Choosing Between Custom Metadata and Custom Settings in Salesforce: Making the Right Decision for Your Integration


In the dynamic world of Salesforce development, making the right architectural decisions can significantly impact the success and scalability of your projects. Regarding managing configuration data for integrations, two options stand out: Custom Metadata and Custom Settings. In this blog post, we'll delve into the difference between each option to help you decide on your integration needs.

Custom Metadata: Harnessing the Power of Metadata-Driven Configuration

Custom Metadata offers a metadata-driven approach to managing configuration data in Salesforce. Here are some key features that make Custom Metadata a compelling choice for integration-related developments:

  1. Flexibility and Adaptability:

    • Custom Metadata allows you to create records to define and configure application behavior. This flexibility makes it ideal for scenarios where integration configurations may change frequently or need to be easily updated.

  2. Deployable with Metadata:

    • Custom Metadata records can be deployed alongside other metadata components, streamlining the deployment process and ensuring consistency across environments. This makes it well-suited for packaging and distributing integration configurations.

  3. Access Controls:

    • Custom Metadata respects Salesforce's standard object-level security, providing granular control over who can view or modify integration configurations. This ensures that sensitive data remains protected.

  4. Scalability:

    • Custom Metadata supports large volumes of records and can efficiently handle complex configurations, making it suitable for large-scale integrations with diverse requirements.

Custom Settings: Storing Organization-wide Configuration Data

Custom Settings provide a mechanism for storing configuration data at the organization or profile level. While they offer some advantages, they come with their own set of considerations:

  1. Data Storage:

    • Custom Settings are ideal for storing configuration settings that are consistent across all users or specific user profiles. They offer a convenient way to manage organization-wide settings without the need for individual records.

  2. Performance:

    • Custom Settings offer better performance compared to Custom Metadata for accessing configuration data, thanks to their in-memory caching capabilities. This can be advantageous in scenarios where frequent access to configuration settings is required.

  3. Limited Metadata Integration:

    • Unlike Custom Metadata, Custom Settings lack the same level of metadata integration. They are not deployable as part of metadata packages and require separate migration steps, which can complicate the deployment process.

  4. Size Limitations:

    • Custom Settings have size limitations on the amount of data that can be stored, which may impact scalability for large-scale integrations with extensive configuration requirements.

Making the Right Choice for Your Integration

Regarding choosing between Custom Metadata and Custom Settings for your Salesforce integration, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Consider the following factors to make an informed decision:

  • Dynamic Configuration vs. Organization-wide Settings:

    • Custom Metadata may be the better choice if your integration requires dynamic configuration that may change frequently. On the other hand, if you're dealing with organization-wide settings that are consistent across users, Custom Settings may be more suitable.

  • Deployment and Scalability:

    • Evaluate your deployment needs and scalability requirements. Custom Metadata excels in deployment scenarios and scalability for large-scale integrations, while Custom Settings offer better performance and simplicity for organization-wide settings.

  • Security and Access Controls:

    • Consider the level of access control and security required for your integration configurations. Custom Metadata provides granular access controls, ensuring data security, while Custom Settings offer simplicity in managing organization-wide settings.
In conclusion, both Custom Metadata and Custom Settings have their strengths and trade-offs. By understanding the difference between each option and considering your specific integration requirements, you can make the right choice to ensure the success and scalability of your Salesforce integration projects.

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