A Comprehensive Guide to Using the SF Command-Line Interface (with examples)

The Salesforce Command-Line Interface (sf) is a remarkably powerful tool designed to simplify development and build automation for developers working with Salesforce organizations. It provides a streamlined way to interact with Salesforce orgs directly from the command line, enabling efficient handling of various tasks such as authentication, metadata management, and user management. By automating these processes, sf empowers developers to focus on building and deploying high-quality Salesforce applications swiftly. This guide explores several practical use cases of the sf command with detailed examples.

Use case 1: Authorize a Salesforce Organization

Code:

sf force:auth:web:login --setalias organization --instanceurl organization_url

Motivation: Authorizing a Salesforce organization is an essential first step for developers wanting to interact with their Salesforce environments via the command line. This command is particularly useful when initializing a new project or switching between multiple Salesforce environments, such as production and sandbox instances. By setting up the authorization, developers gain the ability to execute further sf commands seamlessly.

Explanation:

• sf force:auth:web:login: Initiates a web-based login flow to authenticate with a Salesforce organization.
• --setalias organization: Assigns a user-friendly alias to the authorized organization, making it easier to reference in subsequent commands.
• --instanceurl organization_url: Specifies the URL of the Salesforce instance you are authorizing, which may include custom domains used for specific Salesforce organizations.

Example output: Upon executing the command, the default web browser opens, directing the user to the Salesforce login page. On successful login, the terminal confirms the authorization with a message such as “Successfully authorized organization with alias ‘organization’.”

Use case 2: List all authorized organizations

Code:

sf force:org:list

Motivation: As developers often work across multiple Salesforce organizations, it’s crucial to have an overview of which organizations are currently authorized within their environment. This command helps developers manage their workspaces efficiently, ensuring quick access to necessary environments without repetitive logins.

Explanation:

• sf force:org:list: Retrieves and displays a list of all Salesforce organizations that have been authorized with the sf CLI. It typically shows the alias, organization ID, instance URL, and expiration (if applicable) for each authorized organization.

Example output: Executing the command provides a list resembling:

ALIAS            ORG ID           INSTANCE URL                      NAME
organization     00Dxx0000001gPVEAY   https://login.salesforce.com   Salesforce Organization Name

Use case 3: Open a specific organization in the default web browser

Code:

sf force:org:open --targetusername organization

Motivation: Quickly accessing a Salesforce organization’s user interface is an invaluable feature for developers who need to perform tasks or visually verify changes. This command eliminates the need to manually navigate through bookmarks or remember exact URLs, saving time and reducing the risk of human error.

Explanation:

• sf force:org:open: Opens the specified Salesforce org in the user’s default web browser.
• --targetusername organization: Identifies the Salesforce organization to open, using the alias set during authorization or when listing organizations.

Example output: After issuing the command, the default browser opens the Salesforce login page for the chosen organization, bypassing manual navigation.

Use case 4: Display information about a specific organization

Code:

sf force:org:display --targetusername organization

Motivation: Accessing details about an organization can be vital for administrative tasks, troubleshooting, or when checking the organization status. This command provides precise insights into various details, such as API limits, storage used, and organizational setup, all from the command line.

Explanation:

• sf force:org:display: Shows detailed information about the specified Salesforce organization.
• --targetusername organization: Indicates the organization for which to display the information, through its alias.

Example output: Executing the command displays an output similar to:

Access Token: 00Dxx0000001gPVEAY!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Instance URL: https://login.salesforce.com
Org ID: 00Dxx0000001gPVEAY

Use case 5: Push source metadata to an organization

Code:

sf force:source:push --targetusername organization

Motivation: Pushing metadata is fundamental for developers working on integrating new features or making changes within a Salesforce environment. This command allows developers to seamlessly deploy local changes to an organization, ensuring that their development progress is consistently reflected in their Salesforce setup.

Explanation:

• sf force:source:push: Deploys local metadata changes to the specified Salesforce organization.
• --targetusername organization: Specifies the target organization where the source metadata should be pushed.

Example output: The terminal logs each metadata component pushed, with an ending success indicator resembling “Pushed source successfully to the org.”

Use case 6: Pull source metadata from an organization

Code:

sf force:source:pull --targetusername organization

Motivation: This command is crucial for keeping the local development environment synchronized with an organization’s latest metadata state. Developers utilize this to ensure that local codebases reflect current org configurations, thus preventing conflicts and maintaining consistency across development and production environments.

Explanation:

• sf force:source:pull: Retrieves and syncs metadata changes from the Salesforce organization to the local project.
• --targetusername organization: Specifies which organization’s metadata to pull into the local environment.

Example output: The output lists metadata components pulled along with a message similar to “Pulled source from the org” upon success.

Use case 7: Generate a password for the organization’s logged-in user

Code:

sf force:user:password:generate --targetusername organization

Motivation: Generating a password programmatically is beneficial when needing to distribute access without manually setting passwords, particularly in automated testing or when provisioning new user accounts. This command ensures secure password creation and adherence to organizational password policies.

Explanation:

• sf force:user:password:generate: Creates a secure password for the default user of the specified organization.
• --targetusername organization: Identifies the organization for which to generate the password.

Example output: The command provides output like:

Successfully set password for user with ID 005xx000001Sv6TAAS
Username: user@example.com
Password: Password1234

Use case 8: Assign a permission set for the organization’s logged-in user

Code:

sf force:user:permset:assign --permsetname permission_set_name --targetusername organization

Motivation: Assigning permission sets is a necessary administrative task for configuring user access levels within organizations. This command streamlines access management by facilitating the assignment of permissions directly through the CLI, improving workflow efficiency and reducing errors from manual interface navigation.

Explanation:

• sf force:user:permset:assign: Assigns a specified permission set to a Salesforce user.
• --permsetname permission_set_name: Designates the name of the permission set to be assigned.
• --targetusername organization: Specifies the organization in which to execute the permission assignment.

Example output: Upon successful execution, the terminal confirms:

Successfully assigned permset 'permission_set_name' to user with ID 005xx000001Sv6TAAS

Conclusion:

The Salesforce Command-Line Interface (sf) is an indispensable tool enabling developers to manage and automate interactions with Salesforce organizations efficiently. By mastering these use cases, developers can significantly boost productivity and ensure alignment between their development environments and Salesforce platforms. This guide offers practical examples to help navigate these critical operations with confidence.