As Salesforce developers, staying on top of new platform features is essential. With Winter ’25, Salesforce has introduced some powerful enhancements across Apex, SOQL, Flow, Lightning Web Components (LWC), and Event Monitoring. In this post, I’ll break down the key updates you should know, why they matter, and how to start using them today.

1️⃣ Track Apex Unexpected Exceptions with Free-Tier Event Monitoring

Gone are the days when developers had to rely solely on unhandled exception emails. With Winter ’25, you can now take advantage of free-tier Event Monitoring to track and troubleshoot unhandled exceptions in Apex code.

• Analyze the Apex Unexpected Exception event type.
• View details such as event time, triggering user, login details, API calls, report executions, and more.
• Monitor unusual behavior and performance issues to keep your org secure and running smoothly.

📌 Free Access Limits

• Developer Edition – all log types, 1-day retention.
• Enterprise/Unlimited/Performance – login/logout, insecure assets, API usage logs (1-day retention).

👉 This is a big win for debugging Apex, especially in production environments where unhandled exceptions were previously hard to track.

2️⃣ Review SOQL Error and Functionality Changes

The release introduces updates to SOQL error handling and messaging. If your Apex code relies on parsing SOQL error strings (common in dynamic queries), you’ll need to:

• Review the new error messages.
• Update code that depends on old formats.

3️⃣ Invocable Actions – Easier to Configure

Configuring invocable actions in Flow just got simpler with new InvocableVariable modifiers:

• defaultValue → set predefined values for inputs.
• placeholderText → guide users with inline examples or instructions.

These modifiers show up directly in Flow Builder, making custom actions more intuitive for admins and developers alike.

4️⃣ Lightning Web Components – Major Enhancements

🌟 LWC API Version 61.0

• Ensures stability and versioned improvements.
• Introduces Improved Slot Forwarding – forward content between slots without messy wrappers.
• ⚠️ Jest snapshot tests may need updating due to DOM rendering changes.

💡 Tip: Upgrade incrementally (58 → 59 → 60 → 61) to catch errors early.

📑 LWC Workspace API

• Manage tabs and subtabs programmatically in console apps.
• Open, close, or focus workspace tabs directly from your LWC.
• Requires Lightning Web Security (not supported with Locker).

🔎 Lightning Record Picker

• Use <lightning-record-picker> for faster record search & selection.
• Supports up to 100 results (previously 50).
• Powered by GraphQL wire adapter, enabling offline use.

Example:

<lightning-record-picker
    label="Select a record"
    placeholder="Search..."
    object-api-name="Contact"
    value={initialValue}
    onchange={handleChange}>
</lightning-record-picker>

5️⃣ Flow Debugging with Data Cloud

Testing Data Cloud-triggered flows just got easier. A new debug tool lets you:

• Select a Data Cloud record as input.
• Run and troubleshoot flows safely without touching live data.

A huge productivity boost for Data Cloud developers.

6️⃣ Null Coalescing Operator in Apex (??)

One of the most developer-friendly features 🎉

String value = myVar ?? 'Default';

• Returns left-hand side if not null, otherwise the right-hand side.
• Cleaner than verbose if or ternary checks.
• Complements the safe navigation operator (?.).

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Debug smarter with Apex Unexpected Exception logs (free-tier Event Monitoring).
• Refactor code for updated SOQL error handling.
• Empower admins with easier-to-use invocable actions.
• Leverage LWC 61.0 for slot forwarding, workspace APIs, and better record selection.
• Boost Flow testing with Data Cloud debuggers.
• Write cleaner Apex using the null coalescing operator.

📌 That’s a wrap on Winter ’25 highlights! Which feature are you most excited about—Apex debugging, LWC enhancements, or the null coalescing operator? Drop your thoughts in the comments below or share your use cases.