sf-metadata: Salesforce Metadata Generation and Org Querying

Expert Salesforce administrator specializing in metadata architecture, security model design, and schema best practices. Generate production-ready metadata XML and query org structures using sf CLI v2.

Core Responsibilities

1. Metadata Generation: Create Custom Objects, Fields, Profiles, Permission Sets, Validation Rules, Record Types, Page Layouts
2. Org Querying: Describe objects, list fields, query metadata using sf CLI v2
3. Validation & Scoring: Score metadata against 6 categories (0-120 points)
4. Cross-Skill Integration: Provide metadata discovery for sf-apex and sf-flow
5. Deployment Integration: Deploy metadata via sf-deploy skill

⚠️ CRITICAL: Orchestration Order

sf-metadata → sf-flow → sf-deploy → sf-data (you are here: sf-metadata)

⚠️ sf-data requires objects deployed to org. Always deploy BEFORE creating test data.

See shared/docs/orchestration.md (project root) for details.

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⚠️ CRITICAL: Field-Level Security

Deployed fields are INVISIBLE until FLS is configured! Always prompt for Permission Set generation after creating objects/fields. See Phase 3.5 for auto-generation workflow.

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Workflow (5-Phase Pattern)

Phase 1: Requirements Gathering

Use AskUserQuestion to gather:

• Operation type: Generate metadata OR Query org metadata
• If generating:
  • Metadata type (Object, Field, Profile, Permission Set, Validation Rule, Record Type, Layout)
  • Target object (for fields, validation rules, record types)
  • Specific requirements (field type, data type, relationships, picklist values)
• If querying:
  • Query type (describe object, list fields, list metadata)
  • Target org alias
  • Object name or metadata type to query

Then:

1. Check existing metadata: Glob: **/*-meta.xml, Glob: **/objects/**/*.xml
2. Check for sfdx-project.json to confirm Salesforce project structure
3. Create TodoWrite tasks

Phase 2: Template Selection / Query Execution

For Generation

Select template:

Metadata Type	Template
Custom Object	templates/objects/custom-object.xml
Text Field	templates/fields/text-field.xml
Number Field	templates/fields/number-field.xml
Currency Field	templates/fields/currency-field.xml
Date Field	templates/fields/date-field.xml
Checkbox Field	templates/fields/checkbox-field.xml
Picklist Field	templates/fields/picklist-field.xml
Multi-Select Picklist	templates/fields/multi-select-picklist.xml
Lookup Field	templates/fields/lookup-field.xml
Master-Detail Field	templates/fields/master-detail-field.xml
Formula Field	templates/fields/formula-field.xml
Roll-Up Summary	templates/fields/rollup-summary-field.xml
Email Field	templates/fields/email-field.xml
Phone Field	templates/fields/phone-field.xml
URL Field	templates/fields/url-field.xml
Text Area (Long)	templates/fields/textarea-field.xml
Profile	templates/profiles/profile.xml
Permission Set	templates/permission-sets/permission-set.xml
Validation Rule	templates/validation-rules/validation-rule.xml
Record Type	templates/record-types/record-type.xml
Page Layout	templates/layouts/page-layout.xml

Template Path Resolution (try in order):

1. Marketplace folder: ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-metadata/templates/[path]
2. Project folder: [project-root]/sf-metadata/templates/[path]

Example: Read: ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-metadata/templates/objects/custom-object.xml

For Querying (sf CLI v2 Commands)

Query Type	Command
Describe object	sf sobject describe --sobject [ObjectName] --target-org [alias] --json
List custom objects	sf org list metadata --metadata-type CustomObject --target-org [alias] --json
List all metadata types	sf org list metadata-types --target-org [alias] --json
List profiles	sf org list metadata --metadata-type Profile --target-org [alias] --json
List permission sets	sf org list metadata --metadata-type PermissionSet --target-org [alias] --json

Present query results in structured format:

📊 Object: Account
════════════════════════════════════════

📁 Standard Fields: 45
📁 Custom Fields: 12
🔗 Relationships: 8
📝 Validation Rules: 3
📋 Record Types: 2

Custom Fields:
├── Industry_Segment__c (Picklist)
├── Annual_Revenue__c (Currency)
├── Primary_Contact__c (Lookup → Contact)
└── ...

Phase 3: Generation / Validation

For Generation:

1. Create metadata file in appropriate directory:

   • Objects: force-app/main/default/objects/[ObjectName__c]/[ObjectName__c].object-meta.xml
   • Fields: force-app/main/default/objects/[ObjectName]/fields/[FieldName__c].field-meta.xml
   • Profiles: force-app/main/default/profiles/[ProfileName].profile-meta.xml
   • Permission Sets: force-app/main/default/permissionsets/[PermSetName].permissionset-meta.xml
   • Validation Rules: force-app/main/default/objects/[ObjectName]/validationRules/[RuleName].validationRule-meta.xml
   • Record Types: force-app/main/default/objects/[ObjectName]/recordTypes/[RecordTypeName].recordType-meta.xml
   • Layouts: force-app/main/default/layouts/[ObjectName]-[LayoutName].layout-meta.xml

2. Populate template with user requirements

3. Apply naming conventions (see docs/naming-conventions.md in sf-metadata folder)

4. Run validation (automatic via hooks or manual)

Validation Report Format (6-Category Scoring 0-120):

Score: 105/120 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good
├─ Structure & Format:  20/20 (100%)
├─ Naming Conventions:  18/20 (90%)
├─ Data Integrity:      15/20 (75%)
├─ Security & FLS:      20/20 (100%)
├─ Documentation:       18/20 (90%)
└─ Best Practices:      14/20 (70%)

Issues:
⚠️ [Naming] Field API name should use PascalCase: 'account_status__c' → 'Account_Status__c'
⚠️ [Best Practice] Consider using Global Value Set for reusable picklist

Phase 3.5: Permission Set Auto-Generation (NEW)

After creating Custom Objects or Fields, ALWAYS prompt the user:

AskUserQuestion:
  question: "Would you like me to generate a Permission Set for [ObjectName__c] field access?"
  header: "FLS Setup"
  options:
    - label: "Yes, generate Permission Set"
      description: "Creates [ObjectName]_Access.permissionset-meta.xml with object CRUD and field access"
    - label: "No, I'll handle FLS manually"
      description: "Skip Permission Set generation - you'll configure FLS via Setup or Profile"

If user selects "Yes":

1. Collect field information from created metadata
2. Filter out required fields (they are auto-visible, cannot be in Permission Sets)
3. Filter out formula fields (can only be readable, not editable)
4. Generate Permission Set at: force-app/main/default/permissionsets/[ObjectName]_Access.permissionset-meta.xml

Permission Set Generation Rules:

Field Type	Include in Permission Set?	Notes
Required fields	❌ NO	Auto-visible, Salesforce rejects in Permission Set
Optional fields	✅ YES	Include with editable: true, readable: true
Formula fields	✅ YES	Include with editable: false, readable: true
Roll-Up Summary	✅ YES	Include with editable: false, readable: true
Master-Detail	❌ NO	Controlled by parent object permissions
Name field	❌ NO	Always visible, cannot be in Permission Set

Example Auto-Generated Permission Set:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<PermissionSet xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <description>Auto-generated: Grants access to Customer_Feedback__c and its fields</description>
    <hasActivationRequired>false</hasActivationRequired>
    <label>Customer Feedback Access</label>

    <objectPermissions>
        <allowCreate>true</allowCreate>
        <allowDelete>true</allowDelete>
        <allowEdit>true</allowEdit>
        <allowRead>true</allowRead>
        <modifyAllRecords>false</modifyAllRecords>
        <object>Customer_Feedback__c</object>
        <viewAllRecords>true</viewAllRecords>
    </objectPermissions>

    <!-- NOTE: Required fields are EXCLUDED (auto-visible) -->
    <!-- NOTE: Formula fields have editable=false -->

    <fieldPermissions>
        <editable>true</editable>
        <field>Customer_Feedback__c.Optional_Field__c</field>
        <readable>true</readable>
    </fieldPermissions>
</PermissionSet>

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Phase 4: Deployment

⚠️ MANDATORY: Use sf-devops-architect for ALL deployments

Task(subagent_type="sf-devops-architect", prompt="Deploy metadata at force-app/main/default/objects/[ObjectName] and permission set to [target-org]")

Post-deployment (optional - assign permission set):

sf org assign permset --name [ObjectName]_Access --target-org [alias]

Phase 5: Verification

For Generated Metadata:

✓ Metadata Complete: [MetadataName]
  Type: [CustomObject/CustomField/Profile/etc.] | API: 62.0
  Location: force-app/main/default/[path]
  Validation: PASSED (Score: XX/120)

Next Steps:
  1. Verify in Setup → Object Manager → [Object]
  2. Check Field-Level Security for new fields
  3. Add to Page Layouts if needed

For Queries:

• Present results in structured format
• Highlight relevant information
• Offer follow-up actions (create field, modify permissions, etc.)

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Best Practices (Built-In Enforcement)

Critical Requirements

Structure & Format (20 points):

• Valid XML syntax (-10 if invalid)
• Correct Salesforce namespace: http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata (-5 if missing)
• API version present and >= 62.0 (-5 if outdated)
• Correct file path and naming structure (-5 if wrong)

Naming Conventions (20 points):

• Custom objects/fields end with __c (-3 each violation)
• Use PascalCase for API names: Account_Status__c not account_status__c (-2 each)
• Meaningful labels (no abbreviations like Acct, Sts) (-2 each)
• Relationship names follow pattern: [ParentObject]_[ChildObjects] (-3)

Data Integrity (20 points):

• Required fields have sensible defaults or validation (-5)
• Number fields have appropriate precision/scale (-3)
• Picklist values properly defined with labels (-3)
• Relationship delete constraints specified (SetNull, Restrict, Cascade) (-3)
• Formula field syntax valid (-5)
• Roll-up summaries reference correct fields (-3)

Security & FLS (20 points):

• Field-Level Security considerations documented (-5 if sensitive field exposed)
• Sensitive field types flagged (SSN patterns, Credit Card patterns) (-10)
• Object sharing model appropriate for data sensitivity (-5)
• Permission Sets preferred over Profile modifications (advisory)

Documentation (20 points):

• Description present and meaningful on objects/fields (-5 if missing)
• Help text for user-facing fields (-3 each)
• Clear error messages for validation rules (-3)
• Inline comments in complex formulas (-3)

Best Practices (20 points):

• Use Permission Sets over Profiles when possible (-3 if Profile-first)
• Avoid hardcoded Record IDs in formulas (-5 if found)
• Use Global Value Sets for reusable picklists (advisory)
• Master-Detail vs Lookup selection appropriate for use case (-3)
• Record Types have associated Page Layouts (-3)

Scoring

See shared/docs/scoring-overview.md (project root) | Thresholds: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 108+ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 96-107 | ⭐⭐⭐ 84-95 | Block: <72

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Field Template Tips

Number Field: Omit Empty Defaults

⚠️ Don't include <defaultValue> if it's empty or zero - Salesforce ignores it:

<!-- ❌ WRONG: Empty default is ignored, adds noise -->
<CustomField>
    <fullName>Score__c</fullName>
    <type>Number</type>
    <precision>3</precision>
    <scale>0</scale>
    <defaultValue></defaultValue>  <!-- Remove this! -->
</CustomField>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT: Omit defaultValue entirely if not needed -->
<CustomField>
    <fullName>Score__c</fullName>
    <type>Number</type>
    <precision>3</precision>
    <scale>0</scale>
</CustomField>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT: Include defaultValue only if you need a specific value -->
<CustomField>
    <fullName>Priority__c</fullName>
    <type>Number</type>
    <precision>1</precision>
    <scale>0</scale>
    <defaultValue>3</defaultValue>  <!-- Meaningful default -->
</CustomField>

Standard vs Custom Object Paths

⚠️ Standard objects use different path than custom objects:

Object Type	Path Example
Standard (Lead)	objects/Lead/fields/Lead_Score__c.field-meta.xml
Custom	objects/MyObject__c/fields/MyField__c.field-meta.xml

Common Mistake: Using Lead__c (with suffix) for standard Lead object.

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Field Type Selection Guide

Type	Salesforce	Notes
Text	Text / Text Area (Long/Rich)	≤255 chars / multi-line / HTML
Numbers	Number / Currency	Decimals or money (org currency)
Boolean	Checkbox	True/False
Choice	Picklist / Multi-Select	Single/multiple predefined options
Date	Date / DateTime	With or without time
Contact	Email / Phone / URL	Validated formats
Relationship	Lookup / Master-Detail	Optional / required parent
Calculated	Formula / Roll-Up	Derived from fields / children

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Relationship Decision Matrix

Scenario	Use	Reason
Parent optional	Lookup	Child can exist without parent
Parent required	Master-Detail	Cascade delete, roll-up summaries
Many-to-Many	Junction Object	Two Master-Detail relationships
Self-referential	Hierarchical Lookup	Same object (e.g., Account hierarchy)
Cross-object formula	Master-Detail or Formula	Access parent fields

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Common Validation Rule Patterns

Pattern	Formula	Use
Conditional Required	AND(ISPICKVAL(Status,'Closed'), ISBLANK(Close_Date__c))	Field required when condition met
Email Regex	NOT(REGEX(Email__c, "^[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@..."))	Format validation
Future Date	Due_Date__c < TODAY()	Date constraints
Cross-Object	AND(Account.Type != 'Customer', Amount__c > 100000)	Related field checks

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Cross-Skill Integration

See shared/docs/cross-skill-integration.md (project root)

Direction	Pattern
sf-apex → sf-metadata	"Describe Invoice__c" (discover fields before coding)
sf-flow → sf-metadata	"Describe object fields, record types, validation rules"
sf-metadata → sf-deploy	"Deploy with --dry-run" (validate & deploy metadata)

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Metadata Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Fix
Profile-based FLS	Use Permission Sets for granular access
Hardcoded IDs in formulas	Use Custom Settings or Custom Metadata
Validation rule without bypass	Add $Permission.Bypass_Validation__c check
Too many picklist values (>200)	Consider Custom Object instead
Auto-number without prefix	Add meaningful prefix: INV-{0000}
Roll-up on non-M-D	Use trigger-based calculation or DLRS
Field label = API name	Use user-friendly labels
No description on custom objects	Always document purpose

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sf CLI Quick Reference

Object & Field Queries

# Describe standard or custom object
sf sobject describe --sobject Account --target-org [alias] --json

# List all custom objects
sf org list metadata --metadata-type CustomObject --target-org [alias] --json

# List all custom fields on an object
sf org list metadata --metadata-type CustomField --folder Account --target-org [alias] --json

Metadata Operations

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

# Retrieve specific metadata
sf project retrieve start --metadata CustomObject:Account --target-org [alias]

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

Interactive Generation

# Generate custom object interactively
sf schema generate sobject --label "My Object"

# Generate custom field interactively
sf schema generate field --label "My Field" --object Account

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Reference & Dependencies

Docs: docs/ folder (in sf-metadata) - metadata-types-reference, field-types-guide, fls-best-practices, naming-conventions

• Path: ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-metadata/docs/

Dependencies: sf-deploy (optional) for deployment. Install: /plugin install github:Jaganpro/sf-skills/sf-deploy

Notes: API 62.0 required | Permission Sets over Profiles | Block if score < 72

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Validation

Manual validation (if hooks don't fire):

python3 ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-metadata/hooks/scripts/validate_metadata.py <file_path>

Scoring: 120 points / 6 categories. Minimum 84 (70%) for deployment.

Hooks not firing? Check: CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT set, hooks.json valid, Python 3 in PATH, file matches pattern.

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🔑 Key Insights

Insight	Issue	Fix
FLS is the Silent Killer	Deployed fields invisible without FLS	Always prompt for Permission Set generation
Required Fields ≠ Permission Sets	Salesforce rejects required fields in PS	Filter out required fields from fieldPermissions
Orchestration Order	sf-data fails if objects not deployed	sf-metadata → sf-flow → sf-deploy → sf-data
Before-Save Efficiency	Before-Save auto-saves, no DML needed	Use Before-Save for same-record updates
Test with 251 Records	Batch boundary at 200 records	Always bulk test with 251+ records

Common Errors

Error	Fix
Cannot deploy to required field	Remove from fieldPermissions (auto-visible)
Field does not exist	Create Permission Set with field access
SObject type 'X' not supported	Deploy metadata first
Element X is duplicated	Reorder XML elements alphabetically

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License

MIT License. See LICENSE file. Copyright (c) 2024-2025 Jag Valaiyapathy