Salesforce Certifications Guide
Explore all Salesforce certification tracks and discover the best path for your cloud career. From Administrator and Developer to Architect, Marketer, Designer and Sales Professional, this guide helps you choose where to start and how to grow.
Choose Your Salesforce Certification Track
Use the overview below to understand each role and then click into the detailed guide page. You can start with Administrator and later specialize as a Developer, Consultant or Architect depending on your interests. All certification names match the official Salesforce credential pages.
🛠️ Administrator Credentials
Master Salesforce configuration, user management, security and automation. This is the most common starting point for Salesforce careers and also includes a few cross-role credentials.
Administrator Certifications (Official List)- Salesforce Certified Agentforce Specialist
- Salesforce Certified Business Analyst
- Salesforce Certified CPQ Administrator
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator
- Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator
- Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator II
- Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder
- Salesforce Certified Slack Administrator
Latest release focus (Admins): more automation and AI assistance (Agentforce), richer reporting and dashboard enhancements, and setup/permissions improvements that reduce admin clicks and maintenance effort.
View Admin Guide →💻 Developer Credentials
Extend Salesforce with Apex, Lightning Web Components, integrations, and Marketing Cloud scripting. Great if you already know programming or want to move into technical roles.
Developer Certifications (Official List)- Salesforce Certified Agentforce Specialist
- Salesforce Certified B2C Commerce Cloud Developer
- Salesforce Certified Industries CPQ Developer
- Salesforce Certified JavaScript Developer
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Developer
- Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Developer
- Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Developer II
- Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Hyperautomation Developer
- Salesforce Certified Omnistudio Developer
- Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder
- Salesforce Certified Platform Developer
- Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II
- Salesforce Certified Slack Developer
Latest release focus (Developers): updates to Lightning Web Components, Apex and APIs, plus new tools for working with Agentforce and Data Cloud to build AI-powered apps more easily.
View Developer Guide →💼 Consultant Credentials
Implement Salesforce solutions end-to-end for different clouds and industries. Ideal if you like process design, workshops, and client-facing work.
Consultant Certifications (Official List)- Salesforce Certified Business Analyst
- Salesforce Certified CRM Analytics and Einstein Discovery Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Data Cloud Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Experience Cloud Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Field Service Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Cloud Consultant (NPC)
- Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Success Pack Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Omnistudio Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Revenue Cloud Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Sales Cloud Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Service Cloud Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Slack Consultant
Latest release focus (Consultants): deeper Data Cloud + AI capabilities for analytics and personalization, improvements to field service and digital engagement, and more industry-specific features you’ll design into your solutions.
View Consultant Guide →🏛️ Architect Credentials
Design secure, scalable architectures across data, security, and integrations. This track ultimately leads to the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA).
Architect Certifications (Official List)- Salesforce Certified Agentforce Specialist
- Salesforce Certified Application Architect
- Salesforce Certified B2B Solution Architect
- Salesforce Certified B2C Commerce Architect
- Salesforce Certified B2C Solution Architect
- Salesforce Certified Heroku Architect
- Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Catalyst Consultant
- Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Platform Architect
- Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect
- Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect
- Salesforce Certified Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
- Salesforce Certified Platform Identity and Access Management Architect
- Salesforce Certified Platform Integration Architect
- Salesforce Certified Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect
- Salesforce Certified System Architect
- Salesforce Certified Technical Architect
Latest release focus (Architects): stronger Data Cloud and AI patterns, more options for secure integration and identity, and updated reference architectures around Agentforce and event-driven design.
View Architect Guide →📣 Marketing Credentials
Use Marketing Cloud and Account Engagement to build cross-channel journeys, nurture leads, and send highly personalized communications at scale.
Marketing Certifications (Official List)- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Developer
Latest release focus (Marketers): tighter Data Cloud integration for audiences, AI-powered content and segmentation, and enhancements to Marketing Cloud Engagement setup and analytics.
View Marketer Guide →🎨 Designer Credentials
Design human-centred, accessible, and scalable Salesforce experiences. Great for UX designers, product designers, and design-minded admins or BAs.
Designer Certifications (Official List)- Salesforce Certified Platform Strategy Designer
- Salesforce Certified User Experience (UX) Designer
Latest release focus (Designers): new UX patterns and theming options, AI-assisted experiences (like Agentforce in the UI), and more flexibility in building guided, responsive flows for users.
View Designer Guide →💰 Sales Professional Credentials
Prove your ability to sell using a customer-centric methodology and make the most of Salesforce’s sales tools.
Sales Professional Certifications (Official List)- Salesforce Certified Sales Foundations
Latest release focus (Sales Professionals): AI-assisted prospecting and deal insights (Agentforce), better forecasting and pipeline views, and productivity improvements in Sales Cloud and Slack.
View Sales Professional Guide →How to Choose Your First Salesforce Certification
- New to CRM / IT: Start with Salesforce Platform Administrator (the core admin cert).
- Already a developer: Go for Salesforce Certified Platform Developer.
- Consulting background: Consider Sales Cloud or Service Cloud Consultant.
- Long-term technical leadership goal: Plan a path toward Application/System Architect and CTA.
- Marketing automation focus: Follow the Marketing Cloud and Account Engagement certifications.
- UX or BA background: Explore the Platform Strategy / UX Designer and Business Analyst credentials.
What’s New in the Latest Salesforce Release (High-Level)
Salesforce releases (like Winter, Spring, and Summer) bring features that impact how each credential is used in real projects. Here’s how recent updates typically map to each role:
- Admins & Business Analysts: improvements to reports and dashboards, Flow and automation enhancements, easier setup, and more guardrails for security and data access.
- Developers: new Lightning Web Components and Apex capabilities, updated APIs and dev tools, and better ways to work with Data Cloud and Agentforce in code.
- Consultants: deeper analytics and AI in CRM Analytics and Data Cloud, plus cloud-specific enhancements (Sales, Service, Field Service, Nonprofit, Education, Revenue Cloud).
- Architects: new patterns and features for integration, identity, and data governance, especially around Data Cloud, MuleSoft, and secure AI usage.
- Marketers: richer Marketing Cloud Engagement and Account Engagement features, improved audience building on Data Cloud, and AI-driven personalization options.
- Designers: updated UX components, theming support, and more options to weave AI and guidance (like Agentforce) into user journeys.
- Sales Professionals: AI-assisted selling with Agentforce, better forecasting, activity capture, and Slack-based workflows that reduce manual admin work.
For exact “what’s new” per certification and release, Salesforce publishes dedicated certification maintenance modules on Trailhead. In each detailed guide on this blog, you can link directly to the official maintenance unit for that credential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Salesforce certification is best for beginners?
The Salesforce Platform Administrator certification is usually the best starting point. It gives you broad product knowledge that is required in almost every Salesforce role.
Do I need coding knowledge to start with Salesforce?
No. Administrator, Consultant, Marketer and most Designer roles do not require coding. Coding is mainly required for the Developer and some Architect certifications.
How long does it take to prepare for a Salesforce exam?
For most beginners, it takes around 6–10 weeks of consistent study (1–2 hours per day) to clear the first certification, depending on your prior experience.