SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)
In Salesforce development, the XML-based messaging protocol used by the Salesforce SOAP API for structured data exchange, where developers use WSDL files to generate client code for API interactions.
Definition
In Salesforce development, the XML-based messaging protocol used by the Salesforce SOAP API for structured data exchange, where developers use WSDL files to generate client code for API interactions.
In plain English
“SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is the XML-based messaging protocol used by the Salesforce SOAP API for structured data exchange. Developers use WSDL files to generate client code that can call SOAP API methods. It's older than REST but still supported.”
Worked example
Brookmoor Capital's legacy Java application uses SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) to integrate with Salesforce. The integration developer downloaded the Enterprise WSDL, generated Java client classes via WSC, and the Java code now exchanges XML SOAP envelopes with Salesforce's SOAP API endpoints. SOAP is older than REST, more verbose (full XML envelopes vs JSON), and more strictly typed. Modern integrations prefer REST; existing SOAP-based integrations continue to work because Salesforce maintains backward compatibility, and SOAP is the only fit for some enterprise Java/.NET stacks.
Why SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) matters
In Salesforce development, SOAP is the XML-based messaging protocol used by the Salesforce SOAP API for structured data exchange, where developers use WSDL files to generate client code for API interactions. SOAP was the dominant web service standard in the early 2000s before REST took over, and many enterprise integrations still use it.
SOAP has more overhead than REST (XML is verbose, WSDL contracts are heavy) but provides advantages for certain scenarios: strong typing through WSDL, formal contracts for enterprise integration, and tooling support in Java/.NET enterprise platforms. Mature integration practices use REST by default for new work and reserve SOAP for legacy scenarios or specific cases where SOAP advantages matter.
How organizations use SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)
Uses Salesforce REST API by default, with SOAP only for specific legacy enterprise integrations.
Maintains some SOAP integrations for enterprise customers using Java/.NET platforms.
Trains developers on both REST and SOAP, with a strong preference for REST.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).
- About SOAP APISalesforce Developers
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