Salesforce integrations are the backbone of modern CRM ecosystems. Whether you are connecting Salesforce with marketing platforms, finance systems, data warehouses, or custom applications, choosing the right integration pattern and following proven best practices determines performance, security, and scalability.

This guide explains the core Salesforce integration patterns, when to use each one, and the best practices that experienced architects rely on.

Salesforce integration patterns are standardized approaches used to connect Salesforce with external systems. Each pattern solves a specific type of business and technical requirement such as real time data sync, asynchronous processing, or high volume data transfer.

Choosing the wrong pattern often leads to API limits issues, data inconsistency, or security risks.

This pattern is used when Salesforce calls an external system and waits for an immediate response.

Common use cases include:

• Real time validation

• Pricing or availability checks

• External calculations

Best suited APIs:

• REST API

• SOAP API

Use this pattern only when the response is required instantly and processing time is predictable.

Salesforce sends data to an external system without waiting for a response.

Typical scenarios include:

• Sending notifications

• Logging activities

• Triggering downstream workflows

This approach improves performance and avoids UI delays.

Batch integration handles large volumes of data at scheduled intervals.

Common examples:

• Nightly data sync

• Data warehouse updates

• Historical record imports

Tools and APIs often used:

• Bulk API

• ETL tools

• Middleware platforms

This pattern is ideal when real time data is not required.

Event driven integration uses events to notify systems when something changes.

Salesforce technologies involved:

• Platform Events

• Change Data Capture

• Streaming API

This pattern is highly scalable and works well for modern microservices architectures.

UI integration embeds external applications directly inside Salesforce.

Examples include:

• Lightning Web Components

• iFrames

• Salesforce Canvas

This pattern focuses on user experience rather than data movement.

Always use a Salesforce integration user instead of a human user. This improves security, auditability, and permission control.

Grant only the permissions required for the integration. Avoid system administrator access unless absolutely necessary.

Design integrations to:

• Use bulk APIs where possible

• Avoid unnecessary polling

• Cache responses when appropriate

Monitoring API usage prevents unexpected failures.

Network issues and external system downtime are inevitable. Always implement:

• Retry mechanisms

• Error logging

• Dead letter handling for events

Use Salesforce features like:

• Named Credentials

• Connected Apps

• OAuth authentication

Never hardcode secrets in Apex or external code.

Choose asynchronous and event driven patterns for high volume or unpredictable workloads. This ensures long term performance as data grows.

Enable logging and track:

• API usage

• Failed requests

• Data inconsistencies

This makes troubleshooting faster and compliance easier.

If you need instant feedback, use real time request and response.
If performance matters more than immediacy, use asynchronous or event driven patterns.
If you are moving large datasets, batch integration is the safest choice.

There is no single best pattern. The right solution depends on business urgency, data volume, and system constraints.

Poorly designed integrations increase maintenance cost, introduce security risks, and limit scalability. A well planned Salesforce integration strategy enables automation, real time insights, and seamless customer experiences.

Platforms like Appnigma AI simplify this process by generating Salesforce native integrations without custom code, reducing risk and development time.

What is the most common Salesforce integration pattern
Real time API based integration using REST is the most common for transactional use cases.

Which Salesforce integration pattern is best for high volume data
Batch data synchronization using Bulk API is best for large datasets.

Are event driven integrations better than APIs
Event driven integrations are better for scalability and decoupled systems, while APIs are better for direct interactions.

Should I use middleware for Salesforce integrations
Middleware is useful when managing multiple systems, transformations, and complex workflows.