Salesforce is the leader in customer relationship management (CRM), powering over 150,000 businesses worldwide and holding 21.7% of the global CRM market. It’s the go-to platform for companies looking to streamline operations, improve customer engagement, and drive revenue. In fact, 90% of the Fortune 500 leverage Salesforce to manage business relationships and optimize workflows.
But it isn’t just the big fish taking advantage of the platform.
With its customizable features, automation capabilities, and vast integration options, Salesforce offers endless opportunities for businesses of all sizes and professionals across fields.
Learning Salesforce development opens doors to career growth, better efficiency, and more control over how businesses use the platform.
This guide explores the best Salesforce training options, from self-paced courses and certifications to instructor-led programs and corporate training. And for those who need a tailored solution of development and training—we got that covered too.
What is Salesforce?
Salesforce is the world’s leading cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform. It’s a CRM powerhouse helping businesses manage sales, marketing, customer service, and automation. Companies use Salesforce to centralize their data, streamline operations, and enhance customer interactions.
Think of it as the ultimate business command center.
With its scalable architecture and robust ecosystem of applications, Salesforce is widely adopted across industries, from startups to enterprises. The platform offers extensive customization and integration capabilities, making it a powerful tool for organizations seeking to optimize workflows and gain deeper insights into customer behavior.
How does Salesforce development fit in?
One of the things that makes Salesforce so great is that it’s highly customizable. That means you can tweak it to fit your exact needs. That’s where Salesforce development comes in.
Salesforce development is how you create custom applications, automations, and integrations within the Salesforce ecosystem. Developers use languages such as Apex, Visualforce, and Lightning Web Components to extend functionality and tailor solutions to meet your business needs.
There are multiple roles within Salesforce development, including:
Salesforce administrators: Manage users, data, and configurations.
Salesforce developers: Write custom code and automate business processes.
Salesforce architects: Design scalable solutions and integrations.
Salesforce consultants: Guide businesses in implementing best practices.
If you're a business owner, training your team on Salesforce development means you can stop relying on outside consultants and start making the platform work for you. And if you're a professional, getting into Salesforce developer training opens up a huge world of career opportunities.
The importance of Salesforce development training
With customization comes complexity. To overcome that complexity and get the most out of the platform requires training.
Organizations that invest in Salesforce training enable their teams to build efficient workflows, improve data management, and enhance customer engagement. Training helps both individuals and businesses in key ways:
Faster adoption and expertise: Teams quickly develop the skills needed to customize and maintain their Salesforce instance.
Stronger technical skills: Developers gain proficiency in Salesforce development courses that cover automation, security, and API integrations.
Better decision-making: A trained workforce understands how to leverage Salesforce Trailblazer best practices to maximize ROI.
Top Salesforce training options
Whether you're an individual just starting with Salesforce Trailhead or an enterprise needing an advanced Salesforce development course to advance your team, choosing the right Salesforce developer training resources is important.
1. Salesforce Trailhead
Salesforce Trailhead is the official Salesforce learning center, designed for anyone who wants to learn Salesforce—from complete beginners learning the basics and best practices to advanced developers and architects.
It provides structured learning paths, hands-on projects, and gamified training modules to help users develop Salesforce skills and prepare for certifications.
Salesforce Trailhead is organized into learning paths based on roles, skill levels, and goals.
How it works:
Trails: Guided learning paths that cover Salesforce concepts from basic to advanced.
Modules: Individual lessons focused on specific topics (e.g., Salesforce Reports & Dashboards).
Projects: Hands-on exercises where you apply what you’ve learned to real-world scenarios.
Superbadges: Advanced challenges that require deep problem-solving and real application of skills.
Why people love it:
Totally free
Flexible learning paths
Hands-on experience
Gamified learning
Certification preparation
Community support
Best for: Self-learners, professionals new to Salesforce, and anyone with self-motivation looking for structured, step-by-step training.
2. Salesforce Learning Paths
Salesforce Learning Paths is a built-in training tool within the Salesforce platform. It allows organizations to deliver on-the-job learning to employees directly inside Salesforce.
Unlike Trailhead, which is open to everyone, Learning Paths is embedded within a company’s Salesforce environment, making it easy for teams to get personalized, role-specific training without leaving their workflow.
How it works:
Personalized Learning Recommendations: Employees receive training suggestions based on their role, permissions, and activity within Salesforce.
Interactive Guidance: Learning Paths provides step-by-step instructions and contextual help as users navigate Salesforce.
Integrated with Trailhead: Organizations can assign relevant Trailhead modules and badges directly through Learning Paths.
Customizable Content: Admins can create company-specific learning modules tailored to unique business processes and workflows.
Progress Tracking & Reporting: Managers can track employee progress, ensuring that training goals are met.
Why businesses love it:
Embedded within Salesforce.
Personalized recommendations
Seamless integration with Trailhead
Improves onboarding & retention
Scalable for any team size
Best for: Enterprises and businesses looking to train employees directly inside Salesforce
3. Instructor-led training by Salesforce
If you prefer a structured learning experience with live guidance, Salesforce offers instructor-led training designed for professionals who want to learn from certified experts in a classroom-style setting—either online or in person.
Unlike self-paced learning platforms, these courses follow a fixed schedule, include real-time interactions, and allow learners to ask questions, get immediate feedback, and collaborate with peers.
Be aware that a guided learning experience with expert feedback does come at a higher cost than self-paced learning.
Common types of instructor-led training available:
Salesforce Administrator Training: Covers managing users, security settings, workflows, and reports.
Salesforce Developer Training: Focuses on Apex programming, Lightning components, API integrations, and automation.
Salesforce Advanced Admin & Architect Courses: Designed for experienced professionals looking to build enterprise-grade Salesforce solutions.
Salesforce Consultant Training: Geared toward professionals helping businesses implement and optimize Salesforce.
Courses range from one-day workshops to multi-week programs, depending on the depth of knowledge required.
What makes instructor-led training effective?
Hands-on learning: Most courses include real-world exercises and labs that reinforce learning.
Live Q&A sessions: Direct interaction with Salesforce-certified trainers for instant clarification.
Structured curriculum: Unlike self-paced learning, these courses follow a clear roadmap to ensure comprehensive skill-building.
Certification prep support: Many of these courses align with Salesforce certification exams, helping participants prepare effectively.
Where to find Salesforce instructor-led training:
Best for: Professionals and teams who want live guidance, structured learning, and real-time support from certified instructors.
4. Salesforce certification programs
Salesforce offers certifications for professionals looking to validate their skills. While not directly a development training option, certifications offer a direct objective to a training regime.
These credentials both prepare you for utilizing Salesforce and are organized into role specific categories. Each role has its own set of available credentials to tailor your skills.
And, the great thing for an employer is that these certifications are verifiable.
The different roles with established certification paths include:
Salesforce administrator
Salesforce architect
Salesforce developer
Sales professional
Salesforce marketer
Salesforce consultant
Salesforce designer
Key features:
Industry-recognized credentials that boost career opportunities.
Preparation through Trailhead and instructor-led courses.
Exam-based validation of expertise.
Tailored credentials for specific roles.
Best for: Individuals seeking to advance their Salesforce careers and gain formal credentials.
5. Third-party online courses
Let’s face it. When it comes to learning there is no one size fits all. And, while Salesforce Trailhead and Salesforce Learning Paths offer fantastic training resources, it may not be the right fit for everyone. Many professionals and businesses thus turn to third-party online courses for additional flexibility, specialized instruction, and diverse teaching styles.
Third-party training platforms provide structured, self-paced courses that often include in-depth video lessons, real-world case studies, quizzes, and hands-on labs. Many also offer instructor support and dedicated discussion forums, making them a great choice for learners who might need more guidance than Trailhead alone provides.
Popular third-party Salesforce training platforms include:
Udemy – Known for affordable, beginner-friendly courses, Udemy offers Salesforce training covering administration, development, and certification prep. Many courses include lifetime access, downloadable resources, and hands-on exercises.
Pluralsight – Best for technical professionals looking to deepen their development and integration skills. Courses on Pluralsight often cover Apex programming, API integrations, and Salesforce architecture.
LinkedIn Learning – Great for business professionals who want to learn Salesforce as part of a broader skill set (e.g., sales, marketing, and CRM strategy). Offers integration with LinkedIn profiles to showcase completed courses.
Focus on Force – Specialize in Salesforce certification prep, providing study guides, mock exams, and instructor-led content.
Coursera – Features university-affiliated Salesforce courses with structured programs, sometimes including certification tracks.
Best for: Self-paced learners looking for affordable, structured training.
6. Community training & user groups
Salesforce has one of the largest and most active communities in the tech world. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or working on complex projects, connecting with other Salesforce professionals can be one of the best ways to learn. The community offers real-world insights, peer support, and hands-on problem-solving that go beyond traditional training courses.
Engaging with the Salesforce Trailblazer Community, user groups, and developer forums allows learners to ask questions, share experiences, and stay up to date on best practices. This type of learning is especially valuable because it focuses on real-world use cases and solutions.
Many professionals find that discussing challenges with peers and mentors helps them retain knowledge better and gain practical skills faster.
Salesforce has an extensive community-driven learning ecosystem, including:
Salesforce Developer & Admin Meetups
Salesforce Stack Exchange
Salesforce Trailblazer Community
Best for: Professionals who prefer networking and peer-based learning, and those looking for specific answers.
7. On-site corporate training
Organizations that require customized, hands-on training can hire Salesforce-certified trainers to work directly with their teams. This approach is highly effective for businesses implementing large-scale Salesforce development projects.
Key features:
Custom training programs tailored to business needs.
Hands-on exercises and real-world applications.
Flexible scheduling for corporate teams.
Best for: Companies needing structured, hands-on training with expert guidance.
An alternative approach to Salesforce development training
Trying to simultaneously learn and implement Salesforce development can be burdensome and costly. And the existing training approaches are more focused on the individual trying to upscale, or the enterprise keeping the workforce up to date.
While these two areas of focus are valuable, where does that leave the SMB or entrepreneur trying to implement a new solution or product?
When you need a real world solution and the training to maintain it, a more hands-on approach is warranted.
That is where DevSquad comes in.
A dual approach: Product development and hands-on training
Many companies find themselves in a difficult spot: they need a custom Salesforce solution, but they also need the knowledge to manage, maintain, and evolve it over time. Traditional development agencies build the product, hand it over, and move on. Training companies, on the other hand, provide generalized Salesforce training that isn’t tailored to your specific implementation.
At DevSquad, we combine both—building the Salesforce product you need while simultaneously training your team to use and manage it effectively.
This paired approach eliminates the post-launch gap that often leaves companies scrambling to figure out how to maintain and optimize their Salesforce environment after development is complete.
Why this approach works better for SMBs and entrepreneurs:
You don’t just get software—you get a complete, working solution tailored to your business.
Training is hands-on and specific to your implementation.
You avoid dependency on external consultants.
You move faster, with less frustration.
You also have the option of DevSquad maintaining the product for you.
How DevSquad’s Salesforce development and training works
🔹 We build your Salesforce product in an agile, iterative process.
Rather than delivering a single final product, we work in sprints—allowing continuous validation, adjustments, and refinements based on real user feedback.
🔹 Your team gets embedded in the process.
We train your team as the product is developed, giving them direct exposure to best practices, workflows, and customizations that are specific to your implementation.
🔹 Handover is seamless, with ongoing support if needed.
When the product is ready, your team won’t just receive a handover document—they’ll already be comfortable using it. Plus, if additional training or enhancements are needed post-launch, DevSquad offers continuous improvement sprints to refine and scale your solution.
Ready to integrate Salesforce into your business? Learn more about our Salesforce development.
