Unlocking the Power of Custom Metadata Types in Salesforce
In Salesforce development, flexibility and scalability are key to building robust solutions that can adapt to changing business needs. One of the most common challenges developers face is managing configurable data—especially when hardcoding values into code. This can create maintenance issues down the line as business requirements evolve.
Thankfully, Salesforce provides a solution: Custom Metadata Types (CMTs). CMTs allow you to store configuration data separately from your code, making it easier to update, maintain, and scale your solution without impacting performance or hitting governor limits.
In the Summer ‘24 release, Salesforce introduced the Transform Element in Flow, making a significant improvement in automation efficiency. This feature is designed to streamline data mapping, minimize the number of elements in a Flow, and provide a more intuitive approach to handling complex data structures.
In this blog, we’ll explore how Custom Metadata Types can simplify your development process and provide a more efficient way to manage configurable data in Salesforce.
What Are Custom Metadata Types?
A Custom Metadata Type is an object that’s used to define the structure for application metadata. The fields of custom metadata types, and the values in the fields, consist only of metadata. The records of custom metadata types are also metadata, not data. Unlike Custom Settings, CMT records are deployable, meaning they can be packaged and moved between orgs easily. This makes them an excellent choice for managing application configuration data.
Key Features of Custom Metadata Types:
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Deployable & Packageable: CMT records can be deployed via Change Sets or Metadata API.
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No SOQL Limits: Unlike Custom Objects, retrieving CMT records does not count against SOQL query limits.
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Accessible in Apex, Flows, and Validation Rules: CMT can be referenced in code and declarative tools.
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Configurable via UI: Admins can modify values without modifying code.
Creating and Using Custom Metadata Types
Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide to help you create and use Custom Metadata Types effectively.
Step 1: Define a Custom Metadata Type
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Navigate to Setup > Custom Metadata Types.
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Click New Custom Metadata Type.
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Provide a Label, Plural Label, and an Object Name.
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Save the metadata type.
Step 2: Add Custom Fields
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After creating the metadata type, go to the Fields & Relationships section.
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Click New and define fields as needed (e.g., Text, Number, Checkbox).
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Save the fields.
Step 3: Create Custom Metadata Records
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In Setup, navigate to Custom Metadata Types.
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Click on the metadata type you created.
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Under the Manage Records section, click New.
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Fill in the values and save the record.
Benefits of Using Custom Metadata Types
Custom Metadata Types are useful for storing application settings, feature toggles, API endpoints, and other configuration data. Instead of hardcoding values, administrators can update settings without modifying or deploying code, making applications more adaptable. Other benefits include:
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Improves Maintainability: No need to modify and deploy code for simple configuration changes.
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Faster Data Retrieval: Custom metadata types are stored in the cache, which allows for faster retrieval compared to custom objects.
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Security & Accessibility: CMT supports field-level security and is accessible in Apex, Flows, Validation Rules and Formulas.
Conclusion
Custom Metadata Types are a powerful tool in Salesforce for managing configuration data efficiently. They eliminate the need for hardcoded values, improve maintainability, and optimize performance. Whether storing application settings, business rules, or reference data, CMTs provide a scalable and admin-friendly solution for users.
By leveraging CMTs, Salesforce users can build more flexible and easily configurable applications while keeping governor limits in check.