Salesforce: Describe sObject

Controlled node

Overview

Retrieves detailed metadata about a specific Salesforce sObject (standard or custom object). This node queries the Salesforce API to return the complete schema definition including fields, data types, relationships, and other object properties. Use this to dynamically inspect Salesforce object structures before creating records or building queries.

Common Use Cases

• Inspecting field names and types before using Salesforce: Create Record
• Validating that a custom object exists and has the expected fields
• Building dynamic SOQL queries by first understanding the object schema

Inputs

Input	Type	Description	Default
Run	Event	Triggers the node to fetch the sObject description.	-
sObject API Name	Text	The API name of the Salesforce object to describe (e.g., Account, Contact, Opportunity, or CustomObject__c).	-
Connection	Connection	The Salesforce connection to use for the API call. Configure this in the properties panel or wire it from another node.	-

Outputs

Output	Type	Description
Done	Event	Fires when the sObject description has been successfully retrieved.
sObject	Data	The complete sObject metadata object containing fields, child relationships, record type info, and other schema details. Returns an error object if the sObject doesn't exist or the connection fails.

Runtime Behavior and Defaults

When triggered, the node makes a synchronous call to the Salesforce REST API using the provided connection credentials. It retrieves the sObject metadata via the describe endpoint and outputs the full schema definition.

• Error Handling: If the sObject API name doesn't exist or the connection is invalid, the sObject output will contain an error object with details.
• Permissions: The connected Salesforce user must have read access to the object being described.
• Rate Limits: Subject to Salesforce API rate limits for metadata calls.

Example

Scenario: You want to create a new Account record but need to know the exact field names and required fields first.

1. Add a Salesforce: Describe sObject node to your workflow.
2. In the properties panel, select your Salesforce Connection.
3. Set the sObject API Name to Account (or wire it from a Text node).
4. Connect the Done event to a Show node to inspect the returned schema.
5. The output will include details like:
   • fields: Array of field definitions including name, type, length, nillable, etc.
   • childRelationships: Related objects
   • recordTypeInfos: Available record types

You can then use this metadata to construct proper data payloads for the Salesforce: Create Record node.