Salesforce Developer Interview Questions and Answers

Questions and model answers

9 questions you are likely to hear.

1. 1

   What is bulkification and why is it important?

   Why they ask: Bulkification is the most fundamental Apex best practice because of governor limits.

   Sample answer: Bulkification means writing code that handles many records in one transaction efficiently, because triggers can receive up to 200 records at a time and data loads can process thousands. I never put SOQL queries or DML statements inside loops. Instead I collect IDs into a set, run one query into a map, process records in memory and do a single DML on a list. Without this, a data load hits the 100 SOQL limit quickly. I once fixed a trigger on Opportunity that failed every Data Loader import of more than 100 rows because of a query inside a for loop.

2. 2

   When would you use a before trigger versus an after trigger?

   Why they ask: This tests understanding of trigger context and order of execution.

   Sample answer: I use before triggers to validate or modify fields on the records being saved, because changes are saved without an extra DML, for example setting a region based on a billing state. I use after triggers when I need the record ID or system fields, or to work with related records, such as creating a follow-up task for a new opportunity or updating parent account totals. Updating the same records in an after trigger needs another DML and risks recursion. Today I also check whether a before-save record-triggered Flow handles simple field updates more maintainably.

3. 3

   Explain the difference between Batch Apex, Queueable and future methods.

   Why they ask: Async Apex choice affects scalability and reliability.

   Sample answer: Future methods are simple asynchronous calls for things like callouts from triggers, but they accept only primitive parameters, cannot be chained and are hard to monitor. Queueable Apex accepts complex types, returns a job ID for monitoring and allows chaining, so I use it for most async work. Batch Apex processes large data volumes in chunks, up to millions of records, each with fresh governor limits, using start, execute and finish methods. In one org I used Batch Apex to recalculate territory assignments on around 2 million accounts overnight, with a Queueable chained from finish to send a summary.

4. 4

   How do LWC components communicate with each other?

   Why they ask: Component communication is a core LWC skill.

   Sample answer: Parent to child, I pass data through public properties decorated with @api or call public methods on the child. Child to parent, the child dispatches a CustomEvent that the parent handles. For components that are not in the same hierarchy, such as two components on different parts of a Lightning page, I use Lightning Message Service with a message channel. I avoid the older pubsub pattern. For example, on a service console page I used LMS so that selecting a case in one component refreshed a related knowledge articles component elsewhere on the page.

5. 5

   How do you enforce security in Apex code?

   Why they ask: Apex runs in system mode by default, so security mistakes can expose data.

   Sample answer: I declare classes with sharing by default so record-level sharing rules apply, using without sharing only where there is a clear, documented reason. For object and field-level security, I run queries WITH USER_MODE or use Security.stripInaccessible before returning data to the UI, and I check CRUD before DML operations. In LWC I prefer Lightning Data Service where possible, since it respects security automatically. I also avoid dynamic SOQL with user input or use bind variables to prevent SOQL injection. A security review once found a without sharing controller exposing salary fields, which I fixed with user mode queries.

6. 6

   When would you choose a Flow over Apex?

   Why they ask: Interviewers check platform judgement, not just coding ability.

   Sample answer: I choose Flows for straightforward automation that admins should be able to maintain, such as field updates, simple record creation, approval routing and screen-guided processes. I choose Apex for complex logic, heavy data processing, complex integrations, sophisticated error handling or when performance and testability matter. I also avoid mixing many Flows and triggers on the same object without a clear order. On one project, a lead assignment process was split between three Flows and a trigger; consolidating complex rules in a single Apex handler and leaving simple updates in a before-save Flow made behaviour predictable.

7. 7

   How do you integrate Salesforce with an external REST API?

   Why they ask: Integrations are a large part of most Salesforce developer roles.

   Sample answer: For outbound calls, I set up a Named Credential with an External Credential to handle the endpoint and authentication securely, then make HTTP callouts from Apex, usually from Queueable Apex if triggered by a record change, since callouts are not allowed directly in triggers. I parse JSON with typed wrapper classes, handle errors and retries, and log failures to a custom object. For inbound, I expose an Apex REST resource or use the standard REST API with a connected app. Tests use HttpCalloutMock. I built this pattern to sync orders with an ERP in near real time.

8. 8

   How do you write good Apex test classes?

   Why they ask: Tests are required for deployment, but interviewers want quality, not just coverage.

   Sample answer: I aim well above the 75 percent minimum, but focus on asserting behaviour rather than just running lines. I create test data in a @TestSetup method or with a test data factory, never relying on org data. I test bulk scenarios with 200 records, negative cases and different user profiles with System.runAs. I wrap the action between Test.startTest and Test.stopTest so async jobs execute and limits reset. Callouts use mocks. In one org, adding real assertions to existing tests exposed two triggers that silently did nothing in bulk loads.

9. 9

   Tell me about a challenging Salesforce project you delivered.

   Why they ask: This shows depth, ownership and stakeholder handling.

   Sample answer: For a healthcare services company, case routing was manual and agents spent a lot of time picking cases. I worked with the BA to design skill-based routing using Omni-Channel, wrote Apex to calculate case priority from SLA and customer tier, and built an LWC console component showing case context and recommended articles. I handled a large data migration of historical cases with Batch Apex. After rollout, the average time to first response dropped significantly, and supervisors got a real-time dashboard instead of exporting reports to Excel.

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