Maintain Your Platform Developer Certification for Winter ‘26

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

Implement large external service callouts using pointers to avoid Apex heap limits.
Apply access modifiers correctly to abstract and override methods to prevent compilation errors.
Configure LWS Trusted Mode to safely run third-party scripts in Lightning web components.
Query data using the new lightning/graphql module with user-level security controls.
Enhance screen flows by using LWC local actions for improved interactivity and performance.

Stay Current With Your Certification

Salesforce certifications hold the most value when you keep them relevant. To keep your Platform Developer certification current, complete this module by the due date.

Interested in learning more about getting certified? Check out the Platform Developer certification exam.

While anyone can earn this badge, this module is designed for those who hold the Platform Developer certification.

As part of the Salesforce Certification Program, you agree to the terms of the Salesforce Certification Program Agreement. Review the exam policies in the agreement and the Salesforce Credentialing and Certification Program Agreement and Code of Conduct article before you continue.

Platform Developer Certification Overview

Salesforce continues to expand the capabilities available to developers working with Apex, Lightning Web Components (LWC), and Flow. This module covers key updates that impact the way you build and secure your applications. You’ll learn how to handle large external service payloads efficiently, use new access modifier requirements in Apex, elevate trusted third-party scripts in LWC, fetch data with the new GraphQL API module, and make your flows more interactive with LWC local actions.

Handle Large External Service Callouts and Payloads Without Hitting Apex Heap Limits

Working with large amounts of data in Apex can quickly push you up against heap size limits, especially when you need to transfer files or binary payloads to or from external systems. This release introduces a more efficient process for managing large callouts through External Services. Instead of loading binary data directly into the Apex heap, External Services now uses pointers to ContentDocument object IDs.

This means you can upload or download binary files up to 16 MB without blowing through heap limits, significantly improving reliability for data-heavy integrations. For example, a developer integrating Salesforce with a digital asset management system can now transfer large images or PDFs without running into Apex governor limits. And because this process uses ContentDocument as the storage mechanism, the files remain accessible within Salesforce for auditing or reprocessing.

Use this approach when you need to work with large files that don’t require in-memory processing in Apex. If you must parse or transform the file contents in Apex, consider doing so in smaller chunks to avoid hitting heap limits.

Use Access Modifiers on Abstract and Override Methods

Starting with API version 65.0, Salesforce enforces the use of explicit access modifiers on abstract and override methods. You must declare these methods as protected, public, or global — the private modifier is not allowed, because it would block implementing classes from accessing the method.

This change improves code clarity and prevents developers from accidentally writing methods that cannot be implemented by subclasses. If you omit the access modifier or use an unsupported one, you’ll see a compilation error.

Review your Apex classes before upgrading their API version to 65.0 or later, and update any abstract or override methods to include the correct access modifier. This will ensure your code continues to compile and function as expected.

Elevate Third-Party Scripts with LWS Trusted Mode

Lightning Web Security (LWS) and Lightning Locker protect your Salesforce environment by isolating components and preventing unauthorized access to the global namespace. However, these security measures can sometimes block business-critical third-party libraries that require global access to function properly.

LWS Trusted Mode allows developers to safely bypass these restrictions for code that they trust. By marking a component as trusted, you can allow it to run third-party scripts without LWS or Locker limitations. This is particularly useful for integrating analytics libraries, advanced visualization frameworks, or other scripts that need direct access to the browser’s global context.

Only enable LWS Trusted Mode for libraries that are vetted and safe, as this opens up a broader attack surface. Follow Salesforce security guidelines and your organization’s governance process before enabling trusted mode in production.

Explore New and Changed LWC Modules

Salesforce continues to expand Lightning Web Components (LWC) capabilities, giving developers more flexibility and power when building apps. Here’s what’s new and updated for this release:

New Modules

lightning/graphql – Use this module to fetch data with the GraphQL API for UI API–enabled objects. It respects object- and field-level security for the running user and replaces the deprecated lightning/uiGraphQLApi.
- Supports optional fields and dynamic query construction.
- Recommended for all new GraphQL-based data fetching.
lightning/omnistudioPubsub – Allows your custom components to communicate with FlexCards or OmniScripts using a publish-subscribe mechanism.
- Ideal for embedding OmniStudio wrapper components and enabling seamless interaction between components.

Changed Modules

lightning/conversationToolkitApi – Adds a new method:
- inactivateConversation(recordId) – Inactivates a conversation record by ID. Returns a promise that resolves to true or rejects if there’s an error.
lightning/uiGraphQLApi (Deprecated) – This module, its wire adapter, and refreshGraphQL() function are now deprecated.
- Action: Migrate to lightning/graphql to ensure ongoing support and access to new functionality.

Use LWC Components for Local Actions in Screen Flows

Screen flows are powerful tools for guiding users through business processes, but historically they were limited in how they could interact with the browser. With this release, you can now use Lightning Web Component (LWC) local actions in screen flows to perform client-side operations.

For example, you can display a custom toast message after a user submits a screen, or automatically navigate them to a record page — all without making a server call. Local actions run entirely in the user’s browser, which means they are faster, more efficient, and don’t consume server resources.

Use local actions for tasks that don’t require server data (for example, UI feedback, navigation, or form resets). For operations that require Salesforce data, continue to use server-side actions.

Sum It Up

You’ve now explored the most impactful updates for Salesforce Platform Developers this year. From handling large payloads in Apex without hitting heap limits, to enforcing access modifiers for better code clarity, to safely elevating trusted third-party scripts, these enhancements strengthen both the performance and security of your apps.

You also learned how to leverage new LWC modules like lightning/graphql and lightning/omnistudioPubsub, migrate away from deprecated APIs, and make your flows more interactive with LWC local actions.

By applying these updates in your projects, you can build more scalable, secure, and user-friendly solutions on the Salesforce Platform — all while keeping your developer skills current and your certification in good standing. In Unit 2, you learn how to run apex and flow tests together, and you’ll test your knowledge by completing a hands-on challenge.

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