Salesforce MCP Server: DX Server, End of Life, Skills

The Salesforce DX MCP server, @salesforce/mcp, lets an agent work with orgs you have signed into through the Salesforce CLI. It reaches end of life on 2 November 2026, two days after our check, and Salesforce points users to skills in forcedotcom/sf-skills instead. Pinned installs keep working. Salesforce also documents hosted MCP servers. We checked on 31 October 2026.

Quick facts

The end-of-life notice, in plain words

Both READMEs open with a warning: "End of Life: November 2nd, 2026". The notice on forcedotcom/mcp issue 46 says that after that date the server is no longer maintained or supported and no further releases will ship. Specifically:

• salesforcecli/mcp and forcedotcom/mcp will be archived and read-only.
• The npm package will be marked deprecated.
• It stays installable, so pinned setups on 0.30.15 keep working.
• Salesforce says: "Use skills instead," with the public location at forcedotcom/sf-skills.

So if you came here to set up a Salesforce MCP server for a new project, read the replacement section before you start. If you already run it, nothing breaks on 2 November, but nothing improves either.

What the DX server does

Salesforce describes it as "a specialized Model Context Protocol (MCP) implementation designed to facilitate seamless interaction between large language models (LLMs) and Salesforce orgs". It targets developers working in Salesforce DX projects, not end users in the Salesforce UI. It deploys metadata, runs Apex tests, queries data with SOQL, analyzes code and helps migrate Aura components to Lightning Web Components.

The tools are grouped into toolsets, and you pick which to load:

The README warns that "the DX MCP Server includes over 60 MCP tools", and that loading all of them takes a lot of the model's context. Use --toolsets and --tools to load only what you need. An experimental --dynamic-tools flag starts with a minimal set and loads more as needed.

How you restrict it

Four controls matter.

Orgs must be authorized on your computer first, with the CLI command org login web or the VS Code extension. The server cannot reach an org you have not signed into. The default-org tokens are resolved on every tool call, not at startup, so switching your default org changes what the agent reaches, which is worth remembering.

What it costs

The server is free and Apache-2.0 licensed. Your Salesforce org's own limits apply to what it does, and we did not look up how its calls count against them. We could not read licensing terms for Salesforce's Hosted MCP Servers, so check those with Salesforce.

Install it in each agent

Authorize an org first:

sf org login web --alias my-org

The README gives entries for Claude Code, Cline, Cursor, VS Code and other clients. All use the same args format. Other agents are our adaptation. See MCP clients for field differences.

Claude Code

From the README, in your project's .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Salesforce DX": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@salesforce/mcp",
               "--orgs", "DEFAULT_TARGET_ORG",
               "--toolsets", "orgs,metadata,data,users",
               "--tools", "run_apex_test",
               "--allow-non-ga-tools"]
    }
  }
}

Our suggestion for a pinned, safer version: replace @salesforce/mcp with @salesforce/mcp@0.30.15 and drop --allow-non-ga-tools. Or use the command form claude mcp add salesforce-dx -- npx -y @salesforce/mcp@0.30.15 --orgs DEFAULT_TARGET_ORG --toolsets data,metadata.

Cursor

The README documents Cursor with the same mcpServers block in ~/.cursor/mcp.json or .cursor/mcp.json.

Codex

Our adaptation, in ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.salesforce_dx]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@salesforce/mcp@0.30.15", "--orgs", "DEFAULT_TARGET_ORG", "--toolsets", "data,metadata,testing"]

Antigravity

Our adaptation. In ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json, add the same stdio entry under mcpServers. Gemini CLI is now Code Assist enterprise only.

OpenCode

Our adaptation, in opencode.json:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "salesforce-dx": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "-y", "@salesforce/mcp@0.30.15",
                  "--orgs", "DEFAULT_TARGET_ORG",
                  "--toolsets", "data,metadata,testing"]
    }
  }
}

The replacement: skills and plugins

The forcedotcom/sf-skills repository describes itself as "Salesforce's curated collection of agent skills for building applications", optimized for Agentforce Vibes and compatible with other AI tools. It has skills for Agentforce agents, Lightning apps, Flow, Apex, SOQL, Lightning Web Components, UI bundles, objects and fields and permission sets.

The repository also carries a Claude plugin marketplace manifest, and the builder plugins bundle skills with agents, hooks, commands and MCP servers. Its README adds a warning: "Expect frequent changes." Skills and plugins "may be renamed, restructured, or removed between releases" and do not carry the stability guarantees of generally available platform APIs.

Skills are different from MCP in kind. A skill is instructions plus scripts that an agent loads when relevant, often calling the Salesforce CLI. An MCP server is a running process that exposes tools. See skills and the skill creator for how skills work.

Moving from the DX server to skills: a plan

We would not rip the server out in a hurry, since pinned installs keep working. A sensible order follows.

Two things deserve care. First, the skills call the CLI under your own authorization, so the same org-scope rules apply: authorize sandboxes only. Second, the skills repository changes fast, and its README says skills may be renamed, restructured or removed between releases. Re-run your sandbox check after each update.

Example prompts for the DX server

Salesforce's guide lists sample prompts for the core tools. These are our own examples of the kinds of requests each toolset serves, with the risk of each.

The pattern is useful. Reads and local analysis are safe to allow freely. Deploys and permission changes should always ask first.

Which agents it suits

The DX server fits coding agents that run on a developer's machine, because it relies on a local CLI sign-in. That covers Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode. It does not suit hosted or chat-only clients, since they cannot reach your local CLI session. The skills route is wider: Salesforce lists Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and Agentforce Vibes among supported tools.

Hosted MCP servers

Salesforce's developer site has a section on Hosted MCP Servers. The page needs a browser to read, and our fetch got only the title. We will not describe what we could not read. If you need an agent to read and write CRM data for business users, not to deploy code, the hosted route is the one to evaluate.

Security notes

• Org scope. ALLOW_ALL_ORGS lets the agent reach every org you have authorized, production included. Use a named sandbox alias instead.
• Production. Deploy and data tools can change a production org if it is authorized. Authorize only sandboxes for agent work.
• NON-GA tools. Tools such as delete_org are NON-GA and off by default. Leave --allow-non-ga-tools off unless you need one.
• Data leaving the org. SOQL results go to the model provider. Customer records may include personal data. Check your data-handling terms.
• Telemetry. On by default, disable with --no-telemetry if your policy requires.
• Pinning. After end of life, new vulnerabilities in the package will not get fixes. Pin the version and plan the move.
• Prompt injection. Record fields such as case descriptions are written by outsiders. Do not let an agent that reads them also deploy metadata without a prompt.

Limits and known issues

• End of life on 2 Nov 2026. No more releases.
• More than 60 tools. Context cost is real.
• It needs a local Salesforce CLI authorization, so it does not suit remote or hosted agents.
• Several tools are NON-GA.
• Only stdio.
• The skills library changes often.
• Where to report problems. The forcedotcom/mcp repository is issue-only: it collects feedback and bug reports for the DX server, and its README says GitHub is not a way to get support under any agreement or SLA. For urgent help, Salesforce points you to Salesforce Customer Support. Since the server reaches end of life on 2 November 2026, expect new bugs to go unfixed.

Alternatives

Our take

The honest advice is short. Do not start a new project on the DX MCP server. Salesforce has told users it ends on 2 November and has named its replacement. If you already use it, pin 0.30.15, restrict orgs and toolsets, and plan a move to skills.

The move is a real change of approach, not a rename. Skills are lighter and fit coding agents well, but they are still changing quickly, and the repository says so. If you need structured CRM access for non-developers, look at Salesforce's hosted servers, and read their terms and edition requirements before committing.

This is our reading of the documentation, not a hands-on test.

A short setup checklist

1. Decide whether you want the pinned DX server or the skills route.
2. If pinned, install the Salesforce CLI and authorize a sandbox.
3. Pin @salesforce/mcp@0.30.15.
4. Set --orgs to one alias, --toolsets to what you need, and leave out non-GA tools.
5. Add --no-telemetry if required.
6. Test with a SOQL query and an Apex test run.
7. If moving to skills, run npx skills add forcedotcom/sf-skills in a sandbox project.
8. Review hosted MCP server docs if you need CRM data access.

See also the MCP server list and best MCP servers.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Salesforce DX MCP server being retired?

Yes, on 2 November 2026. Pinned installs keep working.

What replaces it?

Skills in forcedotcom/sf-skills, plus Salesforce's hosted MCP servers.

How does the DX MCP server authenticate?

Through orgs you authorized locally with the Salesforce CLI.

Can I limit what it can do?

Yes, with --orgs, --toolsets, --tools and by leaving non-GA tools off.

Does it send telemetry?

By default, yes. --no-telemetry turns it off.