SOAP API Developer Guide

Getting Started
Introducing SOAP API
Quick Start
Step 1: Obtain a Salesforce Developer Edition Organization
Step 2: Generate or Obtain the Web Service WSDL
Step 3: Import the WSDL File Into Your Development Platform
Step 4: Walk Through the Sample Code
Object Basics
API Call Basics
Error Handling
Security and the API
Using the Partner WSDL
Reference
Using the API with Salesforce Features
Glossary
PDF

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Step 2: Generate or Obtain the Web Service WSDL

To access the Force.com Web service, you need a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) file. The WSDL file defines the Web service that is available to you. Your development platform uses this WSDL to generate an API to access the Force.com Web service it defines. You can either obtain the WSDL file from your organization’s Salesforce administrator or you can generate it yourself if you have access to the WSDL download page in the Salesforce user interface. You can navigate to the most recent WSDL for your organization from Setup by entering API in the Quick Find box, then selecting API.

For more information about WSDL, see http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl.

Generating the WSDL File for Your Organization

Any user with the Modify All Data permission can download the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file to integrate and extend Salesforce using the API. (The System Administrator profile has this permission.)

The WSDL file is dynamically generated based on which type of WSDL file (enterprise or partner) you download. The generated WSDL defines all of the API calls, objects (including standard and custom objects), and fields that are available for API access for your organization.

To generate the WSDL file for your organization:

  1. Log in to your Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, or Developer Edition Salesforce account. You must log in as an administrator or as a user who has the “Modify All Data” permission. Logins are checked to ensure they are from a known IP address. For more information, see “Restrict Where and When Users Can Log In to Salesforce” in the Salesforce online help.
  2. From Setup, enter API in the Quick Find box, then select API to display the WSDL download page.
  3. Download the appropriate WSDL:
    • If you’re downloading an enterprise WSDL and you have managed packages installed in your org, click Generate Enterprise WSDL. Salesforce prompts you to select the version of each installed package to include in the generated WSDL.
    • Otherwise, right-click the link for the appropriate WSDL document to save it to a local directory. In the menu, Internet Explorer users can choose Save Target As, while Mozilla Firefox users can choose Save Link As.