ANT Migration Tool End of Life

ANT Migration Tool

The last released version of the tool is Winter '24 (v59.0).

The tool continues to function for future API versions but isn't updated with new functionality and isn't supported.

If you continue to use it, you do run the risk of not being able to access any new functionality that was added to the API or any new metadata types released after API v59.0.

Salesforce CLI is the officially recommended and maintained Salesforce client to access Metadata API services.

SF CLI advantages

You can use MDAPI or Source format - up to you.

You do not need to use Packages or Scratch Orgs, it is optional.

Whatever CI/CD you have built with ANT you can achieve the same with SF CLI and some scripts like Bash, Python or PowerShell.

SF CLI is supported and updated weekly. It is a free and open-source solution where the community has built multiple plugins that can fully cover simple CI/CD.

Working with SF CLI and plugins in an IDE like Visual Studio Code is simply better and easier for developers than working with ANT.

Your next steps

Get to know Salesforce CLI in a test environment like a scratch org, developer org or Trailhead org.

Evaluate what it will take for your project to migrate from ANT to SF CLI.

If migration to SF CLI goes wrong, you should be able to use ANT still until all fixes are applied.

Make sure all developers are familiar with SF CLI.

If you are still using the MDAPI format it is a great opportunity to migrate into (DX) source format.

SF CLI is way better documented, so be sure to read the docs first before migration to understand all the new possibilities it gives you.