# Destructive changes and manual deployment steps

*Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect Study Guide · Deploying · Last updated October 26, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-development-lifecycle-and-deployment-architect/deploying/destructive-changes-and-manual-deployment-steps*

How pre and post destructive changes manifests order deletions around a deployment, which settings Metadata API and change sets leave behind or change on arrival, how flows deploy as active, and how unsupported metadata types become runbook steps.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
- Exam section: Deploying
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-development-lifecycle-and-deployment-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, describe approaches to handle pre and post deployment steps, including items not supported via the APIs.

## What the exam expects

- Order deletions with pre and post destructive changes manifests, and predict how missing components, the Recycle Bin and tests behave.
- List the pre and post deployment steps that special deployment behaviours force: secrets, keys, group members, approval order, trusted sites, field access, profiles and master-detail data.
- Get flows to production active and with all their dependencies.
- Use the Metadata Coverage Report to turn unsupported metadata types into manual runbook steps.

Key terms: **destructive changes manifest** (a package.xml-format file listing components to delete), **pre and post deletions** (deletions processed before or after additions and updates), **purgeOnDelete** (skips the Recycle Bin for deleted components), **special deployment behaviour** (a documented case where a deployment drops, resets or creates something), **runbook step** (a manual action scheduled before or after the deployment).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wildcards in deletion manifests | Not supported; name every component | [Deleting Components from an Organization](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_deploy_deleting_files.htm) |
| Post deletions and tests | Post destructive changes are processed before any tests run | [Deleting Components from an Organization](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_deploy_deleting_files.htm) |
| Missing component in a deletion list | Other deletions still attempted; a warning is raised | [Deleting Components from an Organization](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_deploy_deleting_files.htm), [project deploy start (CLI command reference)](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/salesforce-cli-reference/guide/cli_reference_project_deploy_start.html) |
| purgeOnDelete | Developer Edition and sandbox orgs only | [deploy()](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_deploy.htm) |
| New custom field access | Readable and editable false unless field permissions are deployed | [Special Behavior in Deployments](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.deploy_special_behavior.htm&type=5) |
| Unknown profile name | Creates a new profile with that name | [Special Behavior in Deployments](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.deploy_special_behavior.htm&type=5) |
| Public group deploy | Members aren't migrated | [Special Behavior in Deployments](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.deploy_special_behavior.htm&type=5) |
| Flows into production | Inactive unless Deploy processes and flows as active is on | [Deploy Processes and Flows as Active](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_distribute_deploy_active.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Where support is listed | Metadata Coverage Report, per type and per channel | [Metadata Coverage Report](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/metadata-coverage) |

## Check yourself

- Why should a deployment that deletes an Apex class through a post manifest run local tests?
- When can a deployment remove a profile's layout assignment for a record type?
- Why does changing an object's sharingModel and adding an owner-based sharing rule need separate deployments?
- Which channels does the Metadata Coverage Report compare for each metadata type?

## Sources

- [Special Behavior in Deployments](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.deploy_special_behavior.htm&type=5)
- [Deleting Components from an Organization](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_deploy_deleting_files.htm)
- [deploy()](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_deploy.htm)
- [project deploy start (CLI command reference)](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/salesforce-cli-reference/guide/cli_reference_project_deploy_start.html)
- [Change Set Considerations for Flows](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.flow_considerations_change_sets.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Deploy Processes and Flows as Active](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_distribute_deploy_active.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Components Available in Change Sets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.changesets_about_components.htm&type=5)
- [Unsupported Metadata Types](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_unsupported_types.htm)
- [Metadata Coverage Report](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/metadata-coverage)
- [Workflow Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.workflow_rules_considerations.htm&language=en_US)
- [Profile](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_profile.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 13 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams