Lightning Platform is not configured the way a feature is. It is the foundation every other feature runs on. The decision points below cover when to use it versus when to look elsewhere.
- Evaluate the fit
The platform is ideal for record-centric apps where users need to view, create, and update structured data with role-based access. It is poor for high-volume event streaming, real-time computation, or large-binary file workflows.
- Pick the license tier
Platform Starter for sub-10-object apps. Platform Plus when you need more custom objects and external integrations. Platform license when the app integrates closely with CRM data but you want to avoid full Sales/Service Cloud licensing.
- Set up source control and deployment
Use Salesforce DX with a Git provider. Track metadata in source, deploy via CLI or CI/CD pipeline. Skip change sets for production deploys above trivial complexity.
- Provision environments
Production org, plus full sandbox for UAT, plus partial sandbox or developer sandboxes for dev. Refresh cadence depends on data volume; Full refreshes are slow and licensed separately.
- Plan for governor limits
Every code-driven workflow needs to respect Apex CPU, SOQL row, and DML limits. Bulkify everything. Use platform events or Queueable Apex to push high-volume work async.
Starter, Plus, or Platform. Each adds custom object allowance, API access, and feature scope. Pick based on app complexity and integration depth.
Apex (server-side), LWC (client-side), Flow (declarative). Pick per task: flows for admin-managed automation, Apex for triggers and async, LWC for custom UI.
REST, SOAP, Bulk, Streaming, Metadata, GraphQL. REST for most integrations, Bulk for batch loads above 10k rows, Streaming for event-driven, GraphQL for selective field reads.
Developer (cheapest, schema only), Developer Pro (schema plus 1 GB data), Partial Copy (schema plus sample data), Full (production clone). Plan refresh cadence per tier.
- Governor limits are not optional. Code that works in dev with 10 records breaks in production with 10,000 unless bulkified.
- Platform licenses do not include Opportunity or Case access. Adding those tables to a custom app requires a Sales or Service Cloud upgrade.
- Multi-tenant means every release applies to every customer. There is no "we will skip this release" option for the platform itself.
- The sharing model recomputes on group membership changes. Large role-hierarchy changes can lock the org for minutes during the recalc; Defer Sharing Calculation is the workaround.
- API rate limits apply per org, not per user. One badly-written integration can starve the platform for everyone.