Introducing the New Salesforce Well-Architected Framework

Enterprise architecture is changing in complexity, rate of change and tolerance for probabilistic outcomes. Architects are designing for agents that can reason and take action, experiences that extend beyond traditional interfaces, and solutions that connect more systems than ever before.

As the technology landscape grows more complex and more open, the stakes are raised on the fundamentals that make trusted architecture. Architects must understand foundational principles and tradeoffs, and they must know not only what can be built, but what should be built, and why. 

That’s why we’ve evolved the Salesforce Well-Architected Framework for this changing landscape and the architecture of the Agentic Enterprise. Join us in person or on Salesforce+ for the Architect Keynote at Dreamforce 2026 to learn what’s changed and what it means for the future of architecture.

What is the Salesforce Well-Architected Framework?

The Well-Architected Framework is the framework for architecting trusted solutions with Salesforce. It provides the principles and guidance architects need to design solutions that balance business needs, technical requirements, and long-term architectural quality. Together with the resources available on the Architecture Center, the Well-Architected Framework establishes a clear point of view on what good architecture looks like, giving architects a foundation for making sound decisions as the systems they design become more complex and less deterministic. 

Why the Well-Architected Framework is evolving

The previous iteration of the Well-Architected Framework was organized around three pillars representing well-architected Salesforce solutions: Trusted, Easy, and Adaptable. The guidance these pillars provide remains important, but today there is more to cover.

Architects are designing interconnected systems, autonomous agents, and experiences that go beyond traditional Salesforce interfaces. People aren’t “just using Salesforce” anymore. This creates more possibilities for architects, along with more architectural considerations to navigate. 

The evolved Well-Architected Framework is designed for that reality. It preserves the foundational guidance architects rely on today while expanding the framework to address a more complex and increasingly agentic world. The framework introduces the Agentic Enterprise as a lens, helping architects consider the unique implications of AI and agents throughout their architecture. It was developed by the Office of the Chief Architect for Tech and Product in close collaboration with architects around the world.

Meet the new Well-Architected Framework pillars

The framework is organized around five pillars:

1. Trust

Protect people, data, and systems through secure, compliant design.

2. Reliability

Build systems that continue working and recover gracefully when something fails.

3. Operational Excellence

Observe, automate, and continuously improve how systems run.

4. Resource and Cost Optimization

Invest intentionally to maximize long-term business value.

5. Fairness

Ensure systems are transparent, accessible, and equitable

Together, these pillars provide a comprehensive foundation for evaluating and ensuring architectural quality. They’re also designed to help architects navigate what rarely has a perfect answer: balance. Increasing reliability may require additional resources. Stronger controls may introduce complexity. Optimizing for one architectural quality can impact another. 

The framework makes those trade-offs visible so architects can make intentional decisions based on the needs of their organization, users, and use cases.

Designing for the Agentic Enterprise

The Agentic Enterprise introduces new architectural considerations, but the fundamental architectural principles remain the same. Agents don’t get their own rulebook. They must meet the same Trust, Reliability, Operational Excellence, Resource and Cost Optimization, and Fairness bar as any traditional enterprise solution. This distinction matters because every Salesforce Architect is at a different place in their organization’s AI and agents adoption. The foundational pillars of trust, reliability, operational excellence, resource and cost optimization, and fairness remain whether the architect is designing a traditional Salesforce solution, an agentic experience, or a mix of the two. 

Alongside each pillar, you’ll find a dedicated Agentic Enterprise lens that explores how that pillar’s principles apply when agents can reason, take action, and interact across systems. You can always start with the foundational principles, then layer in agentic considerations based on what you’re building. 

The Well-Architected Framework is designed not just for the architecture of today, but for the architecture that comes next. 

Built with Trailblazers

Hundreds of architects have helped shape the evolution of the Well-Architected Framework through focus groups, surveys, TDX participation, community events, and the Architect Ambassador program. Their perspectives are reflected throughout the evolved framework, from how it’s structured to how the guidance is presented and applied. 

The feedback and collaboration doesn’t stop here. The framework will continue to evolve alongside the technology and the architects putting it into practice.

Explore the new framework

The Salesforce Well-Architected Framework is available now on the Architecture Center. Whether you’re guiding an enterprise transformation, or figuring out what good architecture looks like in an agentic world, the framework is here to help you ask better questions, navigate important decisions, and design with confidence.

Explore the new pillars and dig into the Agentic Enterprise considerations.Let us know what you think. Together, we’re building a framework for what comes next.