Hauler
Guided Salesforce metadata deployment inside VS Code.
Hauler helps Salesforce teams scope, review, validate, and deploy metadata with more clarity and less risk—without bouncing between browser tabs, manual package.xml edits, and fragmented terminal workflows.
Walkthrough
A short walkthrough of Hauler’s guided deployment workflow inside VS Code.
Open the video directly
Hauler gives Salesforce teams a structured deployment workspace inside VS Code—so you can move from scope to review to validation to deployment in one focused flow, with better visibility before changes go live.
Why Hauler
- Move through a guided deployment flow instead of stitching together terminal commands, editor tabs, and hand-built package files.
- Review the exact metadata selection before anything reaches validation or deployment.
- Compare source and target content before changes go live, especially when the blast radius is unclear.
- Capture backups, package artifacts, and deployment context from the same workspace used to run the release.
- Validate first, inspect preflight and risk signals, then deploy with clearer operational context.
- Keep execution local, using your CLI and org access rather than routing work through a third-party relay.
Who Hauler Is For
- Salesforce developers shipping metadata changes regularly
- Consultants managing deployments across multiple orgs
- Release owners who want more visibility before deployment
- Technical leads who want a safer, more guided release workflow
- Admins and hybrid builders who want a clearer UI on top of local Salesforce CLI workflows
Quick Start
- Install Salesforce CLI.
- Authenticate an org from your terminal.
- Install Hauler in VS Code.
- Run
Hauler: Open.
- Connect your source and target orgs.
- Scope, review, validate, and deploy.
Core Capabilities
- Guided workflow: Move through a structured deployment workspace that keeps setup, scope, review, validation, and deployment in one place.
- Flexible source selection: Work from a connected org or a local Salesforce DX workspace, depending on where the change should come from.
- Review and diffs: Search the selected set, remove items before deploy, compare source vs target content, and generate
package.xml when needed.
- Validation controls: Run validation with explicit test-level choices, inspect progress, and unlock Quick Deploy only when Salesforce prerequisites are actually met.
- Safety and recovery: Run preflight checks, review risk flags, create source and target backups, and cancel active validate or deploy runs when needed.
- Operational context: Save deployment plans, keep local run history with titles and descriptions, and export diagnostics or run reports for review and support.
- Workspace-aware staging: Add supported files or folders directly from the VS Code Explorer or editor into Hauler's staged queue.
Why Hauler vs Manual Deployment
| Area |
Manual CLI / package.xml workflow |
Hauler |
| Flow |
Powerful, but largely self-orchestrated |
Guided path with explicit steps and checkpoints |
| Selection visibility |
Often spread across commands, files, and notes |
Searchable, reviewable selection in one workspace |
| Diff review |
Usually requires separate commands or tooling |
Compare source and target in the deployment flow |
| Backup preparation |
Manual retrieve and file handling |
Backup source and/or target from Review |
| Context switching |
Terminal, editor, and browser tabs split the work |
Scope, review, validate, and deploy in one focused flow |
| Audit context |
Usually external unless you capture it yourself |
Titles, descriptions, local history, diagnostics, and reports stay attached to the run |
Hauler does not replace Salesforce CLI. It gives teams a clearer operating layer on top of the local tools they already trust.
Trust, Security, and Local-First Execution
Runs locally inside VS Code
Uses your local Salesforce CLI and selected Salesforce org APIs
Stores sensitive auth material in VS Code Secret Storage
No telemetry libraries or analytics beacons in this codebase
- Hauler requires a trusted workspace because it executes local CLI operations and reads project files.
- Webview assets are bundled with the extension and served locally with a strict content security policy.
- No remote scripts, fonts, or CDN assets are required for the product UI.
- Temporary retrieve and deploy artifacts are created locally and cleaned up after operations.
- UI preferences, recent state, and local run history are stored in VS Code storage so work can survive reloads and updates.
- Durable stored state does not contain Salesforce auth tokens.
Deployment Workflow
- Connect: Choose the right source mode, confirm the target org, and label the run so it is still understandable later.
- Scope: Build the exact metadata selection by type, search, and staged workspace additions.
- Review: Inspect the final selection, compare changes, generate
package.xml, and capture backups when needed.
- Validate: Run validation with the right test level, then inspect progress, preflight results, risk signals, and diagnostics.
- Deploy: Launch a standard deploy or Quick Deploy when a valid successful validation makes that path available.
Connect → Scope → Review → Validate → Deploy
Commands
| Command |
What it does |
Hauler: Open |
Opens the main deployment workspace. |
Hauler: Stage Selected Workspace Component(s) |
Sends a supported file or folder from the Explorer or editor into Hauler's staged queue. |
Hauler: Export Diagnostics |
Exports diagnostics for support and troubleshooting, even if the webview is unavailable. |
Settings
| Setting |
Purpose |
hauler.sfPath |
Set an absolute path to sf or sf.cmd when Salesforce CLI is not available on PATH. |
hauler.themeMode |
Control theme behavior with webview, adaptive, or classic. |
hauler.uiScale |
Adjust interface scale for denser or roomier layouts across the Hauler workspace. |
hauler.metadataRequestTimeoutMs |
Increase metadata request timeout for large orgs or slower environments. |
Requirements
- Desktop VS Code with a trusted workspace
- Salesforce CLI (
sf) installed locally
- Authenticated Salesforce orgs available in your local CLI auth store
- A Salesforce DX source-format project when you want to use workspace metadata as the source
- Browser-hosted VS Code and virtual workspaces are not supported
Known Limitations
- Hauler is built around Salesforce source-format project workflows.
- It does not currently perform conflict detection against concurrent org changes.
- Quick Deploy depends on a successful eligible validation and Salesforce's availability window for that validation result.
Troubleshooting
- Orgs not showing: Run
sf org list auth, confirm the org is authenticated locally, then refresh the org list in Hauler.
sf not found: Install Salesforce CLI or set hauler.sfPath to the correct executable.- Stuck or blank webview: Close the panel, run
Hauler: Open again, and reload the VS Code window if needed.
- Login callback issues: If
sf org login web fails on localhost, fix the local Salesforce CLI auth flow first. Hauler depends on that same callback path.
- Need deeper diagnostics: Run
Hauler: Export Diagnostics and attach the exported file when reporting the issue.
Support
For product information and current support/contact paths, visit https://betascribe.com/
If you need help with Hauler, it helps to include:
- your VS Code version
- operating system
- Salesforce CLI version
- the step where the issue occurred
- diagnostics exported from
Hauler: Export Diagnostics, when available
Resources
- Product homepage: https://betascribe.com/
- Included with the extension:
CHANGELOG.md, LICENSE.txt, SECURITY.md, and SUPPORT.md
Install Hauler, connect your orgs, review with confidence, and ship changes with a clearer deployment workflow inside VS Code.
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