Top 10 Mistakes Junior Salesforce Developers Make (and How to Avoid Them Like a Pro)

Top 10 Mistakes Junior Salesforce Developers Make
Top 10 Mistakes Junior Salesforce Developers Make

Entering the Salesforce developer world feels like unlocking a superpower — until your first trigger explodes in UAT and your admin messages you: “Hey, all the Contacts just vanished. Did you do something?” 🫠

Don’t worry. We’ve all been there — mistaking governor limits for friendly suggestions, and using “SeeAllData=true” like a magical fix.

Here are the 10 most common mistakes junior Salesforce developers make, with real advice, real solutions. 👇

Hardcoding RecordType IDs like it’s 2015

❌ What You Write:

if(record.RecordTypeId == '0128x000000XYZ') {
// logic
}

🚨 Why It’s a Problem:

Sandbox breaks. Production laughs. Metadata cries. And you end up debugging at 11:57 PM before a release.

✅ The Fix:

Id recTypeId = Schema.SObjectType.Contact.getRecordTypeInfosByName().get('Customer').getRecordTypeId();
Pro Tip: If you’ve got 6 hardcoded IDs in one class… you're not writing code, you're building a legacy. 🧓

Querying Inside a Loop — aka “How to Summon the SOQL Limit Demon”

❌ Rookie Move:

for(Contact c : conList){
Account a = [SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Id = :c.AccountId];
}

💥 Boom:

You hit 101 SOQL queries, and Salesforce politely throws you out of the execution context.

✅ Instead:

Query first. Loop second. Be kind to your limits.

Map<Id, Account> accMap = new Map<Id, Account>([SELECT Name FROM Account WHERE Id IN :accIds]);

Putting All Your Logic Inside a Trigger Because “It Works, Right?”

❌ Rookie Code:

apexCopyEdittrigger OpportunityTrigger on Opportunity (before insert) {
    for(Opportunity o : Trigger.new){
        o.StageName = 'Prospecting';
    }
}

🧟‍♂️ What Happens:

Your trigger becomes a zombie — slow, ugly, and terrifying in production.

✅ Instead:

Use a Trigger Handler Framework. Keep triggers skinny. Logic belongs in Apex classes, not in the trigger buffet.

Using @isTest(SeeAllData=true): The Nuclear Option

❌ Oh No You Didn’t:

@isTest(SeeAllData=true)

😵 Why It’s Dangerous:

You’re basically telling Salesforce, “Trust me, bro.”

✅ What to Do:

Write your own test data. Use @testSetup. Your future self (and your QA team) will thank you.

Writing Only Happy Path Test Cases Like It’s a Rom-Com

❌ The Mistake:

insert new Account(Name = 'Happy Corp');

📉 The Result:

Coverage? ✅
Quality? ❌
Reality? LOL.

✅ The Fix:

  • Bulk test with 200 records
  • Include negative scenarios
  • Use System.assertEquals() like a grown-up

Forgetting About Governor Limits — Until They Punch You in the Logs

❌ What You Ignore:

  • SOQL Queries
  • CPU Time
  • DML statements

💣 What Happens:

Your code fails randomly. Like a moody teenager.

✅ The Fix:

Use Limits.getDMLStatements() and log it. Be mindful. Your org isn't unlimited. (Unless you’re working at Salesforce, then… maybe.)

Reinventing the Wheel Because StackOverflow Felt Too Easy

❌ What You Do:

Write custom code for:

  • Pagination
  • Retry logic
  • Logging framework

🧙 The Truth:

Salesforce already has solutions for most of these. Don’t be a wizard. Be efficient.

✅ Use:

  • Standard List Controllers
  • Custom Metadata
  • Queueable Apex

Using Apex for Everything — Even When Flows Are Better

❌ Example:

Update a field? Write a whole Apex class. 💪

😬 The Reality:

You just wrote 30 lines for what could’ve been 3 clicks.

✅ The Fix:

Use Flows, Validation Rules, and Workflow Rules (RIP). Save Apex for logic that actually needs it.

Copy-Pasting from Forums/GPTs Without Knowing What It Does

❌ You Think:

“This code has 17 upvotes, it must be good.”

“GPTs has given this piece of code”

😐 The Truth:

You just added 3 hidden bugs and a recursive call.

✅ Instead:

Understand every line. Test locally. And if it works, document why it works.

Top 10 Mistakes Junior Salesforce Developers Make

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