As a long-time Salesforce Admin and community advocate, I know how much our daily toolkit shapes the impact we can have. In the 2026 Salesforce Ben Salesforce Admin Survey, we asked admins across the globe a simple question: What tools do you use every day? The results reveal more than just preferences. They highlight a clear shift in how Salesforce Admins are working in increasingly complex orgs.
While the “clicks not code” philosophy still underpins the admin role, the reality in 2026 is far more blended. Admins are working with declarative automation, APIs, and lightweight development tools as standard practice – the modern Salesforce org demands it. Here are the top 5 tools Salesforce Admins say they use every day and how that usage is evolving.
What’s Changed Year on Year?
The 2026 survey results show a clear reshaping of the admin toolkit. While the same five tools remain in the top rankings, usage has declined across all categories compared to 2025.
This suggests a shift away from daily reliance on individual tools and toward more situational, workflow-driven usage where admins reach for tools only when specific technical problems arise.
| Tool | 2025 Usage | 2026 Usage | Change |
| SOQL | 79.4% | 55.6% | ▼ -23.8 |
| VS Code | 39.7% | 31% | ▼ -8.7 |
| Apex | 39% | 25.5% | ▼ -13.5 |
| Workbench | 38.3% | 33.3% | ▼ -5.0 |
| HTML | 36.2% | 25.1% | ▼ -11.1 |
A few patterns stand out.
SOQL remains the most widely used tool, but it also sees the sharpest decline. This may reflect reduced reliance on manual querying as organisations adopt Flow-first automation, AI-assisted analytics, and higher-level reporting tools.
VS Code and Apex both decline as well, reinforcing the idea that fewer admins are engaging in code-adjacent workflows on a daily basis, even though these skills remain essential in more advanced orgs.
Workbench remains relatively stable and continues to serve as a reliable utility for quick data and metadata operations. The use of standalone HTML sees a notable drop, likely driven by the shift toward standardised Lightning Web Components and more structured low-code communication tools.
Overall, the data points to a modern admin toolkit that is less fixed and more situational, with tools being used when needed rather than as part of a daily routine.
1. SOQL
SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) remains one of the most important tools in the admin toolkit, but its role in 2026 has evolved. Rather than being used primarily for reporting, it now functions as a diagnostic layer for understanding how data moves through Salesforce orgs.
As automation becomes more complex, spanning Flow, Apex, integrations, and Data Cloud, SOQL is increasingly used to validate what actually happened behind the scenes.
Why Is It Used in 2026?
SOQL remains the fastest way to interrogate data when standard reporting tools fall short. Admins use it to:
- Trace how records are created or updated across automation layers
- Validate data consistency between Salesforce and external systems
- Investigate failures in Flow, Apex, or integration processes
- Cross-check records affected by asynchronous processing
In short, SOQL is the quickest way to confirm what is happening inside an increasingly automated org.
Use Cases
- Identifying records with missing or inconsistent data
- Tracing record updates across related objects
- Supporting data clean-up and validation exercises
- Investigating automation outcomes at the record level
2. Workbench
Workbench is a web-based tool that provides direct access to Salesforce data and metadata through the API. While not a daily-use tool for most admins in 2026, it remains valuable when deeper system visibility is required.
It is most often used as a fallback when standard UI tools are not sufficient.
Why Is It Used in 2026?
Workbench is commonly used to:
- Run SOQL and SOSL queries outside of standard reporting tools
- Inspect object structure and metadata via API calls
- Perform controlled bulk updates or data corrections
- Debug integration issues using raw API responses
It provides a direct line into Salesforce at the API layer.
Use Cases
- Running diagnostic queries when reports are insufficient
- Inspecting metadata structure during troubleshooting
- Validating integration payload behaviour
- Performing bulk data updates in controlled scenarios
3. VS Code
VS Code has become a central hub for Salesforce source-driven development. In 2026, it is less a code editor and more a DevOps workspace for managing Salesforce changes at scale.
With the increasing adoption of DevOps deployment pipelines and Salesforce CLI, VS Code plays a key role in how admins collaborate with developers and deploy changes safely across environments.
Why Is It Used in 2026?
Admins use VS Code to:
- Retrieve and deploy metadata using Salesforce CLI
- Manage Flow, Apex, and configuration changes in source control
- Replace Change Sets with Git-based workflows
- Collaborate with developers through pull requests and reviews
It enables structured, traceable change management across orgs.
Use Cases
- Deploying Flow updates through CI/CD pipelines
- Managing metadata changes in Git repositories
- Reviewing changes alongside development teams
- Deploying sandbox changes into production environments
4. Apex
Apex remains a critical part of the Salesforce ecosystem, but its role in 2026 is more focused. Rather than replacing declarative tools, it now serves as a support layer for Flow, integrations, and high-volume processing.
Why Is It Used in 2026?
Apex is typically used for:
- Handling large data volumes with asynchronous processing
- Extending Flow with complex or performance-intensive logic
- Managing integrations with external systems via API callouts
- Ensuring data integrity where declarative tools are insufficient
It acts as the execution layer behind advanced automation.
Use Cases
- Processing large datasets using Queueable or Batch Apex
- Extending Flow with invocable apex
- Used in place of Flow entirely for objects with high-density automations
- Integrating Salesforce with external platforms
- Creating test coverage for deployment pipelines
5. HTML
HTML remains relevant in 2026, but its use is now much more focused. It is primarily used to control formatting in Salesforce communication layers, particularly where declarative tools are limited.
Its role today is less about web design and more about structured content delivery.
Why Is It Used in 2026?
Admins use HTML to:
- Design structured Lightning Email Templates
- Format Flow-generated automated emails
- Maintain consistent branding across communications
- Improve readability of high-volume transactional messages
It ensures clarity and consistency across automated communications.
Use Cases
- Building structured customer service email templates
- Formatting automated Case updates
- Creating consistent branded messaging across devices
- Improving readability in transactional communications
Final Thoughts
The 2026 results highlight a clear evolution in the Salesforce Admin role. While the same tools remain in the top five, their usage patterns have shifted significantly.
Rather than relying on a fixed daily toolkit, admins are now working across a broader technical spectrum, moving fluidly between declarative automation, data querying, and lightweight development tools depending on the task at hand.
The modern Salesforce Admin is no longer defined by the tools they use every day, but by their ability to know when and why to use them.
For more admin insights, check out our SF Ben Salesforce Admin Survey here.
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