As you may already know, the Spring ‘24 Salesforce Release has recently been rolled out to all customers. While there are many new features and capabilities to get excited about this time around, I wanted to share a few of my personal favorites.

So, let’s get right into it.

Enhanced Security Measures

1. Mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): With the Spring '24 update, Salesforce makes MFA mandatory for all internal users in order to enhance security. Salesforce will now implement MFA as a default component of the direct login process for production orgs created on or after April 8, 2024. It also applies to any existing production org that hasn’t already been included in one of the MFA auto-enablement phases between Spring '23 and Spring '24. It's important to note that sandbox orgs, and orgs in a trial period, are not affected by this change until they convert to a subscription. This step underscores Salesforce's commitment to boosting security across its platform, ensuring that user data remains protected against potential threats.
   ‍Learn More

Developer Tools & Features

1. Apex Savepoint Callouts:This feature allows developers to make external callouts after a savepoint has been set and a database rollback has occurred.This is particularly useful in scenarios where an external system needs to be notified or involved in a transaction that's been rolled back within Salesforce, allowing for more complex and resilient transaction handling.
   ‍Learn More
2. Apex Compression (Developer Preview):Salesforce introduces a significant update with the new Compression namespace, allowing developers to generate and extract compressed zip files with Apex.This enhancement addresses a previously existing limitation in Apex, where managing zip files was not feasible. This constraint was particularly felt in developing integrations, where handling compressed data is often required. Currently under developer preview, this feature marks a promising advancement in Salesforce's developer tools, bringing new possibilities for integration development and data management.This feature was partially delivered in response to community feedback on IdeaExchange, highlighting the importance of voting and prioritizing bright ideas that are presented on the platform.
   ‍Learn More
3. Scratch Org Snapshots (Beta):Scratch Org Snapshots allow developers to capture the state of a scratch org at a specific point, making it easier to replicate or restore configurations quickly.Configuring a scratch org with a project’s dependencies can be a time-consuming, manual process. It can require pushing dependent metadata to a scratch org, seeding it with sample data, installing a package or two, and then performing manual tasks directly inside it. And then, poof! The scratch org expires, and you have to start all over again.With these Scratch Org Snapshots, you can quickly replicate scratch orgs with the required project dependencies. This beta feature streamlines the process of setting up development environments, promoting efficiency and consistency across development projects.
   ‍Learn More
4. Ant Migration Tool End of Life:Salesforce announces the retirement of the Ant Migration Tool. This move may bring on a bit of nostalgia for those that started a Salesforce career long ago, given how useful this tool was!That being said, Salesforce has made this decision to encourage a shift towards more modern and efficient deployment tools. This change underscores Salesforce's commitment to enhancing the developer experience with tools that support continuous integration and delivery practices.
   ‍Learn More

Usability and Functionality Enhancements

1. Dynamic Forms with Cross-object Fields:Salesforce has introduced an enhancement to the Lightning App Builder that allows users to directly access and display fields from related objects through lookup relationship fields in the component palette.This update, also inspired by user feedback on IdeaExchange, eliminates the once necessary step of creating formula fields to display related data on record pages. Now, users can simply drag cross-object fields onto their record pages, streamlining the process and reducing the complexity and administrative overhead previously associated with managing additional formula fields.This improvement not only simplifies the configuration of record pages, but it also enhances data visibility and management. It offers a more efficient and straightforward approach to displaying relevant data from related objects.
   ‍Learn More
2. Get Notified Deleting Permission Sets Assigned to UsersWith this release, Salesforce continues to improve permission management with permission sets. Now, when you attempt to delete a permission set that is part of a permission set group assigned to users, you’ll be notified of the error. This permission set enhancement is available in all Salesforce editions.This is very important for anticipated changes to permission management coming in 2026, when permission management will be conducted exclusively through permission sets and not with profiles as it is done now.
   ‍Learn More

Of course, it’s important to look over the full Salesforce release notes on your own. I encourage community members to dig in and find the upcoming features and capabilities that stand out the most this spring.

Feeling a little lost regarding any of the enhancements listed above?

Our team would be happy to help clear things up! Get in touch today, and one of our experts will talk you through the new Salesforce features that could best benefit your business.

Image Source: Salesforce