALID_CROSS_REFERENCE_KEY | missing dependency | include referenced metadata first |

| CANNOT_INSERT_UPDATE_ACTIVATE_ENTITY | trigger / Flow / validation side effect | inspect automation stack and failing logic |

| tests fail during deploy | broken code or fragile tests | run targeted tests, fix root cause, revalidate |

| field/object not found in permset | wrong order | deploy objects/fields before permission sets |

| Flow invalid / version conflict | dependency or activation problem | deploy as Draft, verify, then activate |

Full workflows: [references/orchestration.md](references/orchestration.md), [references/trigger-deployment-safety.md](references/trigger-deployment-safety.md)

---

CI/CD Guidance

Default pipeline shape:

1. authenticate
2. validate repo / org state
3. static analysis
4. dry-run deploy
5. tests + coverage gates
6. deploy
7. verify + notify

• When org policy and release risk allow it, consider --test-level RunRelevantTests for Apex-heavy deployments.
• Pair this with modern Apex test annotations such as @IsTest(testFor=...) and @IsTest(isCritical=true) — see [platform-apex-generate](../platform-apex-generate/SKILL.md) for authoring guidance.

Static analysis now uses Code Analyzer v5 (sf code-analyzer), not retired sf scanner.

Deep reference: [references/deployment-workflows.md](references/deployment-workflows.md)

---

Agentforce Deployment Note

Use this skill to orchestrate deployment/publish sequencing around agents, but use the agent-specific skill for authoring decisions:

• [agentforce-generate](../agentforce-generate/SKILL.md) for .agent authoring, Agent Builder, Prompt Builder, and metadata config

For full agent DevOps details, including Agent: pseudo metadata, publish/activate, and sync-between-orgs, see:

• [references/agent-deployment-guide.md](references/agent-deployment-guide.md)

---

Cross-Skill Integration

| Need | Delegate to | Reason |

|---|---|---|

| custom object creation | [platform-custom-object-generate](../platform-custom-object-generate/SKILL.md) | define objects before deploy |

| custom field creation | [platform-custom-field-generate](../platform-custom-field-generate/SKILL.md) | define fields before deploy |

| Apex authoring / fixes | [platform-apex-generate](../platform-apex-generate/SKILL.md) | code authoring and repair |

| Flow creation / repair | [automation-flow-generate](../automation-flow-generate/SKILL.md) | Flow authoring and activation guidance |

| test data or seed records | [platform-data-manage](../platform-data-manage/SKILL.md) | describe-first data setup and cleanup |

| Agent authoring and publish readiness | [agentforce-generate](../agentforce-generate/SKILL.md) | agent-specific correctness |

---

Reference Map

Start here

• [references/orchestration.md](references/orchestration.md)
• [references/deployment-workflows.md](references/deployment-workflows.md)
• [references/deployment-report-template.md](references/deployment-report-template.md)

Specialized deployment safety

• [references/trigger-deployment-safety.md](references/trigger-deployment-safety.md)
• [references/agent-deployment-guide.md](references/agent-deployment-guide.md)
• [references/deploy.sh](references/deploy.sh)

Asset templates

• [assets/package.xml](assets/package.xml) — manifest template covering common metadata types
• [assets/destructiveChanges.xml](assets/destructiveChanges.xml) — template for removing metadata from target orgs

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Score Guide

| Score | Meaning |

|---|---|

| 90+ | strong deployment plan and execution guidance |

| 75–89 | good deploy guidance with minor review items |

| 60–74 | partial coverage of deployment risk |

| < 60 | insufficient confidence; tighten plan before rollout |

---

Completion Format

Deployment goal: <validate / deploy / retrieve / pipeline>
Target org: <alias>
Scope: <source-dir / metadata / manifest>
Result: <passed / failed / partial>
Key findings: <errors, ordering, tests, skipped items>
Next step: <safe follow-up action>