Developer Console
Developer Console is the browser-based IDE inside Salesforce, accessed from the user menu, then Developer Console.
Definition
Developer Console is the browser-based IDE inside Salesforce, accessed from the user menu, then Developer Console. It lets you write Apex classes and triggers, edit Visualforce pages and Aura bundles, run SOQL and SOSL queries, view streaming debug logs, set checkpoints and heap dumps, and execute Anonymous Apex against the org. It is the only in-browser developer surface and the most universally available, since it ships with every developer-enabled org and requires no installs.
The Developer Console is functional but limited compared with VS Code paired with the Salesforce Extensions Pack. It cannot edit Lightning Web Components, has no Git integration, and is slow on large projects. Most professional Salesforce developers reach for the Developer Console only for quick lookups (a fast SOQL query, a tailing debug log, a checkpoint dump) and do the bulk of their work in VS Code. The Console remains the fastest way to run a one-off Anonymous Apex block or inspect an active log.
What the Developer Console can and cannot do
The Console''s tab anatomy
Across the bottom of the Developer Console sit a set of tabs: Logs (debug log entries), Tests (Apex test runs), Checkpoints (heap dump points), Query Editor (SOQL/SOSL), View State (Visualforce page state), Problems (compile errors), and Progress (job status). Each tab is a separate diagnostic surface. The Console's value comes from having all of them in one window with consistent navigation, even if each on its own is less powerful than a dedicated tool.
Anonymous Apex and the Execute Anonymous window
Debug, then Open Execute Anonymous Window, opens a small editor where you can run arbitrary Apex against the org. The code runs with your user's permissions, in a transaction that is rolled back at the end so DML is reversible if you uncheck Open Log. This is the fastest way to test a snippet, verify a fix, or inspect a record. The output appears in a Debug Log entry which the Console can open directly.
The Query Editor and SOQL inspection
At the bottom of the Console, the Query Editor runs SOQL and SOSL with results displayed inline. Each row is editable; you can update a field directly in the grid and the platform writes a DML. Aggregate queries (COUNT, GROUP BY) work; relationship queries (Account.Contacts) return nested grids you can expand. The Query Plan tool (a small icon) shows the SOQL optimizer's plan, including whether a custom index was used.
Streaming debug logs and the auto-open feature
With Debug Levels and Trace Flags set, the Console streams debug logs as they happen. Each log appears in the Logs tab the moment the transaction completes. Double-click a log to open it in the Console's log viewer, which has a tree view of events (METHOD_ENTRY, SOQL_EXECUTE, USER_DEBUG) and a flat timeline view. You can search within the log, filter by event type, and jump to USER_DEBUG lines with the keyboard.
Checkpoints and heap dumps
A Checkpoint is a debug breakpoint set inside Apex code. When execution hits it, the Console captures a heap dump showing every variable's value at that moment. Up to 5 checkpoints per user are supported. This is the only way to inspect Apex memory state from within Salesforce; VS Code's Apex Replay Debugger reads the same heap dumps but does not capture them.
What the Console cannot do
The Developer Console cannot edit Lightning Web Components, generate Apex tests with coverage analysis, integrate with Git, run unit tests in parallel, or step through code in a true debugger. Salesforce stopped investing in major Console features around 2019 when the focus shifted to VS Code and the Salesforce Extensions Pack. The Console works in 2026, but it is no longer where new developer features land.
Browser extensions that fill the Console''s gaps
Salesforce Inspector and Salesforce Inspector Reloaded are browser extensions that add Console-like functionality on top of any Salesforce page: instant SOQL queries from the current record, fast metadata describes, data export, and field-level access checks. Many developers use Salesforce Inspector for the 80 percent of Console work that does not require Apex editing, and VS Code for the rest.
How to run a SOQL query and review a debug log in the Developer Console
The Developer Console is one of the fastest ways to run an ad-hoc SOQL query and tail debug logs. Both flows take less than a minute and require no installation.
- Open the Developer Console
Click your avatar in the upper right, then Developer Console. A new window opens with the Console UI. Some browsers block popups; allow popups for salesforce.com if the Console does not open.
- Run a SOQL query
At the bottom, click the Query Editor tab. Type a SOQL query: SELECT Id, Name, Owner.Name FROM Account WHERE Industry = Technology LIMIT 10. Click Execute. Results appear in the grid; double-click a cell to edit and save.
- Enable a Trace Flag for debug logging
Click Debug, then Change Log Levels. Add a User Trace Flag for your own user with the SFDC_DevConsole Debug Level for 30 minutes. Save.
- Reproduce the action you want to debug
Open another tab, navigate to the record or feature, and run the operation that produces the log you need. Switch back to the Console.
- Open the log
The Logs tab at the bottom of the Console shows new logs as they arrive. Double-click the latest entry. The log opens in a viewer with timeline, tree, and search controls.
- Search and analyze the log
Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to find USER_DEBUG entries, EXCEPTION_THROWN events, or CUMULATIVE_LIMIT_USAGE. The Filter tab in the log viewer lets you toggle event types on and off to reduce noise.
SOQL and SOSL queries with inline results. Edit cells directly for ad-hoc data fixes.
Streaming debug logs. Double-click to open in the Console''s log viewer.
Run arbitrary Apex against the org. Most-used Console feature after the Query Editor.
Debug breakpoints that capture heap dumps. Up to 5 per user, set in Apex code.
- The Developer Console cannot edit Lightning Web Components. For LWC work, install VS Code and the Salesforce Extensions Pack.
- Anonymous Apex runs as your user, with your permissions. Be careful when running data fixes: a misplaced delete in Execute Anonymous can wipe production records that your profile happens to have access to.
- Trace Flags set from the Console expire automatically (default 30 minutes, max 24 hours). Long debugging sessions need fresh flags.
- The Console is single-org. Switching to a different sandbox or production org requires logging out and logging into the new org first.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Developer Console.
- Developer ConsoleSalesforce Help
- Developer Console ReferenceSalesforce Developers
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Developer Console.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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Q1. What is Developer Console?
Q2. When should you use Developer Console versus VS Code?
Q3. What feature lets you run one-off Apex code in Developer Console?
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