Salesforce Dev Help
Trailhead is Salesforce’s free, gamified learning platform. In 2026 it’s still the fastest, most credible way to prove your expertise to recruiters and to acquire the hands‑on experience you need to build real‑world solutions.
If you’re a brand‑new developer, the sheer number of trails can feel overwhelming. The following five free trails give you a focused, end‑to‑end learning path that covers everything from the fundamentals to the cutting‑edge AI features that are now part of every developer’s toolkit.
1️⃣ Developer Beginner – The absolute starting point
| What you’ll learn | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Core platform concepts (Objects, Fields, Relationships) | Gives you the data‑model foundation for any app |
| Introduction to Apex (syntax, SOQL, triggers) | First exposure to server‑side logic |
| Basics of Lightning Web Components (LWC) | Modern UI development on the platform |
| Declarative automation with Flow | Shows when “no code” is the best solution |
Badge: Developer Beginner – 2 hours of hands‑on labs, plus a superbadge that validates a simple custom object with a trigger and an LWC page.
2️⃣ Build Lightning Web Components – Your UI toolkit
| Key Topics | Practical Takeaway |
|---|---|
| JavaScript ES6+, HTML templates, CSS modules | Write clean, reusable components |
| @wire service & Lightning Data Service | Retrieve data without Apex |
| Component communication (pub/sub, Lightning Message Service) | Build complex, modular UIs |
| Testing with Jest | Ship production‑ready components |
Badge: Lightning Web Components Basics – Build a fully functional “To‑Do” app that persists data via LDS.
3️⃣ Apex Specialist – Deep dive into server‑side logic
| Focus Areas | Result |
|---|---|
| Governor limits & bulk‑safe coding | Write scalable, performant Apex |
| Asynchronous Apex (Queueable, Batch, Future) | Handle large data volumes |
| Apex Testing (test classes, coverage, mock data) | Reach 75 %+ coverage required for deployment |
Security (CRUD/FLS checks, with with sharing) |
Harden your code against data leaks |
Badge: Apex Specialist – Complete a complex trigger that updates related records and passes all unit tests.
4️⃣ API & Integration Basics – Connect Salesforce to the world
| Learning Outcomes | Real‑World Use |
|---|---|
| REST & SOAP API fundamentals | Build external integrations |
| Named Credentials & Auth. Providers | Securely store authentication |
| External Objects (Salesforce Connect) | Access data without duplication |
| Platform Events (intro) | Begin building event‑driven architectures |
Badge: API Integration Basics – Create a small integration that pushes a new Lead to an external system via a REST callout.
5️⃣ Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals – Future‑proof your skillset
| What’s Covered | Why It’s Critical |
|---|---|
| Overview of Einstein AI (Prediction Builder, Next Best Action) | Add AI‑driven insights to any app |
| Prompt Builder – creating LLM prompts inside Salesforce | Leverage generative AI without leaving the platform |
| Agentforce – building autonomous agents | Prepare for the next wave of AI‑first solutions |
| Ethics & governance for AI | Build responsibly and stay compliant |
Badge: AI Fundamentals – Build a simple “Sentiment Analyzer” LWC that calls a Prompt Builder template and displays the result.
Bonus: Superbadges to Aim For
Once you’ve completed the five trails, challenge yourself with these free superbadges that test end‑to‑end solutions:
| Superbadge | Focus |
|---|---|
| Apex Specialist Superbadge | Complex Apex with bulk processing |
| Lightning Web Components Superbadge | Full‑stack LWC app with Apex integration |
| Integration Specialist Superbadge | Multi‑system integration using Named Credentials & Platform Events |
| AI Specialist Superbadge (new in 2026) | Build an end‑to‑end AI solution using Prompt Builder & Agentforce |
How to Track Your Progress
- Create a Trailhead account (or log in with your Salesforce credentials).
- Add the five trails to a custom “Learning Path” in your profile for easy tracking.
- Earn the badges and download the PDF certificates—they’re perfect for your LinkedIn profile and résumé.
- Add the badge URLs to your personal portfolio site (e.g.,
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/modules/apex_specialist).
Final Thoughts
These five free Trailhead trails give you a complete, modern developer foundation:
- Core Platform – data modeling, security, declarative automation
- Code Mastery – Apex, LWC, testing, performance
- Integration – APIs, external data, event‑driven patterns
- AI Readiness – Prompt Builder, Agentforce, ethical AI
Complete them, showcase the badges, and you’ll be ready to tackle any entry‑level Salesforce development role in 2026—and you’ll have a clear path to the more advanced certifications that follow. Happy learning!