Second-Generation Managed Packaging Developer Guide

Second-Generation Managed Packages
What’s a Second-Generation Managed Package?
Set Up Your Development Environment
Before You Create Second-Generation Managed Packages
Scratch Orgs and Package Development
Workflow for Second-Generation Managed Packages
Components Available in Second-Generation Managed Packages
Behavior of Specific Metadata in Second-Generation Managed Packages
Develop Second-Generation Managed Packages
Install and Uninstall Second-Generation Managed Packages
Prepare to Distribute Your Second-Generation Managed Package
Push a Package Upgrade for Second-Generation Managed Packages
Advanced Features for Second-Generation Managed Packages
Best Practices for Second-Generation Managed Packages
Manage Licenses for Managed Packages
Manage Features in Second-Generation Managed Packages
Feature Parameter Metadata Types and Custom Objects
Set Up Feature Parameters
Use LMO-to-Subscriber Feature Parameters to Enable and Disable Features
Track Preferences and Activation Metrics with Subscriber-to-LMO Feature Parameters
Hide Custom Objects and Custom Permissions in Your Subscribers’ Orgs
Best Practices for Feature Management
Considerations for Feature Management
Get Started with AppExchange App Analytics
Gaps Between First-Generation and Second-Generation Managed Packaging
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Hide Custom Objects and Custom Permissions in Your Subscribers’ Orgs

Occasionally, you want to include custom permissions or custom objects in a package but not show them to your subscribers. For example, if you're piloting a feature for a few select orgs, and want to hide custom permissions and custom objects related to the pilot feature.

Check with your company’s legal team before releasing hidden functionality.

Note

To hide custom objects when creating your package, set the value of their Visibility field to Protected. After you've set the visibility to Protected, you can later update it to Unprotected. To change the visibility of an object, use the CustomObject Metadata API and update the visibility field.

To hide custom permissions when creating your package, from Setup, enter Custom Permissions in the Quick Find box. Select Custom Permissions | Your Custom Permission | Edit. Enable Protected Component, and then click Save. After your package is installed, use the System.FeatureManagement.changeProtection() Apex method to hide and unhide custom objects and permissions.

After you’ve released unprotected objects to subscribers, you can’t change the visibility to Protected.

Warning

To hide custom permissions in released packages:
  • System.FeatureManagement.changeProtection('YourCustomPermissionName', 'CustomPermission', 'Protected');
To unhide custom permissions and custom objects in released packages:
  • System.FeatureManagement.changeProtection('YourCustomPermissionName', 'CustomPermission', 'Unprotected');
  • System.FeatureManagement.changeProtection('YourCustomObjectName__c', 'CustomObject', 'Unprotected');