DataConnector Metadata Type in SFDX

Architectural Overview#

The DataConnector metadata type represents an external or internal connection configuration in Salesforce Data Cloud (formerly Customer Data Platform). In Data Cloud enterprise architectures, data ingestion pipelines require a formal connector boundary before a DataSource, DataSourceObject, or DataStreamDefinition can ingest payloads into Data Lake Objects (DLOs).

When packaging Data Cloud implementations into deployable Data Kits (DataPackageKitDefinition) or promoting Data Cloud pipelines across Dev, Staging, and Production orgs via SFDX, DataConnector provides the declarative connection metadata linking the ingestion source to the target schema.

SFDX Directory and File Suffix#

Key Metadata Fields#

Declarative XML and package.xml Examples#

Source Format XML (Enterprise_Snowflake_Bridge.dataConnector-meta.xml)#

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DataConnector xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <connectorType>IngestApi</connectorType>
    <dataConnectionStatus>Active</dataConnectionStatus>
    <masterLabel>Enterprise Snowflake Event Bridge</masterLabel>
</DataConnector>

Manifest (package.xml)#

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

SFDX CLI Retrieval and Deployment Commands#

Use the Salesforce CLI (sf) to retrieve and deploy DataConnector metadata alongside your Data Cloud Data Kit components:

# Retrieve all DataConnector definitions from a Data Cloud org
sf project retrieve start --metadata DataConnector

# Retrieve a specific DataConnector by developer name
sf project retrieve start --metadata DataConnector:Enterprise_Snowflake_Bridge

# Deploy DataConnector metadata to a target Data Cloud org
sf project deploy start --metadata DataConnector:Enterprise_Snowflake_Bridge

Architect Best Practices and Gotchas#

• Package Inside Data Kits for ISV and Multi-Org Delivery: Rather than deploying raw Data Cloud objects in isolation, bundle DataConnector, DataSource, and DataSourceObject definitions inside a DataPackageKitDefinition so target orgs can install and bind credentials cleanly in Data Cloud Setup.
• Post-Deployment Authentication Handshake: Like NamedCredential and ExternalDataSource, deploying a DataConnector provisions the metadata shell, but secrets (IAM role ARNs, OAuth tokens, or S3 access keys) must be authenticated in the target environment after deployment.
• License Prerequisite: The target org must have an active Salesforce Data Cloud license and DataCloudAdmin permissions assigned to the deployment user, or the Metadata API deployment will fail with Invalid type: DataConnector.

Frequently asked questions

What is the role of DataConnector in Salesforce Data Cloud?

DataConnector defines the connection metadata and type used by Data Cloud Data Kits and Data Streams to authenticate and ingest records from external systems.

Where are DataConnector files stored in SFDX source format?

They are stored in force-app/main/default/dataConnectors/ with the file suffix .dataConnector-meta.xml.

How does DataConnector relate to DataConnectorS3 and DataConnectorIngestApi?

DataConnector serves as the base connector metadata representation in Data Cloud, working alongside specialized connector types like DataConnectorS3 and DataConnectorIngestApi.

Are secret credentials stored inside DataConnector XML files?

No. For security reasons, sensitive keys and passwords are never exported in plain text in DataConnector XML and must be authorized in the target Data Cloud org.