Salesforce Data Access (UI bundles)

All Salesforce data access in a UI bundle goes through the @salesforce/platform-sdk data SDK. The SDK handles auth, CSRF, and base-URL resolution, and — on the WebApp surface — caches every GraphQL query by default.

This file is the workflow + guardrail spine. Depth lives in linked docs:

• references/graphiti-cli.md — the graphiti CLI (sf-gql-* commands) that compiles a small JSON spec into a schema-correct, guardrail-applied query + variables + types. The preferred way to author the GraphQL in steps below; falls back to the schema-grep script when unavailable.
• references/sdk-api.md — the new call API: query/mutate, QueryResult, typing, error-handling stances.
• references/caching.md — on-by-default cache + the two refresh modes (result.refresh/subscribe vs per-call cacheControl).
• references/graphql-hand-authoring.md — schema lookup, read / mutation templates, every platform guardrail (@optional, pagination, limits, semi-join, wrappers, error table…).
• references/rest-and-integration.md — sdk.fetch, the supported-API allowlist, and the reactive/lifecycle integration patterns.
• references/migration.md — old @salesforce/sdk-data callable code → new namespace. The only place the dead API appears as usable code.

The one-paragraph mental model

const sdk = await createDataSDK(). Then sdk.graphql is a namespace, not a function: sdk.graphql!.query({...}) for reads, sdk.graphql!.mutate({...}) for writes. On WebApp, every query() is cached by default (300s). HTTP 200 never means success — always check result.errors. Verify every entity and field against the schema before you query it: one unverified field fails the whole query at runtime, and schema.graphql is too large to eyeball — look it up.

import { createDataSDK, gql } from "@salesforce/platform-sdk"; // gql tags the query string so codegen + eslint validate it

const sdk = await createDataSDK();
const result = await sdk.graphql!.query({ query: GET_ACCOUNTS, variables });
if (result.errors?.length) throw new Error(result.errors.map((e) => e.message).join("; "));
const rows = result.data?.uiapi?.query?.Account?.edges?.map((e) => e.node) ?? []; // unwrap edges/node; read field values via .value

Typed call params (query<GetAccountsQuery, GetAccountsQueryVariables>), the CacheControl type, and NodeOfConnection<T> (extracts a node type from a Connection for clean typing) all live in references/sdk-api.md.

This changed (breaking — PR #502). The previous callable sdk.graphql(...) form and the previous package name are dead — the code above is the only correct form. If you encounter the old API in existing code (or a stale dist/ artifact), don't copy it; convert it per Working on existing code.

sdk.graphql! is WebApp-only. The non-null assertion above is correct only if the bundle runs solely on WebApp. On other surfaces it can crash — decide before you write it. See Surfaces — ! vs guard below.

Surfaces — sdk.graphql! vs guard

createDataSDK() runs on multiple surfaces, and sdk.graphql / sdk.fetch are genuinely optional (typed graphql?: …). Whether you may assert them with ! depends entirely on where the bundle runs — this is the one surface decision that turns into a runtime crash if you get it wrong, so make it explicitly before writing any query/mutate call:

Rule of thumb: if you cannot prove the bundle is WebApp-only, guard. A bare sdk.graphql! that later ships to another surface throws Cannot read properties of undefined at runtime — TypeScript won't catch it because ! silences exactly that check (same applies to sdk.fetch!). The portable guard snippet lives in references/sdk-api.md.

Step 0 — Route the task

GraphQL covers far more than record reads and writes — prefer it for anything the uiapi namespace exposes (see Beyond record CRUD). Reach for REST only when the data genuinely lives outside uiapi (Apex REST, file upload, Einstein) — see references/rest-and-integration.md.

Preconditions — verify before writing any query

<skill-dir> below is wherever this skill is installed (the directory this SKILL.md loaded from). The schema-lookup script ships inside it. The script does not hunt for schema.graphql by walking up the tree — an ancestor schema can belong to a different org and would validate fields against the wrong one. Resolve the schema explicitly: run from the SFDX project root (where schema.graphql lives), or pass --schema <path> / set GRAPHQL_SCHEMA=<path>. The script echoes the schema it resolved ([graphql-search] using schema: … on stderr) — glance at it to confirm you grounded against the right file.

If preconditions aren't met you may still scaffold components, routes, and layout — but use empty arrays / null for data, mark query sites with // TODO: add query after schema verification, and add a plan item to return. Do not write GraphQL strings until the schema workflow is complete.

Read workflow

1. Look up the schema first — never guess a name. Preferred (graphiti): when the exact API name is at all uncertain, list before you describe — npx graphiti sf-gql-discover '{"org":"<alias>","mode":"list_objects","search":"<intent>"}' to find the real name, then npx graphiti sf-gql-discover '{"org":"<alias>","mode":"describe_object","object":"<Entity>"}' for exact field/type names, picklist values, filterable/sortable. An empty list or missing object is a fact about the org (wrong name or not deployed), not a tool failure — re-list or forceRefresh; do not fall back to the script for this (see guardrail 2). Fallback is only for a CLI that genuinely can't run (no graphiti dep / org won't prime): bash <skill-dir>/scripts/graphql-search.sh <Entity> from the SFDX project root. (Full rules: references/graphql-hand-authoring.md.)

2. Write the query. Preferred — compile it with graphiti: npx graphiti sf-gql-list '{"org":"<alias>","object":"<Entity>","fields":[…],"first":N}' returns a { query, variables, types, warnings } envelope with @optional, value/displayValue, edges/node, and first:/pageInfo already applied. Confirm warnings: [] (a non-empty array means the object wasn't in the primed schema — the query is degraded; don't ship it), then paste the query verbatim into inline gql (simple) or an external .graphql file (one operation per file, imported with the bundler's ?raw suffix — import Q from "./q.graphql?raw" brings the file in as a plain string). Fallback — hand-author: apply @optional to every selectable FLS-gated field — scalar leaf fields (Name @optional { value }) and parent/child relationships and the fields inside them — but NOT on Id, on connection plumbing (edges, node, the connection field itself), or on pageInfo; the graphiti output leaves those bare and is the canonical placement. Always set first:, include pageInfo if it may page. Either way, full mechanics and the primed-vs-degraded behavior: references/graphiti-cli.md.

3. Generate types — npm run graphql:codegen (from the UI bundle dir) → src/api/graphql-operations-types.ts.

4. Call query() with the generated types:

   import type { GetAccountsQuery, GetAccountsQueryVariables } from "../graphql-operations-types";
   
   const result = await sdk.graphql!.query<GetAccountsQuery, GetAccountsQueryVariables>({
     query: GET_ACCOUNTS,
     variables: { first: 20 },
     // cacheControl,            // optional — see Freshness & caching
   });
   

5. Handle the result. result.data + result.errors are the initial snapshot; result.subscribe / result.refresh are the reactive handles. Always check errors before reading data:

   if (result.errors?.length) throw new Error(result.errors.map((e) => e.message).join("; "));
   const rows = result.data?.uiapi?.query?.Account?.edges?.map((e) => e.node) ?? [];
   

Defend consuming code with ?./?? (because @optional can omit fields). Error-handling stances (strict / tolerant / discriminated) and NodeOfConnection typing: references/sdk-api.md.

Write workflow

1–3 as above (schema lookup → write the mutation → codegen). To compile the mutation with graphiti, use sf-gql-create / sf-gql-update / sf-gql-delete — they emit the uiapi { <Object>Create(input: $input) { Record {…} } } shape; the types field tells you the input shape. Details: references/graphiti-cli.md. 4. Call mutate() — note the option key is mutation, not query, and that mutations are never cached. The runtime variables shape differs per operation — values are raw (never {value}-wrapped; that wrapper is a read-shape thing and breaks writes) and nest under the entity key:

// create — input.<Entity> holds the new field values
variables: { input: { Account: { Name: "Acme", Industry: "Technology" } } }
// update — sibling Id alongside the entity key
variables: { input: { Id: "001…", Account: { Industry: "Finance" } } }
// delete — Id only, no entity key (generic RecordDeleteInput)
variables: { input: { Id: "001…" } }

const { data, errors } = await sdk.graphql!.mutate<CreateAccountMutation, CreateAccountMutationVariables>({
  mutation: CREATE_ACCOUNT,
  variables: { input: { Account: { Name: "Acme" } } },
});
if (errors?.length) throw new Error(errors.map((e) => e.message).join("; "));

This is the variables shape the spine owns; the CLI types-field interpretation is in references/graphiti-cli.md and the GraphQL-document field constraints (createable/updateable, ApiName references, @{alias} chaining) in references/graphql-hand-authoring.md. 5. Re-freshen affected reads. mutate() has no refresh. To update a live list after a write, hold the QueryResult from your earlier query() call (e.g. accountsResult) and call await accountsResult.refresh() (forced re-fetch, pushes to subscribers) — note this is the read's handle, not anything mutate() returns. See Freshness & caching.

Mutation syntax is exacting: wrap under uiapi(input: { allOrNone: ... }), only createable/updateable fields, Create/Update output is always Record but Delete has no Record field — select Id only. Full template + chaining + constraints: references/graphql-hand-authoring.md.

Beyond record CRUD

The uiapi namespace is not just record reads/writes. Before reaching for REST, check whether GraphQL already covers it — the same sdk.graphql!.query() call, different sub-selection. The top-level uiapi fields:

Same rules as record reads: verify every type/field first, @optional where FLS applies, check result.errors. Aggregations can be compiled with npx graphiti sf-gql-aggregate (pass groupBy + aggregations); object metadata / picklists / related lists are hand-authored — templates: references/graphql-hand-authoring.md.

Two related capabilities (the current-user record and layout delivery) need confirmation against a current org schema before this skill documents a query shape — tracked as a follow-up, not yet covered here.

Freshness & caching

Caching is ON by default on WebApp. Every sdk.graphql!.query() is cached with a 300-second max-age TTL — no opt-in flag, no factory, no import subpath. Do not build your own cache (no React Query, SWR, localStorage, or hand-rolled Map). The cache is shared across SDK instances by baseUrl: the same query+variables from a different createDataSDK() targeting the same host is a cache hit. Only non-empty, error-free data is cached. mutate() is never cached.

There are two distinct freshness tools — keep them separate:

1. Per-call cacheControl — a one-shot policy override on the query options bag ("no-cache" / "only-if-cached" / { type: "max-age", maxAge: <seconds> }). The type and exact per-value behavior live in references/sdk-api.md. Take cacheControl as an optional param on the read function and expose each distinct policy as a thin named export in the same data-layer file — a "call site" is a named export, not a new React component. For getAccounts(first, after?, cacheControl?): export const refreshAccounts = () => getAccounts(20, undefined, "no-cache") (and likewise offlineAccounts → "only-if-cached", shortLivedAccounts → { type: "max-age", maxAge: 10 }). Keep the policy in the data layer.
2. Reactive subscribe / refresh — a stateful handle on a live QueryResult: result.subscribe(cb) fires on every later snapshot, result.refresh() re-fetches bypassing the cache and pushes to subscribers. Shape in references/sdk-api.md; subscription lifecycle (always unsubscribe on teardown) in references/caching.md.

cacheControl is fire-and-forget at call time; subscribe/refresh is a live handle. Different mechanisms, different jobs — don't conflate "refresh" with "no-cache". Full behavior, the reactive-subscription lifecycle, and uncached-surface caveats: references/caching.md.

Working on existing code (migration)

Only enter this path if the existing code actually uses the old API — i.e. it imports @salesforce/sdk-data or calls the callable sdk.graphql(query, vars) form. For any new read/write, ignore migration entirely and use the Read workflow / Write workflow — those already show the only correct API.

When you do have old code to convert, see references/migration.md for the before→after diff (imports, query/mutate calls, optional-chaining → non-null assertion, codegen type placement) and a checklist. The target API is exactly what the Read/Write workflows above prescribe — migrating is just swapping the old form for that.

Platform guardrails — never regress these

These are Salesforce GraphQL platform behaviors, independent of the SDK. Violations cause silent runtime failures. (Details + templates: references/graphql-hand-authoring.md.)

1. HTTP 200 ≠ success — always parse result.errors; the Promise resolves even on failure.
2. Schema is the only source of truth — verify, never invent. Verify every entity/field/type via graphiti sf-gql-discover (preferred) or bash <skill-dir>/scripts/graphql-search.sh <Entity> before use. Case-sensitive; __c/__e; _Record entity suffix (v60+). When graphiti is primed, a "not found"/empty/Cannot query field answer (including from graphql-codegen/@graphql-eslint, even when the message points at schema.graphql) is a fact about the org — wrong name or undeployed/inaccessible metadata, not a tool failure: fix the operation, or deploy the metadata (the platform-metadata-deploy skill)
   • assign perms + refresh (sf-gql-connect --forceRefresh / npm run graphql:schema). Do not fall back to the script, hand-author around it, or guess a name — a guessed entity or field silently fails the whole query at runtime; if lookups aren't converging, ask the user rather than keep spiraling. schema.graphql and the codegen output (src/api/graphql-operations-types.ts) are read-only generated mirrors — never open or edit them (honor any # DO NOT EDIT marker). Hand-adding a missing type satisfies codegen/lint but grants no org access; it just hides the failure until runtime. Fall back to the script only when the CLI can't run at all (no dep / SCHEMA_PRIME_FAILED).
3. @optional on every FLS-gated field at each nesting level — scalar leaf fields plus each parent/child relationship and the fields inside it (FLS fails the whole query otherwise, v65+). Do NOT decorate Id, the connection plumbing (edges, node, the connection field), or pageInfo — those are not FLS-gated and the graphiti output leaves them bare. Consume with ?./??. Placement rules: references/graphql-hand-authoring.md.
4. Mutations wrap under uiapi(input: { allOrNone: ... }); set allOrNone explicitly; output excludes child/navigated-reference fields; the output field is literally named Record (unrelated to the _Record entity suffix in rule 2) — Delete → Id only. GA v66+.
5. Explicit pagination — always set first:, because the server silently caps at 10 and you'll drop rows with no error; forward-only (first/after, no last/before); upperBound (v59+) raises the per-request ceiling for large sets (when set, first must be 200–2000).
6. SOQL governor limits apply — uiapi queries compile to SOQL, so the same governor limits are inherited: ≤10 subqueries, ≤5 child→parent levels, ≤1 parent→child level, ≤2,000 records/subquery. Split into multiple requests if you'd exceed them.
7. Field value wrappers — read the raw value via .value; displayValue is the server-formatted string for UI. When a field is both shown and operated on (currency, dates, picklists), select both value and displayValue so you don't reformat on the client. Display-only fields can take just displayValue.
8. Compound fields — filter/order on constituents (BillingCity), not the wrapper (BillingAddress).
9. Supported APIs only — GraphQL (uiapi), UI API REST, Apex REST, Connect REST, Einstein LLM via sdk.fetch. NOT: Enterprise SOQL /query, Aura-enabled Apex, Chatter (use uiapi.currentUser). See references/rest-and-integration.md.

One SDK convention lives in the workflows, not this list (it's not a platform behavior): always run npm run graphql:codegen and use the generated types after writing an operation (Read workflow step 3). Also in the Pre-flight checklist.

graphiti applies most of these for you. When you compile a query with sf-gql-* against an object that's in the primed schema, rules 3 (@optional), 4 (mutation Record output envelope and entity-keyed input — not allOrNone, which you still add yourself), 5 (first:/pageInfo), and 7 (value/displayValue wrappers) come out already satisfied — which is exactly why you paste the query verbatim rather than re-deriving it. Rules 1 (check result.errors), 6 (governor limits), 8 (compound fields), and 9 (supported APIs) are still on you. And the automation only fires when the object is primed: a non-empty warnings array means it isn't, and the emitted query is degraded (bare fields, no guardrails) — see references/graphiti-cli.md.

Commands & layout

<skill-dir>/                            ← wherever this skill is installed
└── scripts/graphql-search.sh           ← schema lookup (ships with the skill)

<project-root>/                         ← SFDX project root; run the script from here
├── schema.graphql                      ← generated mirror; grep target (never open or edit; script reads ./schema.graphql)
└── force-app/main/default/uiBundles/<app>/   ← UI bundle dir
    ├── package.json                    ← npm scripts
    └── src/api/                        ← queries, generated types, SDK calls

Pre-flight checklist

• Surface decided: sdk.graphql! only if WebApp-only; otherwise guard with if (!sdk.graphql) … (Surfaces)
• Every field/entity verified — sf-gql-discover (preferred) or graphql-search.sh (fallback, against the right schema)
• If compiled with graphiti: warnings: [] confirmed (non-empty = degraded query, don't ship); query pasted verbatim
• @optional on FLS-gated fields + relationships (NOT Id/edges/node/pageInfo); ?./?? in consuming code
• result.errors checked before reading result.data
• Caching considered: default 300s OK, or cacheControl / refresh chosen deliberately
• npm run graphql:codegen run; generated types used; npx eslint passes