Salesforce AI Agentforce

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name: sf-ai-agentforce description: > Agentforce Builder metadata path for Builder-managed topics/actions, Prompt Builder templates, GenAiFunction/GenAiPlugin, Models API, and custom Lightning types. TRIGGER when: user maintains or configures Builder metadata agents, creates topics/actions, works with Prompt Builder templates, or touches .genAiFunction, .genAiPlugin, or .genAiPromptTemplate metadata XML files. DO NOT TRIGGER when: Agent Script DSL .agent files (use sf-ai-agentscript), agent testing (use sf-ai-agentforce-testing), or persona design (use sf-ai-agentforce-persona). license: MIT compatibility: "Requires API v66.0+ (Spring '26)" metadata: version: "2.2.0" author: "Jag Valaiyapathy"

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sf-ai-agentforce: Standard Agentforce Platform Development

Use this skill for the Setup UI / Agent Builder path: declarative topics, Builder-managed actions, GenAiFunction / GenAiPlugin metadata, Prompt Builder templates stored as GenAiPromptTemplate metadata, Models API usage from Apex, and custom Lightning types.

> For new code-first agent development, prefer sf-ai-agentscript. > > If the work produces or edits a .agent file — including Builder Script / Canvas work that results in an authoring bundle — use sf-ai-agentscript.

When This Skill Owns the Task

Use sf-ai-agentforce when the user is:

maintaining existing Builder-based agents

working in Setup → Agentforce → Agents

creating or fixing GenAiFunction, GenAiPlugin, or GenAiPromptTemplate metadata

wiring Builder topics to Flow / Apex / Prompt Builder actions

using Models API or LightningTypeBundle in the context of Builder-based agents

Do not use it for:

.agent files or deterministic FSM design → sf-ai-agentscript

agent test suites and coverage loops → sf-ai-agentforce-testing

persona / voice design → sf-ai-agentforce-persona

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Required Context to Gather First

Ask for or infer:

whether this is a Builder / Setup UI project or a code-first Agent Script project

whether the user is editing Builder metadata or a .agent authoring bundle

agent type: Service Agent or Employee Agent

whether the work targets topics, actions, Prompt Builder templates, Models API, or custom Lightning types

what supporting Flow / Apex / metadata dependencies already exist

whether the user needs authoring help, publish help, or troubleshooting

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Two Agentforce Paths

| Path | Skill | Best fit | |---|---|---| | Builder metadata path | sf-ai-agentforce | Declarative maintenance, existing Builder agents, metadata-driven action registration | | Agent Script authoring bundle path | sf-ai-agentscript | Code-first .agent authoring, deterministic routing, version-controlled agent logic |

If the user is starting from scratch and wants strong control over flow/state, route to Agent Script.

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Builder Workflow Summary

1. Confirm this is a Builder / Setup UI project 2. Pick Service Agent vs Employee Agent 3. For Service Agents, provision the running user (prefer sf org create agent-user) 4. For Employee Agents, plan visibility with a Permission Set containing 5. Define topics with strong descriptions, scope, and instructions 6. Prepare supporting actions (Flow, Apex, Prompt Builder template) 7. Configure inputs / outputs carefully 8. Validate dependencies and template status 9. Publish, then activate

Expanded workflow: references/builder-workflow.md

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Key Platform Rules

Topic quality matters

Topic descriptions are routing instructions for the planner. They must be:

specific

scenario-based

non-overlapping with sibling topics

Actions are wrappers around real targets

| Target type | Typical use | Registered via | |---|---|---| | Flow | safest default for Builder actions | GenAiFunction | | Apex | complex business logic via @InvocableMethod | GenAiFunction | | Prompt Builder template | generated summaries / drafts / recommendations | GenAiFunction |

Prompt Template vs GenAiPromptTemplate

Prompt Template is the plain-English / UI term used in Prompt Builder.

GenAiPromptTemplate is the current Metadata API type for source-driven template work.

Prefer current source format: genAiPromptTemplates/*.genAiPromptTemplate-meta.xml.

For flexible Prompt Builder templates, plan around the 5-input maximum and consolidate inputs when needed.

Prompt content should reference inputs with the current merge-field shape, e.g. {!$Input:TargetRecord} or {!$Input:AdditionalContext}.

Supporting metadata deploys first

Before publishing the agent itself, deploy the supporting stack: 1. metadata / fields if needed 2. Apex if needed 3. Flows if needed 4. GenAiPromptTemplate / GenAiFunction / GenAiPlugin 5. then publish the agent

Service Agent running user

For Service Agents, prefer the native GA command: sf org create agent-user --target-org --json Use the returned username in the running-user configuration.

Employee Agent visibility

For Employee Agents, ensure end users receive a Permission Set containing . Without this, the agent can be active but still invisible in Lightning Experience. See ../sf-permissions/references/agent-access-guide.md.

Publish does not activate

After publish, run sf agent activate separately. For automation, prefer sf agent activate --api-name --version --target-org --json so the rollout is deterministic and machine-readable.

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Metadata Guidance

GenAiFunction

Use when registering a single callable action. Validate:

target exists

target is active / deployable

input names match the target contract

output names match the target contract

capability text clearly says when the action should be used

GenAiPlugin

Use when grouping related functions into one logical package.

GenAiPromptTemplate

Use for generated content, not deterministic business rules.

Prefer the current metadata shape:

metadata type: GenAiPromptTemplate

folder: genAiPromptTemplates/

file suffix: .genAiPromptTemplate-meta.xml

content lives under templateVersions

use published template versions before wiring actions that depend on them

Models API

Use when the solution belongs in Apex-driven AI orchestration rather than Builder-only actions.

Custom Lightning Types

Use when the action needs richer structured input or output presentation.

Expanded references:

references/metadata-reference.md

references/genaiprompttemplate.md

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Cross-Skill Integration

Recommended Orchestration Order

sf-metadata → sf-apex → sf-flow → sf-ai-agentforce → sf-deploy

Required delegations

| Requirement | Delegate to | Why | |---|---|---| | Create / fix Flows | sf-flow | Action target creation and Flow validation | | Create / fix Apex actions | sf-apex | @InvocableMethod and Apex correctness | | Deploy / publish | sf-deploy | Deployment orchestration | | Test the agent | sf-ai-agentforce-testing | Formal test execution and assertions | | Employee Agent visibility / access | sf-permissions | Permission Set setup |

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High-Signal Failure Patterns

| Symptom | Likely cause | Read next | |---|---|---| | Action not available in Builder | target metadata missing or not deployed | references/metadata-reference.md | | Prompt action fails during publish or activation | template is Draft, missing inputs, or old metadata shape is being used | references/genaiprompttemplate.md | | Need more than 5 template inputs | flex template input limit hit | references/genaiprompttemplate.md | | Apex AI logic times out | Models API work placed in the wrong context | references/models-api.md | | Rich input/output UI not rendering | Lightning type config or prerequisites are incomplete | references/custom-lightning-types.md | | Agent publishes but is not usable | forgot explicit activation | references/cli-commands.md | | Service Agent publish/runtime failure | missing or invalid running user | ../sf-ai-agentscript/references/agent-user-setup.md | | Employee Agent active but not visible to users | missing permission set | ../sf-permissions/references/agent-access-guide.md |

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Reference Map

Start here

references/builder-workflow.md

references/metadata-reference.md

references/genaiprompttemplate.md

references/cli-commands.md

Terminology and template planning

references/prompt-templates.md

references/models-api.md

references/custom-lightning-types.md

Rubric

references/scoring-rubric.md

Cross-skill reads

sf-ai-agentscript

sf-ai-agentforce-testing

sf-flow

sf-apex

sf-permissions

sf-deploy

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Score Guide

| Score | Meaning | |---|---| | 90+ | Ready to deploy | | 80–89 | Strong, minor cleanup only | | 70–79 | Review before deploy | | 60–69 | Needs work | | < 60 | Block deployment |

Full rubric: references/scoring-rubric.md