{
 "updated": "2026-09-25",
 "source": "https://sfupdates.com/certification-maintenance/",
 "license": "CC-BY 4.0",
 "policy": {
  "intro": "Every role-based Salesforce certification needs <strong>one maintenance badge per year</strong> 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 <strong>due one year after it becomes available</strong>. 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.",
  "cadence": "1 / year",
  "cadence_note": "one badge per certification, assigned to a fixed cycle",
  "cost": "Free",
  "cost_note": "Trailhead module, no proctoring, status updates within 24 hours",
  "date_note": "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.",
  "official_url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298922&type=1",
  "steps": [
   "Log in to Trailhead with the account linked to your Webassessor certification profile (check under Settings > Certifications).",
   "Open the <a href=\"https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/trails/maintain-your-salesforce-certifications\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maintain Your Salesforce Certifications</a> 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."
  ]
 },
 "cycles": [
  {
   "release": "Winter '27",
   "available": "",
   "due": null,
   "due_label": "Expected: badges early Dec 2026, due early Dec 2027",
   "status": "planned",
   "note": "Not yet published by Salesforce; same credential set as Winter '26 expected.",
   "url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298922&type=1"
  },
  {
   "release": "Summer '26",
   "available": "2026-08-27",
   "due": "2027-08-20",
   "status": "available",
   "note": "Eligibility: credential earned on or before Aug 24, 2026.",
   "url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005388340&type=1"
  },
  {
   "release": "Spring '26",
   "available": "2026-04-23",
   "due": "2027-04-16",
   "status": "available",
   "note": "Eligibility: credential earned on or before Apr 22, 2026.",
   "url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005316913&type=1"
  },
  {
   "release": "Winter '26",
   "available": "2025-12-11",
   "due": "2026-12-04",
   "status": "available",
   "note": "Eligibility: credential earned on or before Dec 8, 2025.",
   "url": "https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/help?article=certification-maintenance-winter-26"
  },
  {
   "release": "Summer '25",
   "available": "2025-08-28",
   "due": "2026-08-21",
   "status": "expired",
   "note": "Eligibility: credential earned on or before Aug 25, 2025.",
   "url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298922&type=1"
  },
  {
   "release": "Spring '25",
   "available": "2025-04-24",
   "due": "2026-04-17",
   "status": "expired",
   "note": "Eligibility: credential earned on or before Apr 16, 2025.",
   "url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005299482&type=1"
  },
  {
   "release": "Winter '25",
   "available": "2024-12-12",
   "due": "2025-12-05",
   "status": "expired",
   "note": "",
   "url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298922&type=1"
  }
 ],
 "groups": [
  {
   "group": "Winter cycle (badges in December, due the following December)",
   "module": "Winter maintenance badges",
   "credentials": [
    "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"
   ]
  },
  {
   "group": "Spring cycle (badges in April, due the following April)",
   "module": "Spring maintenance badges",
   "credentials": [
    "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"
   ]
  },
  {
   "group": "Summer cycle (badges in August, due the following August)",
   "module": "Summer maintenance badges",
   "credentials": [
    "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"
   ]
  },
  {
   "group": "No maintenance required",
   "module": "None",
   "credentials": [
    "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"
   ]
  }
 ]
}