Integration Patterns in Salesforce — The Developer’s Playbook

Integrations aren’t just about connecting systems — they’re about connecting experiences.

If you’ve ever spent days wiring Salesforce with another system, only to realize the integration pattern you picked didn’t scale — welcome to the club.We’ve all been there.

In today’s Salesforce ecosystem, where APIs, events, and data clouds drive the flow of information, integration isn’t a luxury — it’s the backbone of every business architecture. This guide isn’t just another “patterns explained” post — it’s a developer-minded playbook for choosing the right pattern that aligns with both technical and business goals.

Why Integration Matters

Every Salesforce org connects with something — an ERP, payment system, marketing platform, or data warehouse.Integrations are the bloodstream of the entire digital ecosystem.

But as systems evolve, developers constantly face questions like:

• Should this be real-time or batch?
• What happens if the external system goes down?
• How do I ensure consistency without duplication?
• Which pattern actually fits this scenario?

The difference between a well-chosen and poorly-chosen pattern can decide whether your integration is smooth and scalable or fragile and frustrating.

The Core Salesforce Integration Patterns (Explained Practically)

Let’s reimagine the classic five Salesforce integration patterns — not as theoretical concepts, but as living, real-world decisions.