ActionPlanTemplate Metadata Type in SFDX

Architectural Overview#

The ActionPlanTemplate metadata type represents a reusable, auditable checklist of tasks and document checklist items in Salesforce Action Plans. Originally introduced for Financial Services Cloud and now widely used across Health Cloud, Public Sector Solutions, Consumer Goods Cloud, and core Enterprise add-ons, Action Plans enforce repeatable business processes such as KYC client onboarding, loan underwriting, store audits, and care plan execution.

Architecturally, ActionPlanTemplate packages both the template header and its child ActionPlanTemplateItem and ActionPlanTemplateItemValue entries into a single portable XML file, allowing release teams to promote compliance-approved task sequences from sandbox to production without manual re-entry.

Directory and File Conventions#

In SFDX source format (apiVersion 68.0), ActionPlanTemplate components reside in the actionPlanTemplates folder.

Key Metadata Fields#

The ActionPlanTemplate XML schema exposes the following core fields:

Declarative XML and Package Manifest Examples#

Below is a published ActionPlanTemplate for Commercial Client Onboarding on Account with a required KYC verification task due 3 days after plan start:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ActionPlanTemplate xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <actionPlanTemplateItems>
        <actionPlanTemplateItemValue>
            <itemEntityType>Task</itemEntityType>
            <name>Subject</name>
            <valueLiteral>Complete Beneficial Ownership KYC Review</valueLiteral>
        </actionPlanTemplateItemValue>
        <actionPlanTemplateItemValue>
            <itemEntityType>Task</itemEntityType>
            <name>Priority</name>
            <valueLiteral>High</valueLiteral>
        </actionPlanTemplateItemValue>
        <actionPlanTemplateItemValue>
            <itemEntityType>Task</itemEntityType>
            <name>ActivityDate</name>
            <valueFormula>StartDate + 3</valueFormula>
        </actionPlanTemplateItemValue>
        <displayOrder>1</displayOrder>
        <isRequired>true</isRequired>
        <itemEntityType>Task</itemEntityType>
        <name>Complete Beneficial Ownership KYC Review</name>
        <uniqueName>Complete_Beneficial_Ownership_KYC_Review</uniqueName>
    </actionPlanTemplateItems>
    <actionPlanType>Industries</actionPlanType>
    <description>Standardized KYC checklist for commercial banking accounts.</description>
    <isAdHocItemCreationEnabled>true</isAdHocItemCreationEnabled>
    <name>Commercial KYC Onboarding</name>
    <status>Published</status>
    <targetEntityType>Account</targetEntityType>
    <uniqueName>Commercial_KYC_Onboarding</uniqueName>
</ActionPlanTemplate>

Package Manifest (package.xml)#

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Package xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <types>
        <members>Commercial_KYC_Onboarding</members>
        <name>ActionPlanTemplate</name>
    </types>
    <version>68.0</version>
</Package>

SOQL Queries and CLI Automation#

Query published ActionPlanTemplate versions via SOQL or deploy using Salesforce CLI:

SELECT Id, UniqueName, Name, TargetEntityType, Status,
       ActionPlanType, IsAdHocItemCreationEnabled
FROM ActionPlanTemplate
WHERE Status = 'Published'
ORDER BY Name ASC

# Retrieve all ActionPlanTemplate definitions
sf project retrieve start --metadata "ActionPlanTemplate:*"

# Deploy the Commercial_KYC_Onboarding template
sf project deploy start --metadata ActionPlanTemplate:Commercial_KYC_Onboarding

Architect Best Practices and Gotchas#

• Assigned-To User / Queue Resolution: Avoid assigning template tasks to specific User IDs inside <actionPlanTemplateItemValue>, as User IDs differ across sandboxes and scratch orgs. Instead, assign tasks to the Action Plan Creator, Record Owner, or a named Queue.
• Permission Set License Requirement: The deploying integration user must have the Action Plans Permission Set License (ActionPlansPsl) and Read/Create/Edit access on ActionPlanTemplate, ActionPlanTemplateVersion, and ActionPlanTemplateItem.

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of ActionPlanTemplate in Salesforce?

It provides a standardized, reusable checklist template of tasks and document checklist items that can be instantiated manually or via Flow onto Accounts, Cases, Opportunities, or custom objects.

Can an ActionPlanTemplate be edited after its status is Published?

No. Once an ActionPlanTemplate Version is set to Published, its items are locked to preserve audit compliance; you must create a new template version or deactivate it depending on usage.

Where are ActionPlanTemplate files stored in SFDX format?

They are stored in force-app/main/default/actionPlanTemplates with the .actionPlanTemplate-meta.xml file extension.

How do you automate creating ActionPlan records from an ActionPlanTemplate?

Use a Record-Triggered Flow or Apex to insert an ActionPlan record referencing the published ActionPlanTemplateVersionId and TargetId.