Metadata Coverage Report
The Metadata Coverage Report is the Salesforce-published reference documenting which metadata components are supported by each Salesforce deployment and packaging mechanism: Metadata API, Source Tracking, Change Sets, Unlocked Packages, Managed Packages, Toolkit for SFDX, and other deployment channels.
Definition
The Metadata Coverage Report is the Salesforce-published reference documenting which metadata components are supported by each Salesforce deployment and packaging mechanism: Metadata API, Source Tracking, Change Sets, Unlocked Packages, Managed Packages, Toolkit for SFDX, and other deployment channels. The report is a critical pre-deployment reference for any migration project: before assuming a configuration can move between orgs, check the report to confirm the component type is supported by the chosen deployment mechanism.
The report lives at developer.salesforce.com/docs/metadata-coverage and updates per Salesforce release. Each row is a metadata component type (ApexClass, CustomObject, Flow, etc.); each column is a deployment mechanism. Cells show full support, partial support, or no support per combination. Components without support require manual configuration in each target org, breaking the deploy-and-ship workflow. The Metadata Coverage Report is what tells a developer whether a feature can be carried in a managed package, deployed via SFDX, or has to be configured by hand.
How the Metadata Coverage Report shapes deployment planning
What the report covers
The Metadata Coverage Report covers hundreds of metadata component types across multiple deployment mechanisms: Metadata API, Source Tracking, Change Sets, Unlocked Packages, Managed (1GP and 2GP) Packages, Toolkit for SFDX. For each type-and-mechanism combination, the report shows full support (green check), partial support (yellow caveat), or no support (red X).
Reading the matrix
Each component type has a row. The columns are the deployment mechanisms. A green check means the component fully supports that mechanism; a yellow icon means partial support with documented caveats; a red X means the mechanism does not support that component. Click into any cell for the specific caveats and known limitations.
Per-release updates
Salesforce ships a new Metadata Coverage Report with each Major Release. Support levels can change: a previously-unsupported component might become deployable, or a partially-supported feature might gain full support. Bookmark the report URL and check at the start of each release to surface new capabilities.
Common unsupported components
Some categories of configuration are routinely UI-only and unsupported by the API. Trust portal settings, certain Setup-only branding, some Industries Cloud configuration, occasional sandbox-management settings. The report documents these explicitly so admins do not waste time trying to deploy them.
Pre-deployment checks
Before any non-trivial deployment, run the components through the Metadata Coverage Report. The check takes minutes and prevents hours of failed-deploy debugging. Standard pre-deployment workflow: list components, check each against the report, document any partial-support caveats, plan manual configuration for unsupported items.
Managed package authoring
AppExchange partners building managed packages depend heavily on the report. Components not supported in managed packages cannot ship in the package and must be configured by the subscriber post-install. The report drives the partner''s decision about what to package versus what to document for manual subscriber setup.
Salesforce-supplied feedback
The report includes a feedback mechanism. Developers can flag components they need support for; Salesforce uses the feedback to prioritize Metadata API expansion. Heavy feedback on a specific component sometimes accelerates support delivery in upcoming releases.
Use the Metadata Coverage Report in a deployment plan
The report is a reference tool. Build it into the standard pre-deployment workflow; it surfaces problems before they cause deploy failures.
- Open the report
Navigate to developer.salesforce.com/docs/metadata-coverage. Bookmark it; you''ll reference it often.
- List the components in your deployment
Inventory the metadata components in the change set or SFDX manifest. Group by type for easier matrix lookup.
- Check each type''s support level
Find each component type in the report. Note green checks (proceed), yellow caveats (read the details), red X (manual configuration needed).
- Document partial-support caveats
Yellow-status components often have specific limitations (some fields don''t deploy, certain settings reset). Document these per component in the deployment plan.
- Plan manual configuration for unsupported items
Components with no API support need post-deploy manual configuration. Build the steps into the deployment runbook.
- Validate with a pilot deployment
Test the deployment against a non-production target. Real-world results often reveal additional caveats the report does not document.
- The report updates per release. Bookmarked links work, but the content changes; re-check before major migrations.
- Yellow partial-support is the most dangerous status. The component deploys but with subtle gaps; read the caveats carefully.
- The feedback mechanism really works. Filing requests for unsupported components sometimes accelerates Salesforce''s prioritization.
- Some components are deployable but require specific permissions in the target org. The report calls these out where applicable.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Metadata Coverage ReportSalesforce Developers
- Metadata APISalesforce Developers
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Metadata Coverage Report.
- Supported Metadata CallsSalesforce Developers
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Metadata Coverage Report.
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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