Lightning Types
Lightning Types refer to the family of component and metadata types that Salesforce supports across the Lightning ecosystem: Lightning Web Components (LWC), Aura Components, Lightning Apps, Lightning Pages (Home, App, Record), Lightning Record Pages, Lightning Email Templates, Lightning Bolt Solutions (legacy), and Lightning App Builder layouts.
Definition
Lightning Types refer to the family of component and metadata types that Salesforce supports across the Lightning ecosystem: Lightning Web Components (LWC), Aura Components, Lightning Apps, Lightning Pages (Home, App, Record), Lightning Record Pages, Lightning Email Templates, Lightning Bolt Solutions (legacy), and Lightning App Builder layouts. Each type has its own metadata representation, its own design surface in Setup or developer tools, and its own deployment model. Understanding which Lightning Type fits a given build is foundational for any modern Salesforce development.
The umbrella term Lightning Types groups these into a single mental model: everything that ships under the Lightning brand and runs on the Lightning runtime. The breakdown matters for licensing (some types are platform features, others are licensed separately), for development (each type has different tooling and APIs), and for deployment (each type ships as a distinct metadata XML file). Salesforce documentation sometimes uses the term in marketing contexts; technically each type is a separate first-class metadata concept with its own documentation.
The Lightning Types catalog and what each one does
Lightning Web Component (LWC)
LWC is the modern Lightning component framework, launched in 2019. Built on web standards (web components, ES6 modules, custom elements), LWC is faster to render than Aura and is the recommended framework for all new component development. Each LWC consists of an HTML template, a JavaScript class, and metadata XML.
Aura Component
Aura is the original Lightning component framework, launched in 2015 with Lightning Experience. Aura components still work and are supported, but Salesforce encourages migration to LWC for new development. Aura uses a Salesforce-proprietary component model; LWC uses standard web components.
Lightning App
A Lightning App is the top-level container in Lightning Experience: the brand color, the logo, the navigation menu, the utility bar, and the assigned profiles. Created via Setup, App Manager, New Lightning App.
Lightning Pages
Lightning Pages come in three flavors: Home Pages (the landing page), App Pages (custom tabs), and Record Pages (per-object record views). All three are built in Lightning App Builder by composing Lightning Components.
Lightning Email Templates
Lightning Email Templates are the modern email template type, replacing Classic letterheads. Each template includes the body, the subject, the merge fields, and any embedded images. Templates ship as metadata via Lightning Email Template designer.
Lightning Bolt Solutions (legacy)
Lightning Bolt Solutions were pre-packaged industry-specific community templates, now superseded by Experience Cloud Templates and Industries Cloud products. The Lightning Bolt brand is effectively retired but old packages may still exist in inherited orgs.
Lightning Out Apps
Lightning Out Apps let Lightning Components run on external hosts (Visualforce, Heroku, custom websites). Configured via App Manager, served from the lightning.force.com endpoint, embedded via a script tag on the external page.
Pick the right Lightning Type for a build
The decision tree is straightforward once you know what each type does. Pick the type that matches the use case; mixing types creates complexity.
- Custom UI component
Use Lightning Web Component for new builds. Aura only for maintenance of existing components.
- Top-level app
Create a Lightning App via App Manager. Configure brand, navigation, utility bar.
- Custom record-page layout
Build a Lightning Record Page in Lightning App Builder. Assign to record types and profiles.
- Custom home or app page
Build a Lightning Home Page or App Page in Lightning App Builder.
- Branded email template
Build a Lightning Email Template in the Lightning Email Template designer.
- Embed Lightning in external page
Use Lightning Out App; create the App, embed via script tag on the external host.
- Aura is supported but on a long-term sunset path. New builds should use LWC.
- Lightning Bolt as a brand is effectively retired. Pick Experience Cloud Templates or Industries Cloud for new builds.
- Each Lightning Type ships as distinct metadata. Mixing types in one feature requires understanding each one''s deployment model.
- Classic alternatives (Visualforce, Classic Apps, Classic Email Templates) are still supported but should not be used for new work.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Lightning Types.
- Lightning App BuilderSalesforce Help
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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