Configuring Pipeline Steps

This page explains how to configure steps inside a pipeline after it is created, including available operations, step outcomes, and how these steps build a visual diagram.

When a new pipeline is created, it initially shows a Start and Stop node under the Overview tab. To define the pipeline’s logic, you add steps between Start and Stop. Each step can perform specific operations such as deployment, validation, rollback, or scanning code.

Click the ➕ (plus) icon between Start and Stop to add your first step.

Step Configuration

When adding a step, you define the following fields:

• Name – A label to identify the step (e.g., “Deploy to QA Org”).

• Operation – The action the step will perform (Deploy, Validate, Rollback, WebHook, Manual Step, Code Scan, Execute Apex).

• Target Organization – Select the Salesforce connection where the step will run.

• Run Tests – Configure which tests to run (default or custom).

• Next Step – Define the flow based on outcomes:

  • On Pass – Choose the next step to execute if this step succeeds.

  • On Fail – Choose the next step if the step fails (commonly set to Stop).

After filling in the details, click Add. The step is added to the pipeline and the visual diagram updates to show the new flow.

Supported Operations

Pipelines support multiple operations, enabling flexible release automation:

• Deploy – Deploys metadata from the branch into the target org.

• Validate – Runs a deployment validation without committing changes, useful for pre-checks.

• Rollback – Rolls back to a previous state using the backup created during deployments.

• WebHook – Triggers an external webhook for integrations (e.g., notifying CI/CD or ticketing systems).

• Manual Step – Pauses the pipeline until a manual approval or action is taken.

• Code Scan – Runs static code analysis (e.g., PMD) as part of the pipeline execution.

• Execute Apex – Executes custom Apex tests or scripts as part of the pipeline.

Example

A QA pipeline is created with Start → Stop.

A new step is added with:

• Name: Validate to QA Org

• Operation: Validate

• Target Organization: QA Sandbox Connection

• Run Tests: Default

• On Pass: Deploy

• On Fail: Rollback

After clicking Add, the pipeline diagram updates to show: Start → Validate → Deploy → Rollback → Stop

This ensures that the pipeline first validates changes, then deploys them, and if validation fails, triggers a rollback before stopping.

Best Practices

• Use Validation first – Add a Validate step before Deploy to catch issues early.

• Include Code Scan – Ensure code quality gates are enforced before deployment.

• Chain environments – Configure On Pass to move from QA → UAT → Prod in sequence.

• Add Manual Steps – Insert approvals for critical releases before production.

• Define Rollback paths – Always include a Rollback option in case deployments fail.