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Data Cloud Connect

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Manage and configure Data Cloud connections seamlessly.

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Free · Opens the source repo

What Data Cloud Connect does

The data360-connect skill is designed for users who need to manage their Salesforce Data Cloud connections effectively. This skill facilitates tasks related to connector discovery, connection metadata management, connection testing, and browsing source objects or databases. It is particularly useful for developers and data engineers who are setting up new source systems or need to inspect existing connections within the Salesforce ecosystem.

When using data360-connect, users can perform a variety of operations including creating, updating, testing, or deleting connections. The skill allows for detailed inspection of connector types and their associated schemas, which is essential for ensuring that data integration workflows are correctly established. It supports various connector types, including Snowflake, SharePoint Unstructured, and Ingestion API sources, providing users with the necessary tools to prepare connector definitions and payloads.

This skill is ideal for those who frequently interact with Salesforce Data Cloud and need a reliable way to manage their connections. It streamlines the process of inspecting existing connections, verifying connector types, and preparing for new integrations. By utilizing curated example payloads for different connectors, users can avoid common pitfalls associated with misconfigured connections, making the setup process more efficient.

However, it is important to note that data360-connect should not be used for tasks related to data streams, DMOs, or identity resolution. For those specific tasks, users should refer to other skills like data360-prepare or data360-harmonize. Overall, data360-connect is a specialized tool that enhances the management of Data Cloud connections, making it a valuable addition for any developer or data engineer working within the Salesforce environment.

When to use it

Use this skill when you need to create, update, test, or inspect Data Cloud connections and their metadata.

When not to use it

Avoid this skill for tasks related to data streams, DMOs, or identity resolution, as it does not support those functionalities.

What you can build with it

Setting Up a New Connection

Use this skill to create a new connection to a Snowflake database by preparing the necessary payload and testing the connection.

Inspecting Existing Connections

Quickly inspect existing connections to verify their configurations and ensure they are set up correctly for your data integration needs.

Testing Connection Validity

Test the validity of a connection before proceeding with data operations to ensure that the integration will function as expected.

How to install Data Cloud Connect

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add forcedotcom/sf-skills/data360-connect --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by forcedotcom

data360-connect: Data Cloud Connect Phase

Use this skill when the user needs source connection work: connector discovery, connection metadata, connection testing, source-object browsing, connector schema inspection, or connector-specific setup payloads for external sources.

When This Skill Owns the Task

Use data360-connect when the work involves:

  • sf data360 connection *
  • connector catalog inspection
  • connection creation, update, test, or delete
  • browsing source objects, fields, databases, or schemas
  • identifying connector types already in use
  • preparing connector definitions for Snowflake, SharePoint Unstructured, or Ingestion API sources

Delegate elsewhere when the user is:


Required Context to Gather First

Ask for or infer:

  • target org alias
  • connector type or source system
  • whether the user wants inspection only or live mutation
  • connection name or ID if one already exists
  • whether credentials are already configured outside the CLI
  • whether the user also expects stream creation right after connection setup
  • whether the source is a database, an unstructured document source, or an Ingestion API feed

Core Operating Rules

  • Verify the plugin runtime first; see ../data360-orchestrate/references/plugin-setup.md.
  • Run the shared readiness classifier before mutating connections: node ../data360-orchestrate/scripts/diagnose-org.mjs -o <org> --phase connect --json.
  • Prefer read-only discovery before connection creation.
  • Suppress linked-plugin warning noise with 2>/dev/null for standard usage.
  • Remember that connection list requires --connector-type.
  • For connection test, pass --connector-type when resolving a non-Salesforce connection by name.
  • Discover existing connector types from streams first when the org is unfamiliar.
  • Use curated example payloads before inventing connector-specific credentials or parameters.
  • For connector types outside the curated examples, inspect a known-good UI-created connection via REST before building JSON.
  • Do not promise API-based stream creation for every connector type just because connection creation succeeds.

Recommended Workflow

1. Classify readiness for connect work

node ../data360-orchestrate/scripts/diagnose-org.mjs -o <org> --phase connect --json

2. Discover connector types

sf data360 connection connector-list -o <org> 2>/dev/null
sf data360 data-stream list -o <org> 2>/dev/null

3. Inspect connections by type

sf data360 connection list -o <org> --connector-type SalesforceDotCom 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection list -o <org> --connector-type REDSHIFT 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection list -o <org> --connector-type SNOWFLAKE 2>/dev/null

4. Inspect a specific connection or uploaded schema

sf data360 connection get -o <org> --name <connection> 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection objects -o <org> --name <connection> 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection fields -o <org> --name <connection> 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection schema-get -o <org> --name <connection-id> 2>/dev/null

5. Test or create only after discovery

sf data360 connection test -o <org> --name <connection> --connector-type <type> 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection create -o <org> -f connection.json 2>/dev/null

6. Start from curated example payloads for external connectors

Use the phase-owned examples before inventing a payload from scratch:

  • examples/connections/heroku-postgres.json
  • examples/connections/redshift.json
  • examples/connections/sharepoint-unstructured.json
  • examples/connections/snowflake-connection.json
  • examples/connections/ingest-api-connection.json
  • examples/connections/ingest-api-schema.json

Typical Ingestion API setup flow:

sf data360 connection create -o <org> -f examples/connections/ingest-api-connection.json 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection schema-upsert -o <org> --name <connector-id> -f examples/connections/ingest-api-schema.json 2>/dev/null
sf data360 connection schema-get -o <org> --name <connector-id> 2>/dev/null

7. Discover payload fields for unknown connector types

Create one in the UI, then inspect it directly:

sf api request rest "/services/data/v66.0/ssot/connections/<id>" -o <org>

High-Signal Gotchas

  • connection list has no true global "list all" mode; query by connector type.
  • The connector catalog name and connection connector type are not always the same label.
  • connection test may need --connector-type for name resolution when the source is not a default Salesforce connector.
  • An empty connection list usually means "enabled but not configured yet", not "feature disabled".
  • Heroku Postgres, Redshift, Snowflake, SharePoint Unstructured, and Ingestion API all use different credential and parameter shapes; reuse the curated examples instead of guessing.
  • SharePoint Unstructured uses clientId, clientSecret, and tokenEndpoint in the credentials array and does not require a parameters array.
  • Snowflake uses key-pair auth and can often be created through the API, but downstream stream creation can still remain UI-only.
  • Ingestion API connector setup is incomplete until connection schema-upsert has uploaded the object schema.
  • Some external connector credential setup still depends on UI-side configuration or external-system permissions.

Output Format

Connect task: <inspect / create / test / update>
Connector type: <SalesforceDotCom / REDSHIFT / SNOWFLAKE / SPUnstructuredDocument / IngestApi / ...>
Target org: <alias>
Commands: <key commands run>
Verification: <passed / partial / blocked>
Next step: <prepare phase or connector follow-up>

References

Frequently asked questions about Data Cloud Connect

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