---
title: "AppLink Fundamentals I: AppLink Integration Patterns – Connecting Salesforce to Heroku Applications"
description: "AppLink Fundamentals I describes four integration patterns for connecting Salesforce orgs with Heroku applications, focusing on API access and Salesforce extension. Pattern 1 uses run-as-user authentication for automated or customer-facing applications, with the AppLink add-on, CLI plugin, optional SDK, named authorizations, and SOQL queries through the Data API; the SDK manages authentication, session management, and connection pooling for single- or multi-org access. Pattern 2 lets Salesforce users invoke published Heroku services through Flow, Apex, or Agentforce, using User Mode or elevated “user mode plus” permissions controlled by Permission Sets, an OpenAPI description, and a service-mesh buildpack that blocks external access. The post also positions batch processing and real-time eventing as extensions of these patterns, and describes Data Cloud querying and Data Action Targets for applications to receive Data Cloud events."
---

# AppLink Fundamentals I: AppLink Integration Patterns – Connecting Salesforce to Heroku Applications

[Heroku](https://yomu.fyi/company/heroku) · Ken W. Alger · Jul 29, 2025

**Type:** Tutorial

## Summary

AppLink Fundamentals I describes four integration patterns for connecting Salesforce orgs with Heroku applications, focusing on API access and Salesforce extension. Pattern 1 uses run-as-user authentication for automated or customer-facing applications, with the AppLink add-on, CLI plugin, optional SDK, named authorizations, and SOQL queries through the Data API; the SDK manages authentication, session management, and connection pooling for single- or multi-org access. Pattern 2 lets Salesforce users invoke published Heroku services through Flow, Apex, or Agentforce, using User Mode or elevated “user mode plus” permissions controlled by Permission Sets, an OpenAPI description, and a service-mesh buildpack that blocks external access. The post also positions batch processing and real-time eventing as extensions of these patterns, and describes Data Cloud querying and Data Action Targets for applications to receive Data Cloud events.

## Context

The post says understanding AppLink’s integration patterns is key to leveraging it effectively because the patterns dictate how Heroku applications interact with and enhance Salesforce orgs.

## Approach / What changed

It presents deployment commands, Node.js and Java integration details, authentication modes, required AppLink components, OpenAPI-based service publishing, and extensions for batch jobs, real-time eventing, and Data Cloud actions.

## Takeaways

- Pattern 1 uses run-as-user authorizations and supports Salesforce API access across multiple orgs, including SOQL queries through the Data API.
- Pattern 2 publishes Heroku services for invocation from Flow, Apex, or Agentforce and uses User Mode or Permission Set-controlled user mode plus permissions.
- Pattern 3 extends Salesforce processing with Heroku Workers, while Pattern 4 uses run-as-user authentication for Platform Events and Change Data Capture.

**Tags:** [Heroku](https://yomu.fyi/topic/heroku), [OpenAPI](https://yomu.fyi/topic/openapi), [Salesforce](https://yomu.fyi/topic/salesforce)

- Source: [Heroku](https://www.heroku.com/blog/applink-fundamentals-integration-patterns-salesforce-heroku)
- Source URL: https://www.heroku.com/blog/applink-fundamentals-integration-patterns-salesforce-heroku
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-09-10T04:04:10.532Z

[Read original post](https://www.heroku.com/blog/applink-fundamentals-integration-patterns-salesforce-heroku)