Salesforce

Apex Is Salesforce's Own Programming Language. Here's When You Actually Need It.

An Apex class is a reusable block of code written in Apex, Salesforce's own strongly-typed, Java-like programming language that runs directly on Salesforce's servers. You reach for Apex when point-and-click tools like Flow run out of room: complex logic, bulk data processing, custom validation that needs more than a simple rule, or integrations that need real control over the request and response. It's not a replacement for Flow, it's what you drop into Flow, or use instead of it, when the logic gets too complex for clicks alone.

The basics, in plain terms

Apex classes vs. triggers. A class is a reusable container of methods and variables, the same concept as a class in Java or C#. A trigger is a special piece of Apex that fires automatically before or after a record is inserted, updated, deleted, or undeleted, usually calling into a class to do the actual work rather than putting logic directly in the trigger.

It's strongly typed and object-oriented. You declare variable types up front, define classes with properties and methods, and can use familiar constructs: for loops, if/else branching, and both case-style switch statements and the newer switch on expressions for cleaner multi-branch logic than a long if/else chain.

It runs multi-tenant, so it has limits. Because Apex runs on shared Salesforce infrastructure, every org operates under governor limits, caps on things like the number of database queries or rows processed in a single transaction. Bulk operations have to be written with those limits in mind from the start, not patched in after something fails in production.

Test classes aren't optional. Salesforce requires at least 75% code coverage from test classes before you can deploy Apex to a production org. A batch Apex class, used for processing large volumes of records in chunks, needs its own test class just like any other, written to actually exercise the logic rather than just hit the coverage number.

Where Apex still isn’t the whole answer

Apex solves the 'the logic is too complex for Flow' problem. It doesn't solve the 'the other system has no API' problem, and that second problem shows up constantly in real businesses. Apex can make an HTTP callout to a REST or SOAP API just fine, that's a normal, well-supported pattern. But if the tool on the other end, a vendor portal, an industry-specific platform, an older internal system, never built an API to call, there's nothing for Apex to call into. Code quality isn't the issue; there's simply no endpoint there.

That's also the point where a lot of businesses get stuck paying for custom Apex development without a clear plan, hiring someone to write code against a system that was never going to expose the data through an API in the first place. The actual fix in that situation isn't more Apex. It's automating the action the way a person currently does it, through the other system's own interface, using headless-browser automation, and having that feed cleanly back into Salesforce (often through the exact kind of Apex class or integration layer described above).

What we build on top of Salesforce Apex

Custom Apex for the logic Flow can’t carry

Batch jobs, complex validation, and triggers that need real conditional logic and proper test coverage, built to match how your business actually operates, not a generic template.

Automation for the systems with nothing to call

When the other side of an integration has no API, we build headless-browser automation that works through that system’s own interface directly, then hands the result to an Apex class or integration layer so Salesforce treats it like any other clean data source.

Not sure if your problem needs Apex or just needs an API that doesn’t exist?

Describe what you're trying to connect or automate. We'll tell you whether it's a straightforward Apex job, a bigger integration, or a case where the other system needs browser-level automation to cooperate at all.

Let's talk

Paying for custom Apex work without a clear end in sight?

Before writing more Apex, it's worth confirming the other system in the equation actually has an API to build against. If it doesn't, we build the automation that gets around that gap directly. Apex is just one layer of what we work with; we automate whatever's manual across your business, inside Salesforce or completely outside it.

Let's talk

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Apex class used for in Salesforce?+

An Apex class holds reusable logic: methods, variables, and business rules that are too complex for Flow or need to run with more control, like bulk data processing, complex validation, or a custom integration with an external API.

Do I need Apex, or is Flow enough?+

If the logic is a few conditions and some field updates, Flow is almost always the right tool, faster to build and easier for an admin to maintain later. Reach for Apex when you need real loops over large datasets, complex error handling on an integration, or logic that genuinely doesn't fit a point-and-click builder.

What is a batch Apex class?+

Batch Apex processes large numbers of records in smaller chunks (batches) instead of all at once, which keeps it inside Salesforce’s governor limits. It is the standard approach for operations like a nightly cleanup or recalculation job that touches thousands of records.

Why does Apex need a test class to deploy?+

Salesforce requires a minimum of 75% code coverage from test classes before Apex can be deployed to production. It's meant to catch breaking changes before they hit live data, not just satisfy a number, so a test class written to actually exercise the logic matters more than one written purely to hit the threshold.

Can Apex connect Salesforce to a system that has no public API?+

No. Apex callouts need an endpoint to call, whether REST or SOAP. If the other system never exposed one, Apex has nothing to connect to. In that case the practical option is automating the action through that system's own interface directly, then feeding the result into Salesforce.