Trailhead just got an Extreme Makeover! This week we released the biggest update to Trailhead since our launch at last year’s Dreamforce. If you haven’t heard of or tried Trailhead yet, drop your plans to catch up on Game of Thrones episodes (spoiler alert : everyone dies eventually) and go check it out right now. Trailhead makes learning Salesforce fun, guided and hands-on and you can read more about it here. Now, lets talk about all the goodies that we released this week:

New Trails for Admins and Developers

Let’s start with what a trail is. Trailhead breaks down the Salesforce1 Platform into bite-sized, digestible pieces (aka ‘modules‘) and presents developers and admins with a guided learning path (aka ‘trails‘) for consuming those pieces. Previously, Trailhead had three trails that covered a mix of developer and admin topics. We have now reorganized the trails into four clearly segmented trails – Beginner Admin, Intermediate Admin, Beginner Developer and Intermediate Developer. Based on your role and experience level, you’ll now be able to choose one or more of these trails and work your way up to the summit – an #AwesomeAdmin superhero or Developer ninja! Note that some of the trails share common modules. The beginner developer trail for example includes some of the core declarative modules (e.g. Data Modeling, Process Automation) that are also part of the beginner admin trail. This reflects the ‘clicks before code’ ethos of the Platform and reinforces the importance of understanding the declarative power of the platform for developers.

Three New Badges

This release also includes a super-sized helping of new content in the form of three new modules.

	Lightning App Builder lets you build mobile apps for Salesforce1 using a powerful drag-and-drop interface – no coding required. Learn more about it in this new module and then test your knowledge with the hands-on challenges!
	Lightning Connect is a game changer when it comes to integrating external applications with Salesforce. It uses the OData 2.0 industry standard to integrate backend systems like SAP and Microsoft Sharepoint – all using point-and-click tools. The data from the external application is queried in real-time (i.e. its never cached or stored in Salesforce) and you can learn all about it in this module.
	I don’t really have to explain the importance of creating reports and dashboards do I? I do? I can’t do it any better than Jennifer Wobser, one of our awesome MVPs. Then check out this awesome new module and practice your reporting skills with the hands-on challenges.

Revised Content

In addition to the three new modules, we’ve also revised two existing modules.

The new Salesforce Platform Basics module is a fantastic introduction to the platform for admins, developers and business users – really anyone interested in understanding the power of the leading enterprise cloud platform. The next time your colleague, manager or customer asks you “what’s this Salesforce thing I keep hearing about?” or “what can I do with the platform” – you know where you send them.

The Formulas and Validation module has also gotten a makeover with a completely rewritten introduction to formulas. The new unit has a ton of great real-world examples and even a section on debugging formulas! This one is an absolute must-read for all #AwesomeAdmins out there.

We’re super excited about this release at Trailhead HQ and we can’t wait to see you earn the new badges and hike the new trails. And as always, happy trails.