- 1
Platform foundations and the data model
Objects, fields, relationships, record types and the security model. Developers who skip this write code that breaks for real users.
Objects and fieldsLookup vs master-detailRecord typesFormulas and validation rulesProfiles, permission sets and sharingSalesforce Administration Training · 6.2h · freeAbout 6.2 hours of video in this step
- 2
Declarative automation with Flow
Learn what Flow can do before you write code, so you know when Apex is actually needed.
Record-triggered flowsScreen flowsScheduled flowsBefore-save vs after-saveFlow fault pathsLearn lightning flows with me · 15.9hAbout 15.9 hours of video in this step
- 3
Apex, SOQL and DML
The core language: collections, queries, DML, exceptions and governor limits, written in VS Code against a real org.
Apex syntax and collectionsSOQL and SOSLDML and Database methodsGovernor limitsSharing keywords and user modeSalesforce Development (Visualforce & Apex) · 5.6hMastering Visual Studio Code · 2.3hAbout 7.9 hours of video in this step
- 4
Triggers and bulkification
Write triggers that handle 200 records as easily as one, with logic moved into a handler framework.
Trigger context variablesBulk-safe patternsHandler classesRecursion controlOrder of executionApex Triggers Framework 101 · 0.5h · freeAbout 0.5 hours of video in this step
- 5
Apex testing
Tests that assert behaviour, cover failure paths and run as different users, not tests written to reach 75%.
Test data setupAssert classSystem.runAsTesting async ApexCallout mocksApex Test Fest · 5hAbout 5 hours of video in this step
- 6
JavaScript and Lightning Web Components
Modern JavaScript first, then LWC: data binding through getters, wire adapters, calling Apex, events and messaging.
Modern JavaScriptGetters in templatesLightning Data ServiceWire vs imperative ApexComponent events and LMSJavascript for Lightning Web Components [FREE] · 2.6h · freeLightning Web Components Development · 7.9hAbout 10.5 hours of video in this step
- 7
Async Apex and integration
Queueable, Batch and Scheduled Apex, then authentication, callouts, APIs and Platform Events.
Queueable and Batch ApexNamed and External CredentialsOAuth and connected appsREST in ApexPlatform EventsSalesforce Integration Master Course (Advanced Apex) · 27.4hAbout 27.4 hours of video in this step
- 8
Deployment, projects and interviews
Ship with the Salesforce CLI, build complete projects, and practise explaining your decisions out loud.
Salesforce CLI and scratch orgsSource controlEnd-to-end projectsInterview practiceDive into Salesforce DX · 1.2hBuild Real Projects with Lightning · 3.5hInterview Questions · 3.7hAbout 8.4 hours of video in this step
The Salesforce developer roadmap for 2026 has eight phases, in this order: platform foundations, Flow, Apex with SOQL and DML, triggers and bulkification, testing, JavaScript and Lightning Web Components, async Apex and integration, and finally deployment, projects and interviews. Studying part-time, most people I've taught take somewhere between seven and twelve months to get through it properly. The timeline above shows the courses for each phase, with live hours. Below, I explain each phase: what to practise, what "done" looks like and the traps I see most often.
The time estimates are ranges from my experience teaching, assuming roughly eight to ten hours a week. They aren't measured data. Go faster or slower as you need; the order matters more than the speed.
The roadmap at a glance
| Phase | Part-time weeks | You're ready to move on when |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Platform foundations | 3 to 5 | You can explain why a user can't see a record |
| 2. Flow | 2 to 4 | You can choose between Flow and Apex for a requirement |
| 3. Apex, SOQL and DML | 6 to 8 | Your methods take lists and stay within limits |
| 4. Triggers | 2 to 3 | Every trigger delegates to a bulk-safe handler |
| 5. Testing | 2 to 3 | Your tests fail when the logic breaks |
| 6. JavaScript and LWC | 6 to 8 | Your components handle loading, empty and error states |
| 7. Async and integration | 6 to 10 | A failed callout doesn't lose data |
| 8. Deployment and interviews | 4 to 6 | You can walk through a project you built |
Treat these as checkpoints, not deadlines. If a phase takes twice as long, that's fine. Skipping one isn't.
Phase 1: Platform foundations and the data model
What to practise: Build a small app from scratch, say a course-booking system, with custom objects, a master-detail and a lookup relationship, a couple of record types, a formula field and a validation rule. Then set up two users with different permission sets and check what each can see.
Done looks like: You can explain the difference between a lookup and a master-detail relationship, and why a user can't see a record you can.
Common trap: Rushing this to "get to the code". Half the Apex bugs I review come from not understanding sharing or field-level security. The free Salesforce Administration Training covers all of it.
Time: 3 to 5 weeks. See the admin learning guide.
Phase 2: Declarative automation with Flow
What to practise: Rebuild a few rules as record-triggered flows: one before-save (updating fields on the same record) and one after-save (creating related records). Add a fault path to each.
Done looks like: Given a requirement, you can say whether it belongs in a flow or in Apex, and why.
Common trap: Treating Flow as "the admin's tool". On a real team, you'll review flows and debug how they interact with your triggers on the same object.
Time: 2 to 4 weeks. See Salesforce Flows and the Flow interview questions.
Phase 3: Apex, SOQL and DML
What to practise: Set up VS Code with the Salesforce extensions and work against an org from day one. Write service classes that query parent and child records, update them in bulk, and handle exceptions. Use with sharing by default and WITH USER_MODE on queries.
Done looks like: You can write a method that processes a list of records with one query and one DML statement, and explain which governor limits it touches.
Common trap: Learning Apex one record at a time. Always write your methods to accept lists.
Time: 6 to 8 weeks. See the Apex guide, SOQL interview questions and Apex interview questions.
Phase 4: Triggers and bulkification
What to practise: Write a trigger the naive way, load 200 records and watch it fail. Then refactor into a handler class with no SOQL or DML inside loops. Add recursion control.
Done looks like: Every trigger you write is a one-line call into a handler, and the handler is bulk-safe.
Common trap: Putting logic directly in the trigger body, or having several triggers on the same object.
Time: 2 to 3 weeks. Read Apex bulkification explained and the Apex triggers interview questions.
Phase 5: Apex testing
What to practise: Go back and test everything you've written so far. Create test data in the test, assert outcomes with the Assert class, test the failure path, and use System.runAs to test as a user with fewer permissions.
Done looks like: Your tests would fail if someone broke the logic, not just if someone deleted the class.
Common trap: Writing tests to hit 75% coverage. Coverage without assertions proves nothing. More on that in Apex test classes beyond 75% coverage.
Time: 2 to 3 weeks. See Apex testing.
Phase 6: JavaScript and Lightning Web Components
What to practise: Start with modern JavaScript: arrow functions, destructuring, promises, async/await, modules and classes. Then build components that display records with Lightning Data Service, call Apex both via @wire and imperatively, and communicate with events and the Lightning Message Service.
Done looks like: You can build a component that loads data, handles loading and error states, and talks to a sibling component, with no expressions in the template. Every computed value comes from a getter.
Common trap: Skipping JavaScript and fighting the framework for weeks. Another one: putting logic in the template. LWC templates don't allow expressions, so compute values in getters. See LWC templates: no expressions, use getters.
Time: 6 to 8 weeks. See JavaScript for LWC, the LWC guide and the LWC interview questions.
Phase 7: Async Apex and integration
What to practise: Move a slow operation into a Queueable, process a large dataset with Batch Apex, and schedule it. Then call an external REST API using a Named Credential, expose an Apex REST endpoint, and publish and subscribe to a Platform Event.
Done looks like: You can explain which async tool fits a requirement, and you can build an integration that handles a failed callout without losing data.
Common trap: Hard-coding endpoints and tokens in Apex. Credentials belong in Named and External Credentials.
Time: 6 to 10 weeks. Async Apex is covered in the Apex course; integration has its own master course. See Salesforce integration, async Apex interview questions and integration interview questions.
Phase 8: Deployment, projects and interviews
What to practise: Use the Salesforce CLI to deploy from source control. Build two or three complete projects end to end, then practise answering interview questions out loud.
Done looks like: You can walk an interviewer through a project you built: the data model, why you chose Flow or Apex, how you tested it and how you deployed it.
Common trap: Collecting certificates instead of building things you can explain.
Time: 4 to 6 weeks, overlapping with your job search. See Salesforce DX and VS Code and the 30-day interview plan.
Coming from admin?
If you're already a Salesforce admin, you can move quickly through phases 1 and 2. The admin to developer roadmap is written for you. If integration is your goal, continue with the integration specialist roadmap.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a Salesforce developer?
In my experience, someone studying part-time, around eight to ten hours a week, usually needs seven to twelve months to work through this roadmap properly. People with programming experience or a Salesforce admin background often move faster.
Do I need to learn Salesforce administration before development?
You need the admin fundamentals: the data model, security and sharing, and what Flow can do. You don't need to become a full admin or pass the admin certification first, but skipping the foundations shows up quickly in your code.
Should I learn Apex or LWC first?
Apex first. Most real LWC work calls Apex, and you need to understand queries, sharing and limits to write that Apex safely. Learn modern JavaScript in parallel so you're ready when you reach LWC.
Is Visualforce or Aura still worth learning in 2026?
Build new UI in Lightning Web Components. You'll still meet Visualforce pages and Aura components in older orgs, so it helps to be able to read and maintain them, but they shouldn't be your starting point.
Which certification should a Salesforce developer get first?
The platform developer certification is the usual first step for developers. Use Trailhead's certification trail and practice exams to prepare, and this roadmap to build the hands-on skill behind it.
Keep going
Career roadmap
Salesforce Admin to Developer Roadmap
Career roadmap
Salesforce Integration Specialist Roadmap
Topic guide
Learn Apex: A Hands-On Salesforce Apex Course for Developers
Topic guide
Learn Lightning Web Components (LWC): A Hands-On Course from Basics to Real Projects
Blog
How to Crack a Salesforce Developer Interview: A 30-Day Plan
Comparison
Salesforce Casts vs Trailhead: Why You Should Use Both