Salesforce certification maintenance schedule
Every role-based Salesforce certification needs one maintenance badge per year on Trailhead. Each credential is assigned to one release cycle (Spring, Summer or Winter); its badge appears a few weeks after that release and is due one year after it becomes available. Miss the due date and the certification expires. Foundations certifications and Accredited Professional credentials never need maintenance. This page tracks every cycle, its due date and the credentials it covers.
Maintenance cycles and due dates
| Cycle | Modules available | Due date | Status | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter '27 Not yet published by Salesforce; same credential set as Winter '26 expected. | Expected: badges early Dec 2026, due early Dec 2027 | Planned | Trailhead | |
| Summer '26 Eligibility: credential earned on or before Aug 24, 2026. | Aug 27, 2026 | Aug 20, 2027 in 329 days | Available | Trailhead |
| Spring '26 Eligibility: credential earned on or before Apr 22, 2026. | Apr 23, 2026 | Apr 16, 2027 in 203 days | Available | Trailhead |
| Winter '26 Eligibility: credential earned on or before Dec 8, 2025. | Dec 11, 2025 | Dec 4, 2026 in 70 days | Available | Trailhead |
| Summer '25 Eligibility: credential earned on or before Aug 25, 2025. | Aug 28, 2025 | Aug 21, 2026 | Closed | Trailhead |
| Spring '25 Eligibility: credential earned on or before Apr 16, 2025. | Apr 24, 2025 | Apr 17, 2026 | Closed | Trailhead |
| Winter '25 | Dec 12, 2024 | Dec 5, 2025 | Closed | Trailhead |
Dates are Pacific Time as published on the Salesforce certification maintenance schedule; Salesforce marks them subject to change. Eligibility means you must have earned the credential on or before that date to take the badge in that cycle; newer holders wait for the next cycle.
Which credentials need which module
| Credential group | Credentials | Maintenance module |
|---|---|---|
| Winter cycle (badges in December, due the following December) | Platform Developer I and II (one Platform Developer badge), Platform App Builder, Architect badge: Platform Data Architect, Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect, Identity and Access Management Architect, Platform Integration Architect, Sharing and Visibility Architect, Application Architect, System Architect, Technical Architect (stacked: App Builder + Platform Developer + Architect badges), B2C Solution Architect, Data 360 Consultant, Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator and Consultant, MuleSoft Developer, MuleSoft Catalyst Consultant, MuleSoft Hyperautomation Developer, Slack Developer, Tableau Architect, Consultant, Data Analyst, Server Administrator | Winter maintenance badges |
| Spring cycle (badges in April, due the following April) | Platform Administrator and Platform Administrator II, Agentforce Sales Consultant, Agentforce Service Consultant, Agentforce Field Service and Operations Consultant, Agentforce Nonprofit Consultant (via the Platform Administrator badge), Nonprofit Success Pack Consultant, Education Cloud Consultant, Experience Cloud Consultant (via the Platform Administrator badge), B2C Commerce Developer and B2C Commerce Architect, CPQ Administrator, CRM Analytics and Einstein Discovery Consultant, Marketing Cloud Engagement Specialist and Developer, MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect, Slack Administrator, Platform Strategy Designer | Spring maintenance badges |
| Summer cycle (badges in August, due the following August) | Agentforce Specialist, Business Analyst, Heroku Architect, JavaScript Developer, Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist, MuleSoft Platform Architect, OmniStudio Consultant and OmniStudio Developer, Platform User Experience Designer, Revenue Management Consultant, Slack Consultant | Summer maintenance badges |
| No maintenance required | All Foundations certifications (Agentforce Sales Foundations, MuleSoft Integration Foundations, Tableau Desktop Foundations, Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Foundations and others) never expire, Accredited Professional credentials: no action needed while Salesforce revamps the program | None |
How to complete maintenance
- Log in to Trailhead with the account linked to your Webassessor certification profile (check under Settings > Certifications).
- Open the Maintain Your Salesforce Certifications trail and pick the badge for your credential's cycle.
- Read the release highlights unit and pass the short quiz; there is no proctoring and no fee.
- Check your credential status on Trailhead within a day; it moves back to Active with the new maintenance year recorded.
- Stacked credentials (Application Architect, System Architect, Technical Architect) need every underlying badge: App Builder, Platform Developer and the Architect badge.
Study for the module with the actual notes. Maintenance modules quiz the headline features of the release. Our release notes coverage groups every feature by role, so Admin and Developer candidates can review only what applies to them.
Frequently asked questions
How often do I need to maintain a Salesforce certification?
Once a year per certification. Salesforce assigns every credential to one release cycle (Spring, Summer or Winter), publishes a maintenance badge on Trailhead a few weeks after that release, and gives you one year from the badge's availability date to complete it. The old model of a module every release was replaced in 2018.
When is the next Salesforce certification maintenance due?
The Winter '26 badges are due December 4, 2026 (Platform Developer, App Builder, the Architect badge, Data 360 Consultant, Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator, MuleSoft Developer and others). Spring '26 badges are due April 16, 2027 and Summer '26 badges August 20, 2027. The table above shows every open cycle with a countdown.
What happens if I miss the maintenance deadline?
The certification expires. Recently expired credentials can sometimes be reinstated through a Trailhead support case, decided case by case; a credential expired for more than one cycle must be earned again by retaking the exam.
Does certification maintenance cost anything?
No. Maintenance badges are free Trailhead modules with a short quiz and no proctoring. Only the original exam has a fee.
Which certifications do not need maintenance?
Foundations certifications never expire, and Accredited Professional credentials currently need no maintenance while Salesforce reworks the program. Every other role-based certification (Administrator, Developer, Architect, Consultant, Designer, Marketing Cloud, Data 360, Agentforce, MuleSoft, Tableau, Slack) needs its yearly badge.
I just earned my certification. Do I need this cycle's badge?
Only if you earned it on or before the cycle's eligibility date, typically a few days before the badge is released. Newer holders are automatically assigned to the next cycle for their credential.
Where is the official maintenance schedule?
On Salesforce Help, article Salesforce Certification Maintenance Schedule (id 005298922), reachable from Trailhead Help. The live badges are in the Maintain Your Salesforce Certifications trail on Trailhead.
Official source: Trailhead certification maintenance. Data: /certification-maintenance/data.json.