Navigating Salesforce's Thrice-Yearly Releases Like a Pro

Introduction

The Salesforce release cycle is a constant source of innovation, but it can also be overwhelming. With hundreds of pages of release notes for each Spring, Summer, and Winter release, how can you possibly keep up? This guide provides a strategic approach to understanding and adopting new features.

Step 1: Know Your Orgs and Dates

The first step is to know when the release will hit your sandboxes and production orgs. Salesforce provides a "Maintenance" page under Company Information in Setup, but the best resource is the Salesforce Trust website. Enter your instance name (e.g., NA123) to see the exact dates.

Step 2: Skim the Release Highlights

You don't need to read every page. Start with the release highlights or the "Top Features" section of the release notes. This gives you a high-level overview of the most impactful changes. Pay special attention to your primary clouds (Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, etc.).

Step 3: Test in a Sandbox

This is non-negotiable. As soon as the release is available in sandboxes, get in there and test. Focus on:

• Your key business processes: Do they still work as expected?
• Customizations: Check your custom objects, fields, Apex, and flows for any regressions.
• New Features: Enable and test the top 2-3 features you identified as being most beneficial.

By following this structured approach, you can turn the firehose of new features into a manageable stream of value for your company.