SalesforceSalesforce ReleasesProduct Release
An essential part of any Trailhead fanatic is staying on top of the latest and greatest Salesforce trends and news. What does this mean then, however, when it comes to Salesforce releases?
It can sometimes be a minefield to understand where to look and what to look at. We look to briefly break down Salesforce Releases so you don't have to. Stay right ahead with the latest Salesforce version updates.
What Are Salesforce Releases?
If you are a Salesforce newcomer, then welcome! You have come to the right place.
A Salesforce release is how Salesforce typically likes to deliver news about its new platform features and functionality, which is being brought to customers. It's also an extremely good way to upskill your knowledge of how Salesforce has grown and developed over the years.
There are three types of releases:
Spring Release
Summer Release
Winter Release
The idea is that the releases are based on yearly timings. All new features and updates to the platforms typically have significant input from the beloved Trailblazer Community.
With all the versions being routinely updated, releases are also done in three stages to ensure a smooth transition and also if any bugs need to be finalised and hashed out.
- Pilot - The 'Pilot' phase is when the public first gets to perform some testing across the current release updates which will be featured. This normally includes a small team or possibly even an organisation being nominated for participation to assist in testing.
- BETA - The 'BETA' phase refers to a feature or release being rolled out to the public for testing to find possible bugs and improvements. Now, when it comes to BETA, features could be only given limited support or implemented as a shell since the fully functional implementation or release might still need to be finished or configured.
- Generally Available (GA) - Once a feature within any given release has passed both the 'Pilot' and 'BETA' stages, it can then be included in a Salesforce release. At this stage, to mention as well, the feature is fully supported and has been considered fully functional prior to release.
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IdeaExchange Prioritisation
If you are new to this Salesforce realm, then it is essential you know about IdeaExchange Prioritisation cycles.
This is where Salesforce product managers can pitch towards Salesforce for new potential enhancements or features. Salesforce professionals can then actively vote for the ideas that they believe will provide the most value and impact for the platform.
The dev team at Salesforce then sets their eyes on the prize as they look to fully develop the winning ideas.
[Source - David Tsai]
[Source - Salesforce Admins]
It's like one big Salesforce wish list wrapped into one.
Now Santa would be jealous.
During this period, any Salesforce Trailblazer will have the opportunity to spend '100 Coins' so they can allocate a different amount to their chosen concept. It is a great help when you can also have active input into your Salesforce instance.
It's an excellent way for Salesforce to put some response back into the Trailblazer Community, fuelling collaboration to make Salesforce even more significant than it already is. You can learn more here by looking at what Salesforce Ben has to say about new possible release ideas.
To learn more about how Salesforce releases are conducted, click here.
Current Salesforce Version Releases
Now you are more informed in regards to Salesforce Releases and how they work, you can keep up to date with the new current versions, below.
- Salesforce Winter 23' Release Notes
- Salesforce Summer 23' Release Notes
- Salesforce Spring 23' Release Notes
- Salesforce Winter 22' Release Notes
- Salesforce Summer 22' Release Notes
- Salesforce Spring 22' Release Notes
- Salesforce October 21' Release Notes
- Salesforce August 21' Release Notes
- Salesforce June 21' Release Notes
- Salesforce April 21' Release Notes
- Salesforce January 21' Release Notes
- Salesforce October 20' Release Notes
- Salesforce July 20' Release Notes
- Salesforce May 20' Release Notes
- Salesforce March 20' Release Notes
- Salesforce January 20' Release Notes
For any of our Salesforce Marketing Cloud junkie readers like us, you can find the SFMC Release schedule for 2023, here.
When Will The Next Current Salesforce Version Be Released?
It's a great question, which people often ask us. This is what we know so far on the current Salesforce Winter 24' Release Notes, with Salesforce Summer 23' having just been also released and Salesforce Spring already released early in the year to keep you updated.
We do highly recommend, keeping right up to date with the latest releases. It can be highly beneficial, both as an existing Salesforce customer or Salesforce user to plan ahead with your Salesforce org to ensure complete alignment with the future improvements and additions you look to make.
With the current cycle running, we can expect the Salesforce Winter release sometime in October. It should pose some great new features and platform upgrades for all you Trailblazers and aspiring Salesforce customers to get stuck into.
You can now, however, get stuck into the latest 'Summer 23' Release Notes' as we said. On May 5th, Sandboxes for the release, with features across many areas, including Lightning Experience, Salesforce Flow, Salesforce Lighting Web Components, SF Customer Data Platform (CDP), Marketing Cloud Engagement (Pardot), Quip, Analytics, Data Cloud, Financial Services Cloud, Service Cloud, Salesforce Revenue Cloud, Salesforce CPQ and much more.
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Salesforce Version Updates FAQ
A Salesforce version refers to a release of the Salesforce platform, which also includes updates, enhancements, features, and security improvements. Staying right up to date on new versions is crucial for optimising your experience.
Staying informed ensures that you can leverage the latest features and enhancements to further optimise your own platform for better performance and productivity.
This page will also be regularly updated with the latest Salesforce releases. You can also find comprehensive release notes and update details on the Salesforce website and in your Salesforce instance.
Updates occur three times a year, coinciding with the seasons of spring, summer, and winter. This set schedule allows you to plan and prepare for the adoption of new features and functionality
Some updates may require action from you, like testing and enabling new features or configurations to take advantage of improvements.
Prepare by reviewing all new release notes, assessing the impact on your organisation, & ensuring your team is prepared for new features.
Depending on your Salesforce edition, you may have some flexibility in timing or opting out of specific updates, but staying current is usually recommended to maintain a healthy platform.
By staying current, you benefit from improved performance, security enhancements, and access to any new features that can boost your organisation's productivity.
You can further rely on the Salesforce resources, documentation, and also consider consulting with Salesforce experts or even partners like Gravitai for expert guidance and support.
Yes, it's highly recommended that you test new updates in a sandbox environment to ensure they work as expected and don't disrupt your production instance.