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A key design philosophy of the Agentforce Context Protocol (ACP) is its inherent extensibility. ACP provides a robust foundation that developers can easily build upon to integrate new systems and introduce custom functionalities for Agentforce agents. This allows your Agentforce agents to connect to a virtually unlimited range of enterprise systems and data sources.

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Extending ACP: New Connectors and Tools

The primary way to extend ACP is by creating:
  1. New Connectors: These are the bridges that link ACP to specific external systems, Salesforce clouds, or other data platforms. If you need Agentforce agents to interact with a system not yet supported out-of-the-box, you can develop a Connector for it.
  2. New Tools within Connectors: Tools represent the specific actions or queries an agent can perform via a Connector. By defining new Tools, you expose the unique capabilities of the connected system to your agents.

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Standardized Development with Apex for Salesforce

For integrations deeply tied to the Salesforce ecosystem, ACP promotes a standardized approach to Connector development. Developers can:
  • Build Connectors using Apex: Custom Connectors can be implemented as Apex classes within Salesforce.
  • Follow ACP Standards: These Apex-based Connectors adhere to a defined ACP interface and structure, ensuring they integrate smoothly into the ACP framework. This standardized format simplifies development and promotes consistency across different Connectors.
  • Leverage Salesforce Platform Capabilities: Building on Apex allows Connectors to seamlessly utilize Salesforce features like Named Credentials for secure authentication to target systems, and to respect Salesforce’s robust security and sharing models.

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Benefits of Extensibility

  • Tailored Integrations: Connect any system, whether it’s a modern SaaS application or a legacy internal service, to your Agentforce agents.
  • Custom Agent Capabilities: Equip agents with unique Tools that perform specialized tasks or access proprietary business logic.
  • Adaptability: As your enterprise systems evolve, ACP can evolve with them through the addition of new Connectors and Tools.
By providing a clear and standardized path for extension, particularly through Apex for Salesforce-centric components, ACP empowers developers to significantly broaden the scope and power of their AI agent solutions. More detailed developer guides for creating Connectors will be available in the Guides section. Return to Core Concepts Overview.