Getting Started

Welcome to Salesforce Navigator! This guide will help you understand the core concepts and get productive quickly.

Core Concepts

Modal Editing

Salesforce Navigator's Record Editor is based on modal editing, inspired by vim. Instead of always typing, you switch between different modes:

• Normal Mode (Blue) - Navigate and execute commands
• Insert Mode (Dark Blue) - Edit field values
• Command Mode (Red) - Execute colon commands like :w or :q
• Search Mode (Green) - Search for fields

Each mode has its own set of commands and behaviors. This separation makes the interface faster and more powerful.

Why Modal Editing?

Modal editing might feel unfamiliar at first, but it's incredibly efficient. Once you learn the basics, you'll navigate and edit records faster than ever before. The key insight: most time is spent reading and navigating, not typing—so optimize for those activities.

Keyboard Shortcuts

All features are triggered by keyboard shortcuts:

Shortcut	Feature	Description
Ctrl+Shift+M	Navigator Panel	Open command palette
Ctrl+Shift+E	Record Editor	Edit current record
Ctrl+Shift+I	Inspector Panel	Toggle inspector popup
Ctrl+Shift+Q	SOQL Query	Open query tool

These shortcuts work on any Salesforce Lightning page.

Session Management

Salesforce Navigator uses your existing Salesforce session. No additional login required. The extension:

1. Retrieves your sid cookie from Salesforce
2. Uses it as a Bearer token for API calls
3. Converts domains automatically (e.g., lightning.force.com → my.salesforce.com)

Session Required

You must be logged into Salesforce for the extension to work. If your session expires, refresh the page and log back in.

Your First 5 Minutes

1. Open Navigator Panel

1. Navigate to any Salesforce Lightning page
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+M
3. Type "Account" to search for the Account object
4. Press Enter to navigate

Fuzzy Search

You don't need to type the full name. Try "permset" for Permission Sets or "flowbuild" for Flow Builder. The search uses fuzzy matching to find what you need.

2. Edit Your First Record

1. Open any Salesforce record (e.g., an Account)
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+E
3. A new tab opens with the Record Editor
4. Try these commands:
   • Press j to move down to the next field
   • Press k to move up to the previous field
   • Press i to enter Insert mode
   • Type a new value
   • Press Esc to exit Insert mode
   • Type :w and press Enter to save

Getting Unstuck

If you ever feel lost, press Esc to return to Normal mode. Type :help to see all available commands.

3. Search for Fields

While in the Record Editor:

1. Press / to start a regular search
2. Type a field name (e.g., "Name")
3. All fields remain visible, matches are highlighted
4. Press Ctrl+N to jump to next match

Or use filtered search:

1. Press Ctrl+/ to start filtered search
2. Type a field name
3. Only matching fields are shown
4. Press Esc to show all fields again

4. Open Inspector Panel

1. From any Salesforce page, press Ctrl+Shift+I
2. The inspector popup appears in the bottom-right
3. View tabs: Objects, Users, Org
4. Press j/k to navigate, y to copy values
5. Press h/l to switch between tabs

5. Run a SOQL Query

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Q from any page
2. Type a SOQL query:

   SELECT Id, Name, Email FROM Contact WHERE Account.Name = 'Acme' LIMIT 10

3. Press the Execute button or Ctrl+Enter
4. Navigate results with j/k
5. Click Export to download as JSON or CSV

Essential Commands

Navigator Panel Commands

Command	Action
Type	Fuzzy search across all metadata
flow>	Filter to flows only
object>	Filter to objects only
setup>	Filter to setup pages only
↑ / ↓	Navigate results
Enter	Open selected item
Esc	Close panel

Record Editor Commands

Mode	Command	Action
Normal	j	Move down one field
Normal	k	Move up one field
Normal	gg	Jump to first field
Normal	G	Jump to last field
Normal	i	Enter Insert mode (edit current field)
Normal	a	Enter Insert mode (edit current field)
Normal	/	Search fields (regular)
Normal	Ctrl+/	Search fields (filtered)
Normal	u	Undo last change
Normal	U	Redo last undone change
Normal	y	Copy (yank) field value
Normal	p	Paste yanked value
Normal	Ctrl+K	View field details popup
Insert	Type	Edit field value
Insert	Esc	Exit Insert mode
Command	:w	Save changes
Command	:wq	Save and quit
Command	:q	Quit without saving
Command	:help	Show help

Inspector Panel Commands

Command	Action
j	Move down
k	Move up
h	Switch to left tab
l	Switch to right tab
y	Copy selected value
/	Search objects or users
Esc	Close panel

Understanding Modes

Normal Mode (Blue Border)

This is the default mode. You can:

• Navigate between fields with j/k
• Jump to first/last field with gg/G
• Search fields with /
• Enter Insert mode with i or a
• Enter Command mode by typing :
• Copy/paste values with y/p

The mode indicator in the top-right shows "NORMAL" in blue.

Insert Mode (Dark Blue Border)

In this mode, you can type to edit the field value. You enter Insert mode by pressing i or a in Normal mode.

• Type freely to change the field
• Press Esc to return to Normal mode
• Changes are tracked but not saved until you use :w

The mode indicator shows "INSERT" in dark blue.

Command Mode (Red Border)

Enter Command mode by typing : in Normal mode. The command input appears at the bottom of the editor.

• Type commands like w, wq, q, help, refresh
• Press Enter to execute
• Press Esc to cancel

The mode indicator shows "COMMAND" in red.

Search Mode (Green Border)

Enter Search mode by pressing / or Ctrl+/ in Normal mode.

• Type to search field names
• Regular search (/) highlights matches
• Filtered search (Ctrl+/) shows only matches
• Press Esc to exit search

The mode indicator shows "SEARCH" in green.

Tips for Success

1. Stay in Normal Mode

Spend most of your time in Normal mode. Only enter Insert mode when you need to edit a value. This keeps your hands on the home row and navigation fast.

2. Use Fuzzy Search

In Navigator Panel, type abbreviations:

• "ps" finds "Permission Sets"
• "accobj" finds "Account Object"
• "flowbuild" finds "Flow Builder"

3. Learn Incrementally

You don't need to memorize everything. Start with:

1. j/k for navigation
2. i to edit
3. :wq to save and quit

Add more commands as you get comfortable.

4. Use Visual Indicators

The extension provides visual feedback:

• Blue border - Normal mode, focused field
• Dark blue - Insert mode, editing
• Orange border - Field has unsaved changes
• Green border - Search match
• Field counter (bottom-right) - Current position / total fields

5. Read the Field Counter

The field counter in the bottom-right (e.g., "5/42") shows:

• Current field number
• Total number of fields

Use it to track your progress through long records.

Common Workflows

Bulk Editing Multiple Fields

1. Open record with Ctrl+Shift+E
2. Navigate to first field with j/k
3. Press i, edit value, press Esc
4. Press j to move to next field
5. Press i, edit value, press Esc
6. Repeat for all fields
7. Type :w to save all changes at once

Finding a Specific Field

Method 1: Filtered Search

1. Press Ctrl+/
2. Type field name (e.g., "Email")
3. Only matching fields shown
4. Press i to edit
5. Press Esc to exit search and show all fields

Method 2: Regular Search

1. Press /
2. Type field name
3. All fields visible, matches highlighted
4. Press Ctrl+N to jump to next match
5. Press i to edit

Editing Related Records

1. Open parent record (e.g., Account)
2. Find a lookup field (e.g., Owner)
3. Click the ID link in the Value column
4. Related record opens in new editor tab
5. Edit related record
6. Close tab to return to parent

Exporting Query Results

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Q
2. Write SOQL query
3. Execute query
4. Click "Export as JSON" or "Export as CSV"
5. File downloads to your Downloads folder

What's Next?

Now that you understand the basics, dive deeper into each feature:

• Navigator Panel - Master metadata search and navigation
• Record Editor - Learn all editing commands and field types
• Inspector Panel - Explore org and object metadata
• SOQL Query Tool - Write queries with autocomplete and variables

Or jump to:

• Keyboard Shortcuts Reference - Complete command list
• Common Workflows - Real-world examples
• Tips & Tricks - Power user techniques

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you use Salesforce Navigator, the faster you'll get. Start with simple tasks and gradually incorporate more commands. Within a week, you'll be navigating Salesforce faster than ever before.