Happy New Year. As we kick off 2026, Salesforce is wasting no time: Spring '26 preview orgs go live on January 9th, Agentforce for Setup hits beta this month, and the Platform Admin exam gets a major overhaul with more AI focus. Here's what you need to know as the ecosystem enters a defining year for agentic AI.
Top Stories
Spring '26 Preview Orgs Go Live Next Week
Salesforce will upgrade preview instances to Spring '26 on January 9th, with full production rollouts happening across three weekends: January 10, February 14, and February 21, 2026. The release is packed with Flow enhancements (including the new Kanban Board Screen Component and Flow Logging for troubleshooting) and Agentforce improvements for lead qualification.
Why it matters: The big integration change to watch: Salesforce is ending automatic redirection for API calls using instance-based URLs. If your integrations still use instance names instead of My Domain URLs, now is the time to audit and update before production upgrades hit.
Agentforce for Setup Enters Beta in January
The reimagined "Setup Powered by Agentforce" is rolling out as a beta this month, bringing an AI assistant directly into Setup. This is a significant evolution from the "Agent for Setup" preview shown at TDX 2025, now offering capabilities like managing users, creating custom objects and fields, troubleshooting permission issues, and navigating to the right Setup page for any task.
Why it matters: This isn't just a chatbot in Setup. It can freeze users, clone permission sets, suggest existing objects when you're about to create duplicates, and summarize Help documentation. For admins managing complex orgs, this could meaningfully reduce time spent on routine configuration tasks.
Platform Admin Exam Gets Major 2026 Update
Salesforce has updated the Platform Administrator certification exam for 2026 with a significant shift toward AI and Agentforce content. The new exam places greater emphasis on understanding agentic concepts while reducing focus on traditional declarative configuration topics.
Why it matters: This signals where Salesforce sees the admin role heading. If you're maintaining certifications or preparing candidates, factor in time for Agentforce fundamentals. The ecosystem is clearly pivoting from "admins configure Salesforce" to "admins orchestrate AI agents."
Agentforce 360 Introduces Agent Script for Predictable Agent Behavior
The Agentforce 360 release introduces Agent Script, a new scripting language that combines AI creativity with code-like predictability. Teams can now define agent behavior using a human-readable expression language with conditional logic, precise tool use, and deterministic controls.
Why it matters: This gives architects and admins more control over how agents behave in production. Rather than relying solely on prompts, you can now enforce specific workflows and guarantee certain actions fire every time. Expect "deterministic agent design" to become a key implementation skill in 2026.
AI Associate Certification Retires February 2, 2026
The Salesforce AI Associate certification officially retires next month on February 2, 2026. If you earned the credential before the May 2025 cutoff, your certification status will show as "Retired" on your Trailblazer profile and won't appear on the verification page.
Why it matters: Salesforce is replacing the AI Associate with "Agentblazer Status," a new tiered recognition program (Champion, Innovator, Legend) earned through Trailhead modules. The Agentforce Specialist certification remains the stronger credential to pursue, and it's still free through the AI for All initiative.
Industry Spotlight: Financial Services
Salesforce has introduced Agentforce Collections Assistance for Financial Services, designed to scale debt recovery with AI-assisted automation. This is part of Salesforce's continued investment in Financial Services Cloud, which powers operations at thousands of financial institutions globally through partners like nCino. For banks and credit unions still evaluating AI adoption, the collections use case offers a relatively contained entry point: it's a high-volume, process-driven function where AI can handle routine outreach while escalating complex cases to specialists.
Recommended Trail
Platform Developer Certification Maintenance: Winter '26 (30 minutes)
Even if you're not a developer, this module covers key platform changes including large external callout pointers for avoiding heap limits, LWS Trusted Mode for third-party scripts, and the new lightning/graphql module. Understanding these capabilities helps when scoping integrations or evaluating custom development options for your org.
Quick Takes
- Agentforce 360 adds Google Gemini support: Agentforce now supports Google Gemini alongside OpenAI and Anthropic, giving enterprises more model choice for agent deployments.
- Agentforce adoption accelerates: In Q3 FY26 earnings, Salesforce reported over 18,000 Agentforce deals closed and significant growth in agentic product revenue, with customers running billions of automated workflows monthly.
That's a Wrap
The new year is off to a fast start. Between Spring '26 prep, Agentforce beta rollouts, and certification changes, there's plenty to keep the ecosystem busy. Questions about any of these updates or how they might affect your Salesforce org? Get in touch - always happy to discuss.