API strategy: I use Salesforce REST API for real-time operations (creating records, updating fields) and Bulk API 2.0 for large data migrations (10,000+ records). Composite API batches multiple operations into a single request, reducing API call consumption by up to 80%.
Authentication: OAuth 2.0 with JWT Bearer flow for server-to-server integration — no user interaction needed for token refresh. Connected App configured with minimum required permissions following the principle of least privilege.
Real-time sync: Platform Events and Change Data Capture (CDC) notify your integration when Salesforce records change. This eliminates polling and ensures sub-second sync latency. For high-volume scenarios, I implement event replay with durable streaming to prevent data loss.
Error handling: Every API call includes retry with exponential backoff, dead letter queues for permanently failed records, and automated alerting. Daily reconciliation job compares record counts between systems to catch silent sync failures.