sf-integration: Salesforce Integration Patterns Expert

Use this skill when the user needs integration architecture and runtime plumbing: Named Credentials, External Credentials, External Services, REST/SOAP callout patterns, Platform Events, CDC, and event-driven integration design.

When This Skill Owns the Task

Use sf-integration when the work involves:

• .namedCredential-meta.xml or External Credential metadata
• outbound REST/SOAP callouts
• External Service registration from OpenAPI specs
• Platform Events, CDC, and event-driven architecture
• choosing sync vs async integration patterns

Delegate elsewhere when the user is:

• configuring the OAuth app itself → [sf-connected-apps](../sf-connected-apps/SKILL.md)
• writing Apex-only business logic → [sf-apex](../sf-apex/SKILL.md)
• deploying metadata → [sf-deploy](../sf-deploy/SKILL.md)
• importing/exporting data → [sf-data](../sf-data/SKILL.md)

Required Context to Gather First

Ask for or infer:

• integration style: outbound callout, inbound event, External Service, CDC, platform event
• auth method
• sync vs async requirement
• system endpoint / spec details
• rate limits, retry expectations, and failure tolerance
• whether this is net-new design or repair of an existing integration

Recommended Workflow

1. Choose the integration pattern

2. Choose the auth model

Prefer secure runtime-managed auth:

• Named Credentials / External Credentials
• OAuth or JWT via the right credential model
• no hardcoded secrets in code

3. Generate from the right templates

Use the provided assets under:

• assets/named-credentials/
• assets/external-credentials/
• assets/external-services/
• assets/callouts/
• assets/platform-events/
• assets/cdc/
• assets/soap/

4. Validate operational safety

Check:

• timeout and retry handling
• async strategy for trigger-originated work
• logging / observability
• event retention and subscriber implications

5. Hand off deployment or implementation details

Use:

• [sf-deploy](../sf-deploy/SKILL.md) for deployment
• [sf-apex](../sf-apex/SKILL.md) for deeper service / retry code
• [sf-flow](../sf-flow/SKILL.md) for declarative HTTP callout orchestration

High-Signal Rules

• never hardcode credentials
• do not do synchronous callouts from triggers
• define timeout behavior explicitly
• plan retries for transient failures
• use middleware / event-driven patterns when outbound volume is high
• prefer External Credentials architecture for new development when supported

Common anti-patterns:

• sync trigger callouts
• no retry or dead-letter strategy
• no request/response logging
• mixing auth setup responsibilities with runtime integration design

Output Format

When finishing, report in this order:

1. Integration pattern chosen
2. Auth model chosen
3. Files created or updated
4. Operational safeguards
5. Deployment / testing next step

Suggested shape:

Integration: <summary>
Pattern: <named credential / external service / event / cdc / callout>
Files: <paths>
Safety: <timeouts, retries, async, logging>
Next step: <deploy, register, test, or implement>

Cross-Skill Integration

Reference Map

Start here

• [references/named-credentials-guide.md](references/named-credentials-guide.md)
• [references/external-services-guide.md](references/external-services-guide.md)
• [references/callout-patterns.md](references/callout-patterns.md)
• [references/security-best-practices.md](references/security-best-practices.md)

Event-driven / platform patterns

• [references/event-patterns.md](references/event-patterns.md)
• [references/platform-events-guide.md](references/platform-events-guide.md)
• [references/cdc-guide.md](references/cdc-guide.md)
• [references/event-driven-architecture-guide.md](references/event-driven-architecture-guide.md)
• [references/messaging-api-v2.md](references/messaging-api-v2.md)

CLI / automation / scoring

• [references/cli-reference.md](references/cli-reference.md)
• [references/named-credentials-automation.md](references/named-credentials-automation.md)
• [references/scoring-rubric.md](references/scoring-rubric.md)
• [assets/](assets/)

Score Guide