Definition
Integration Definitions is a Setup page for managing reusable integration configurations that define how Salesforce connects to external systems. These definitions encapsulate connection details, authentication methods, and data mapping rules that can be referenced by multiple integration processes.
Real-World Example
The developer at DataSync Corp creates an Integration Definition for their ERP system that specifies the REST endpoint, OAuth credentials via a Named Credential, and field mappings between Salesforce Order fields and the ERP's order schema. Multiple Flows and Apex classes reference this definition, so when the ERP endpoint changes, she updates it in one place.
Why Integration Definitions Matters
Integration Definitions in Salesforce provide a centralized, reusable configuration layer that defines how Salesforce connects to external systems. Each definition encapsulates the connection endpoint (URL), authentication method (typically via Named Credentials), data mapping rules between Salesforce fields and external system schemas, and protocol details (REST, SOAP, etc.). By abstracting these details into a single definition, multiple Flows, Apex classes, and OmniScripts can reference the same integration configuration without duplicating connection logic. This is particularly valuable in Salesforce Industries (Vlocity) environments where complex business processes require multiple touchpoints with the same external system.
As organizations build more integrations, Integration Definitions prevent the configuration sprawl that makes systems fragile and difficult to maintain. Without centralized definitions, developers embed connection details directly in Apex code or Flow configurations, creating dozens of places that must be updated when an endpoint URL changes or an authentication token rotates. At enterprise scale, this scattered approach leads to integration outages that take hours to diagnose because no one knows all the places a connection is configured. Integration Definitions also support versioning and environment-specific overrides, allowing the same integration logic to point to different endpoints in sandbox versus production without code changes — a capability that's essential for maintaining reliable CI/CD pipelines.
How Organizations Use Integration Definitions
- DataSync Corp — DataSync Corp's developer created an Integration Definition for their SAP ERP system that specifies the REST endpoint, OAuth credentials via a Named Credential, and field mappings between Salesforce Order fields and the ERP's order schema. When the ERP team migrated to a new server and the endpoint URL changed, the developer updated a single Integration Definition rather than modifying 8 separate Apex classes and 3 Flows that all connected to SAP.
- Meridian Insurance — Meridian Insurance uses Integration Definitions to manage connections to five external underwriting systems, each with different APIs and authentication methods. Each definition stores the specific connection protocol, credential reference, and data transformation rules. When their compliance team required all integrations to switch from basic authentication to OAuth 2.0, the migration required updating only the five definitions rather than the 40+ integration touchpoints that reference them.
- NovaTech Manufacturing — NovaTech's OmniScript-based quoting process references an Integration Definition to fetch real-time pricing from their external pricing engine. The definition maps Salesforce Product fields to the pricing API's input schema and transforms the API response back into Salesforce-compatible formats. In the sandbox, the definition points to the pricing engine's staging URL, while production uses the live URL — and developers switch between them by changing a single configuration rather than modifying OmniScript steps.