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Salesforce Spring ’25 Release: Key Features and Preparation Tips!

Salesforce Spring '25 Release with new features and tips for effective preparation.
Table of Contents

The release season for Salesforce has returned! Salesforce’s Spring ’25 release is here, bringing with it exciting new features and updates.

Some features and functionalities are changed or act differently with each Salesforce release. These changes are known as the term “release updates”. These are implemented to ensure that your Salesforce org is safe, effective, and updated.

It’s not the best idea to wait until January 2025, when these upgrades go active. Testing these changes in a sandbox beforehand is the best way to guarantee seamless and stress-free operations.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through the key updates in the Salesforce Spring ’25 release, explain what they mean for your business, and share actionable steps to ensure a seamless transition. Whether you’re a Salesforce admin, developer, or just someone who loves staying ahead of the curve, this blog has got you covered.

Salesforce Spring ’25 Release Date

Knowing when your Salesforce org will transition to the Spring ’25 release is essential for keeping everything running smoothly. Testing your system’s key functions before the update ensures there are no surprises. While Salesforce updates rarely cause major issues, it’s always better to do checks.

So, when is the Salesforce Spring’25 date? The Spring ’25 release dates are:

  • January 11, 2025
  • February 8, 2025
  • February 14, 2025

If you want to see the precise date of your production instance then go to Salesforce Trust. Search using your instance name or domain, then click on “Maintenance.” This will give you the scheduled date for your upgrade, so you can prepare well in advance.

Not sure what your Salesforce instance is? No worries! Simply navigate to Company Information in the setup of your org. You’ll find your instance name listed there.

Also read: Salesforce release updates guide!

Spring ’25 Sandbox Preview

Upgrading your sandbox is a big deal—it’s your golden opportunity to test the Spring ’25 release with your actual configurations. You might, of course, look into pre-release org, but keep in mind that they won’t represent your unique setup.

Salesforce offers two upgrade windows for sandboxes: one for Preview Instances and another for Non-Preview Instances. This division ensures that you can plan and test based on when your sandbox gets upgraded. Most sandboxes are expected to move to Spring ’25 around 4 January 2025, so make sure you’re ready.

Watch for updates regarding the timeline for the sandbox preview. Testing in advance helps you catch any hiccups early, ensuring a smooth transition for your production org when the release rolls out.

Also read: Salesforce Winter’25 release.

Preparation Tips for Salesforce Spring’25 Release

It’s really important to get ready before implementing release updates on your live systems. Planning beforehand will ensure a smooth relocation and avoid unforeseen issues. To begin, follow these steps:

1. Test in a Sandbox First

Always activate updates in a sandbox environment before applying them to your production system. Salesforce Sandbox lets you test changes without disrupting your everyday operations.

2. Use Tools to Analyse Metadata

If you have a talent for development, tools like Workbench, SFDX, and Salesforce Inspector Reloaded could be your best friends. They help you identify metadata references that the update might affect.

3. Stay on Top of Changes

Updates sometimes get cancelled or delayed by Salesforce. The release notes are your best bet for the most recent information, so make it a habit to read them frequently.

4. Time Your Updates Wisely

Plan updates during off-peak hours to minimise any disruptions for your team and customers. It’s an easy step that maintains balance.

Spring’25 Release Key Features

Spring '25 release key features: enhanced permissions, locale formats, LWC modals, secure flows, and Apex updates.
Spring’25 Release Key Features

1. Update the Basic Users' Einstein Activity Capture Permissions for Sales Engagement

What’s Changing?

  • Where: The Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited editions of Lightning Experience with Sales Cloud are all affected by this modification.
  • When: You must update permissions by 1 January 2025 to ensure uninterrupted access for Sales Engagement Basic users.
  • Why: Moving forward, access to Einstein Activity Capture requires the Standard Einstein Activity Capture permission set. The Use Einstein Activity Capture app permission will no longer be included in permission sets that are based on the Sales Engagement Basic User permission set.

How to Prepare for the Change in a Sandbox

  1. Identify Users: Make use of No-Code or Pro-Code methods to identify affected users.
  2. Assign Permission Set: Users must be allowed access to the “Standard Einstein Activity Capture” permission set.

⚠️ Note: The “Sales Engagement Basic User” permission should remain in place if necessary.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Update Permissions: The permission set “Standard Einstein Activity Capture” should be assigned.
  2. Verify Functionality: Verify Einstein Activity Capture’s functionality.

2. Enable ICU Locale Formats

What’s Changing?

  • Where: This update impacts all editions of Salesforce that support: Lightning Experience, Salesforce Classic, and Salesforce mobile apps. It does not apply to Database.com.
  • When: ICU locale formats will be enforced by Salesforce gradually. By default, ICU formats are enabled if your org was formed in the winter of 2020 or later. For older orgs, you can defer enforcement until Summer ’25 through the Salesforce interface.
  • Why: ICU formats standardise the appearance of names, dates, times, currencies, addresses, and numbers. You may simplify integration with ICU-compliant apps globally and guarantee platform consistency by implementing ICU formats.

To keep you informed:

  • Admins will receive email notifications 30 to 60 days before ICU activation.
  • Salesforce will also alert administrators to the change once ICU formats are enabled.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Check Status: Check to see if the en_CA locale has ICU formats enabled.
  2. Enable ICU Formats: In the sandbox, enable ICU formats if they aren’t already.
  3. Test Impact: Test processes and applications, especially those relying on en_CA locale.
  4. Migrate from JDK Locales: If you’re still using JDK Locales, make the switch by following Salesforce’s guide.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Update Outside Working Hours: Minimise disruptions.
  2. Proactive Update: Implement changes before the enforcement deadline.
  3. Flexibility: Be ready to disable and roll back if needed.

3. Enable LWC Stacked Modals

What’s Changing?

  • Where: All Lightning Experience editions are impacted by this change.
  • When: Salesforce will enforce this update in Spring ’25. Check your instance’s upgrade date by visiting Trust Status, searching for your instance, and navigating to the Maintenance tab.
  • Why: When working with modals, this modification improves efficiency, particularly for those that handle a lot of fields for generating or editing records.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Identify Components: List the elements with action overrides.
  2. Understand Impact: Review the post-save navigation behaviour table.
  3. Test Current Behaviour: Assess the post-save behaviour of the components.
  4. Enable Test Run: To test components, utilise the test run feature.
  5. Collaborate with Developers: Modify components as necessary.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Communicate Changes: Let consumers know about any new post-save behaviour.
  2. Schedule Updates: Make adjustments after hours.
  3. Deploy Changes: Transfer updates from the sandbox to production to implement changes.
  4. Test Thoroughly: Turn on a test run and check the post-save behavior.

Also read: Salesforce Winter’25 release features for developers!

4. Enable Secure Redirection for Flows

What’s Changing?

  • Where: This update impacts the Essentials, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions of Lightning Experience.
  • When: Salesforce will start rolling out this update in the spring of 2025. Check the Maintenance tab’s Trust Status to see when your instance was upgraded.
  • Why: In order to improve user and network security, Salesforce is implementing more stringent validation for flow URL parameters. Once visitors complete a screen flow, these changes prevent them from being redirected to unauthorised URLs.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Identify Impact: Pinpoint affected areas in Salesforce and Experience Cloud.
  2. Enable Test Run: Test every use case.
  3. Add Trusted URLs: Add URLs for failed use cases.
  4. Test Across Platforms: Test in Classic and Lightning.
  5. Deploy to Other Sandboxes: Test in other sandboxes.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Deploy Trusted URLs: Deploy to production.
  2. Run Final Test: Test all impacted functionality.
  3. Schedule Wisely: Make adjustments after business hours.

Also read: Salesforce flow guide.

5. Set Permission Requirements for Inputs Using Built-In Apex Classes

What’s Changing?

  • Where: Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience in the Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer versions, all will be impacted by this change.
  • When: This update will be implemented by Salesforce beginning in the spring of 25. You can check your instance’s upgrade schedule under Trust Status in the Maintenance tab.
  • Why: For its built-in Apex classes that are used as inputs to Apex activities, Salesforce is working to make the permission constraints stronger. By ensuring that Apex operations execute in the current component context, this update fixes problems when flows fail because permissions on earlier component contexts were not enforced.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Enable Test Run: In Setup, activate the test run.
  2. Identify Invocable Methods: Give testing primary attention to Apex activities within flows.
  3. Test REST API Calls: Conduct tests to confirm that REST API calls are compliant with external integrations.
  4. Validate Functionality: Check that all related Apex operations are functioning properly.
  5. Deploy and Retest: Carry out additional testing in other sandboxes.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Plan Deployment Timing: Schedule updates during off-hours.
  2. Deploy Changes: Apply the update to production.
  3. Perform Final Testing: Verify the functionality of all Apex actions, especially those integrated with flows and REST APIs.

6. Include rollbacks for Apex Action Exceptions into the REST API

What’s Changing?

  • Where: Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer versions are all will be affected by this modification.
  • When: Enforcement begins in Spring ’25. You can examine the upgrade schedule for your instance under the Maintenance tab’s Trust Status.
  • Why: Apex action exceptions are subject to rollbacks enforced by Salesforce. By doing this, Salesforce makes sure that your data is dependable and consistent even in the event of unforeseen errors.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Enable Test Run: You’ll need to turn on the test run in Setup.
  2. Test REST API Calls: Simulate external calls to Apex actions using tools like Workbench or Postman.
  3. Check Inputs and Outputs: Verify data consistency between input and output parameters.
  4. Validate Functionality: Confirm correct behavior of all tested Apex actions.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Plan Deployment Timing: Schedule updates during off-hours.
  2. Deploy Changes: Implement sandbox changes in production.
  3. Run Final Tests: Enable the test run in production and verify functionality.

7. Sort the Results of Apex Batch Jobs Based on the Order Requests

What’s Changing?

  • Where: This update affects both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience. It applies to all types of Lightning Experience: Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer.
  • When: Enforcement begins in Spring ’25. You can then view the major release upgrade schedule for your instance under the Maintenance tab on the Trust Status page.
  • Why: Currently, the sorting mechanism prioritises errors at the top of the list, which can disrupt workflows and create inconsistencies in processing data. With the new sorting order, requests will appear in the sequence they were received, offering more clarity and making it easier to track and analyse results.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Enable Test Run: You can turn on the test run in Settings.
  2. Test Batch Jobs: Identify and run all Apex Batch Jobs.
  3. Validate Results: Verify correct execution and results, especially if custom logging is used.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Plan Deployment Timing: Schedule updates during off-hours.
  2. Deploy Changes: Apply sandbox modifications to production by deploying them.
  3. Run Final Tests: Enable the test run in production and verify batch job execution.

8. Use an Apex-Defined Variable for All Intelligence Signal Types

What’s Changing?

  • Where: This update only works with the Lightning Experience, and only for Enterprise and Unlimited accounts. It’s available in Salesforce orgs with Service Cloud Voice, which is offered as an add-on for Service and Sales Clouds.
  • When: Enforcement begins in Spring ’25. Check your release upgrade date on the Trust Status page under the Maintenance tab.
  • Why: This update consolidates intelligence signal types into a single, Apex-defined variable, streamlining the way Conversation Intelligence interacts with flows. By adopting this new parameter, you can build more dynamic and robust Recommendation Strategies or Autolaunched Flows linked to Conversation Intelligence rules.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Set Up Service Cloud Voice: Configure Conversation Intelligence rules.
  2. Adjust Flows: Update flows to accept the intelligenceSignals variable.
  3. Enable Test Run: In Settings, switch on the test run.
  4. Test Scenarios: Verify compatibility of Conversation Intelligence rules with Einstein Next Best Action and Autolaunched Flows.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Plan Deployment Timing: Schedule updates for off-hours.
  2. Deploy Changes: Migrate updated flows and configurations.
  3. Run Final Tests: Enable the test run in production and verify Conversation Intelligence rule triggers.

9. Verify Your Return Email Address for Sender Verification

What’s Changing?

  • Where: This applies to Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic in all editions except Database.com.
  • When: Salesforce will enforce this update in Spring ’25. Check your upgrade date on the Trust Status page under the Maintenance tab.
  • Why: Verifying your return email address ensures better email deliverability and enhances security. This new measure helps prevent unauthorised use of your account for sending emails, boosting accountability.

How to Prepare in a Sandbox

  1. Verify Sender Email: Instruct users to check My Email Settings and resend verification email if needed.

How to Prepare in Production

  1. Notify Users: Inform all users to verify their return email address in My Email Settings.
  2. Resend Verification Email: Guide users to resend verification email if necessary.
  3. Ongoing Reminders: Users will receive reminder emails until Spring ’25.

You might also like to read our blog on Salesforce security.

Summary

Impactful changes that improve security, functionality, and user experience are all included in the Salesforce Spring ’25 release. To ensure a smooth transition, take the time to plan, prepare, and thoroughly test these changes. By staying proactive, you’ll not only avoid disruptions but also unlock the full potential of these updates for your organisation.