Step 2: Build a Package.xml Manifest

Package.xml Manifest Structure

The package.xml manifest uses Extensible Markup Language (XML) to identify and migrate metadata components. The basic framework of the package.xml manifest is built with <types> elements. A <types> element specifies which metadata type you want to work with. You can add multiple <types> to a package.xml file.

Inside the <types> element is the <name> element and the <members> element. The <members> element selects for individual components of a specific type, and the <name> element selects for metadata component types. To work with a specific component, input the fullName of the component in the <members> element.

For example, to retrieve Account components, add Account in the <members> element and CustomObject in the <name> element in your package.xml. When you issue a retrieve call, you retrieve only the Account component from your org.

1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
2<Package xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
3    <types>
4        <members>Account</members>
5        <name>CustomObject</name>
6    </types>
7    <version>64.0</version>
8</Package>

Retrieve Custom Objects

To retrieve all components of a metadata type, you don’t specify the fullName of a component. Instead, use the wildcard character * (asterisk) in the <members> tag. Some components, such as standard objects, don’t support * (asterisk) as a specifier.

To retrieve all custom objects from your org:

1. (Optional) If you do not have a project folder, use Salesforce CLI to create a new directory that organizes your project. Run this command with your specified project name:

   sf project generate --name YourProjectName

2. Create a file called package.xml in your project.
3. In your text editor, open the file and paste in this script:

1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
2<Package xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
3    <types>
4        <members>*</members>
5        <name>CustomObject</name>
6    </types>
7    <version>64.0</version>
8</Package>

Now you have a package.xml file that we can use to retrieve all custom objects. When you develop more on your own, you can retrieve more components from your org with multiple <types> elements.