Salesforce Metadata Types Reference

Salesforce Metadata Types Reference

Overview

This guide covers the most common Salesforce metadata types, their file locations, and usage patterns.

Metadata Directory Structure

force-app/main/default/
├── objects/
│   ├── Account/
│   │   ├── Account.object-meta.xml          # Object settings (standard)
│   │   ├── fields/
│   │   │   ├── Custom_Field__c.field-meta.xml
│   │   │   └── ...
│   │   ├── validationRules/
│   │   │   └── Rule_Name.validationRule-meta.xml
│   │   ├── recordTypes/
│   │   │   └── Record_Type.recordType-meta.xml
│   │   └── listViews/
│   │       └── All_Accounts.listView-meta.xml
│   └── Custom_Object__c/
│       ├── Custom_Object__c.object-meta.xml  # Full object definition
│       ├── fields/
│       ├── validationRules/
│       └── recordTypes/
├── profiles/
│   └── Profile_Name.profile-meta.xml
├── permissionsets/
│   └── Permission_Set.permissionset-meta.xml
├── layouts/
│   └── Object-Layout_Name.layout-meta.xml
├── classes/
│   ├── ClassName.cls
│   └── ClassName.cls-meta.xml
├── triggers/
│   ├── TriggerName.trigger
│   └── TriggerName.trigger-meta.xml
├── flows/
│   └── Flow_Name.flow-meta.xml
├── lwc/
│   └── componentName/
│       ├── componentName.html
│       ├── componentName.js
│       └── componentName.js-meta.xml
└── aura/
    └── ComponentName/
        ├── ComponentName.cmp
        └── ComponentName.cmp-meta.xml

Object Metadata

Custom Object

Location: objects/[ObjectName__c]/[ObjectName__c].object-meta.xml

Contains:

• Label and plural label
• Name field configuration
• Sharing model
• Feature toggles (history, activities, reports)
• Search layouts

<CustomObject xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <label>Invoice</label>
    <pluralLabel>Invoices</pluralLabel>
    <nameField>
        <label>Invoice Number</label>
        <type>AutoNumber</type>
        <displayFormat>INV-{0000}</displayFormat>
    </nameField>
    <deploymentStatus>Deployed</deploymentStatus>
    <sharingModel>Private</sharingModel>
</CustomObject>

Custom Field

Location: objects/[ObjectName]/fields/[FieldName__c].field-meta.xml

Common Types:

Security Metadata

Profile

Location: profiles/[ProfileName].profile-meta.xml

Contains:

• Object permissions
• Field permissions
• Tab visibility
• Record type assignments
• Layout assignments
• User permissions

Permission Set

Location: permissionsets/[PermissionSetName].permissionset-meta.xml

Contains:

• Object permissions
• Field permissions
• Tab settings
• Apex class access
• Visualforce page access
• Custom permissions

Permission Set Group

Location: permissionsetgroups/[GroupName].permissionsetgroup-meta.xml

<PermissionSetGroup xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <label>Sales Team</label>
    <permissionSets>
        <permissionSet>Account_Access</permissionSet>
        <permissionSet>Opportunity_Access</permissionSet>
    </permissionSets>
</PermissionSetGroup>

Validation & Business Logic

Validation Rule

Location: objects/[ObjectName]/validationRules/[RuleName].validationRule-meta.xml

<ValidationRule xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <fullName>Require_Close_Date</fullName>
    <active>true</active>
    <errorConditionFormula>
        AND(
            ISPICKVAL(Status__c, 'Closed'),
            ISBLANK(Close_Date__c)
        )
    </errorConditionFormula>
    <errorDisplayField>Close_Date__c</errorDisplayField>
    <errorMessage>Close Date is required when Status is Closed</errorMessage>
</ValidationRule>

Record Type

Location: objects/[ObjectName]/recordTypes/[RecordTypeName].recordType-meta.xml

<RecordType xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <fullName>Business_Account</fullName>
    <active>true</active>
    <label>Business Account</label>
    <picklistValues>
        <picklist>Type</picklist>
        <values>
            <fullName>Customer</fullName>
            <default>true</default>
        </values>
    </picklistValues>
</RecordType>

UI Metadata

Page Layout

Location: layouts/[ObjectName]-[LayoutName].layout-meta.xml

Contains:

• Section definitions
• Field placements
• Related lists
• Quick actions
• Display options

Lightning Page (FlexiPage)

Location: flexipages/[PageName].flexipage-meta.xml

List View

Location: objects/[ObjectName]/listViews/[ViewName].listView-meta.xml

<ListView xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <fullName>All_Active_Accounts</fullName>
    <columns>NAME</columns>
    <columns>ACCOUNT_TYPE</columns>
    <columns>PHONE1</columns>
    <filterScope>Everything</filterScope>
    <filters>
        <field>ACCOUNT.ACTIVE__C</field>
        <operation>equals</operation>
        <value>1</value>
    </filters>
    <label>All Active Accounts</label>
</ListView>

Automation Metadata

Flow

Location: flows/[FlowName].flow-meta.xml

Apex Class

Location: classes/[ClassName].cls + classes/[ClassName].cls-meta.xml

<!-- Meta file -->
<ApexClass xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <apiVersion>65.0</apiVersion>
    <status>Active</status>
</ApexClass>

Apex Trigger

Location: triggers/[TriggerName].trigger + triggers/[TriggerName].trigger-meta.xml

Component Metadata

Lightning Web Component (LWC)

Location: lwc/[componentName]/

lwc/myComponent/
├── myComponent.html
├── myComponent.js
├── myComponent.css (optional)
└── myComponent.js-meta.xml

Aura Component

Location: aura/[ComponentName]/

aura/MyComponent/
├── MyComponent.cmp
├── MyComponentController.js
├── MyComponentHelper.js
├── MyComponent.css
└── MyComponent.cmp-meta.xml

Global Value Sets

Global Value Set

Location: globalValueSets/[SetName].globalValueSet-meta.xml

<GlobalValueSet xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <masterLabel>Industry Values</masterLabel>
    <sorted>false</sorted>
    <customValue>
        <fullName>Technology</fullName>
        <default>false</default>
        <label>Technology</label>
    </customValue>
    <customValue>
        <fullName>Finance</fullName>
        <default>false</default>
        <label>Finance</label>
    </customValue>
</GlobalValueSet>

Custom Metadata Types

Custom Metadata Type Definition

Location: customMetadata/[TypeName].[RecordName].md-meta.xml

<CustomMetadata xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <label>US Config</label>
    <values>
        <field>Country_Code__c</field>
        <value>US</value>
    </values>
    <values>
        <field>Tax_Rate__c</field>
        <value>0.08</value>
    </values>
</CustomMetadata>

Quick Reference: File Extensions

sf CLI Metadata Commands

# List metadata types
sf org list metadata-types --target-org [alias]

# List specific metadata
sf org list metadata --metadata-type CustomObject --target-org [alias]

# Describe object
sf sobject describe --sobject Account --target-org [alias]

# Retrieve metadata
sf project retrieve start --metadata CustomObject:Account

# Deploy metadata
sf project deploy start --source-dir force-app

# Generate package.xml
sf project generate manifest --source-dir force-app