Streaming API Developer Guide

Getting Started with Streaming API
Push Technology
Bayeux Protocol, CometD, and Long Polling
Streaming API Terms
How the Client Connects
Message Reliability
Message Durability
Streaming Event Features
Streaming API vs. Pub/Sub API
Differences Between Change Events Received with Streaming API vs. Pub/Sub API
API End-of-Life Policy
Code Examples
Client Connection Considerations
PushTopic Events (Legacy)
Generic Events (Legacy)
Monitoring Event Usage
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Note: This release is in preview. Features described here don’t become generally available until the latest general availability date that Salesforce announces for this release. Before then, and where features are noted as beta, pilot, or developer preview, we can’t guarantee general availability within any particular time frame or at all. Make your purchase decisions only on the basis of generally available products and features.

Streaming Event Features

The Lightning Platform offers several types of streaming events. To determine which event meets your use case, compare the features of the various events.

PushTopic and generic events are legacy products. Salesforce no longer enhances them with new features and provides limited support for them. Instead of PushTopic events, consider using Change Data Capture events. Instead of generic events, consider using Platform Events. To learn about Change Data Capture events, see the Change Data Capture Developer Guide and the Change Data Capture Basics Trailhead module. To learn about Platform Events, see Platform Events Developer Guide and the Platform Events Basics Trailhead module.

Important

Feature Change Data Capture Event Platform Event PushTopic Event (Legacy) Generic Event (Legacy)
Define a custom schema as strongly typed fields N/A Yes N/A No
Include user-defined payloads N/A Yes N/A Yes
Publish custom events via one or more APIs N/A Yes N/A Yes
Publish events via Apex N/A Yes N/A No
Publish declaratively using Process Builder and Flow Builder N/A Yes N/A No
Publish to specific users N/A No N/A Yes
Subscribe via CometD using JavaScript, Java, and other languages Yes Yes Yes Yes
Subscribe via Pub/Sub API Yes Yes No No
Subscribe via Apex triggers Yes Yes No No
Filter subscriptions Yes Yes Yes No
Receive auto-published event notifications for Salesforce record changes Yes N/A Yes N/A
Choose the fields to include in event notifications for Salesforce record changes No N/A Yes N/A
Receive a versioned event schema Yes Yes No No
Get field-level security Yes No Yes No
Get record-sharing support No N/A Yes N/A
Encrypt field data with Shield Platform Encryption Yes Yes No No
Replay retained event notifications Yes Yes Yes Yes
Event retention period 3 days 3 days* 1 day 1 day

* Standard-volume platform events are retained for 1 day.