# Salesforce Connector operations, Bulk API and events

*MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect Study Guide · Designing and developing Mule applications · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-platform-integration-architect/designing-and-developing-mule-applications/salesforce-connector-operations-bulk-api-and-events*

What the Salesforce Connector's configuration, Apex, sObject, duplicate-matching and original Bulk API operations expect as input, and how its replay listeners choose where to start, store replay state and consume event quota.

- Certification: Salesforce MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect
- Exam section: Designing and developing Mule applications
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-platform-integration-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe the fundamental features of the Salesforce Connector.

## What the exam expects

- Configure the connector's global element for Apex work: metadata discovery settings and null handling for Apex REST.
- Map an Invoke Apex Rest Method request (path wildcards, body, headers, cookies, query parameters) and build sObject requests that clear fields or convert leads.
- Choose between duplicate-matching operations by whether records already have IDs.
- Sequence original Bulk API operations: jobs, batches, query result IDs and result streams.
- Configure Replay Channel and Replay Topic listeners, predict where they start after a restart, and avoid duplicate event consumption.

**Global element:** the shared connector configuration holding the connection and settings that every connector instance in the app uses. **DataSense:** design-time metadata the connector fetches, such as Apex classes and methods. **JobInfo / BatchInfo:** the objects that identify an original Bulk API job and a batch within it. **Replay ID:** the identifier Salesforce assigns to each broadcast event so subscribers can replay stored events. **Replay listener:** the Replay Channel Listener or Replay Topic Listener source ([Studio setup](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-studio), [Processing events](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-processing-events)).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Include null values | Invoke Apex Rest Method only; default `false` | [Connector reference](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-reference) |
| Fetch-all Apex metadata | SOAP and REST switches override Apex Class Names; default `false` | [Studio setup](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-studio) |
| Apex REST path wildcards | `body.URLParameters.ParameterN` replaces the Nth `*` | [Additional configuration](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-config-topics) |
| Clearing fields | `fieldsToNull` on Update or Upsert | [Additional configuration](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-config-topics) |
| LeadConvertRequest | Add `leadId`; metadata omits it | [Additional configuration](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-config-topics) |
| Create Batch input | Existing JobInfo plus sObjects; returns BatchInfo | [Connector reference](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-reference) |
| Query Result List | Returns result IDs, not records | [Connector reference](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-reference) |
| Event retention | 72 hours; 24 hours for legacy PushTopic and generic events | [Processing events](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-processing-events) |
| Replay-failed setting | Overrides Replay option and Replay id | [Processing events](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-processing-events) |
| Same channel in two flows | Events consumed twice from the user quota | [Processing events](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-processing-events) |
| Free Object Store limit | 10 TPS on CloudHub and CloudHub 2.0 | [Processing events](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-processing-events) |

## Check yourself

- When must you fill in the Since field on an On New Object source?
- What range and default does an On New Object source's Query Time Buffer (Seconds) accept?
- Why should you avoid BKS-V1 keystore files with Salesforce Connector?
- Which Salesforce API versions does the connector document Basic authentication for?

## Sources

- [Salesforce Connector 12.1 Reference](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-reference)
- [Salesforce Connector 12.1 Additional Configuration Information](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-config-topics)
- [Using Anypoint Studio to Configure Salesforce Connector 12.1](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-studio)
- [Processing Events with Salesforce Connector 12.1](https://docs.mulesoft.com/salesforce-connector/latest/salesforce-connector-processing-events)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 10 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams