By Scott S. Nelson, Contributor, InfoWorld |

5 easy steps to install custom components in Salesforce Trailhead playground orgs

Spend less time installing components in your Salesforce Trailhead Playground and more time learning to use them with this shortcut approach

Salesforce Benioff TrailheaDX — Katherine Noyes/IDGNS

Salesforce.com Trailhead trainings are a great way to learn Salesforce. Some of the hands-on challenges require installing components.

If you are using a Developer org to run these, the instructions are easy to follow. However, if you are using a Trailhead Playground org, it is kind of a pain to install some components. Trailhead thoughtfully provides a link for how to do component installations in each lesson that includes one.

However, the provided instructions have eleven steps, which I find a bit too time-consuming and somewhat confusing. I have come up with a slightly different approach that seems (at least to me) simpler and faster.

The instructions for installing the component (as in the screenshot below) will often be provided well before the challenge and the hint to avoid the frustration of trying to log into a Playground org when prompted by the standard component installation URL.

Salesforce Trailhead Component installation example

Here are my five steps:

Step 1: Decide whether you will read through the full lesson or skip right to the challenge. When you get to the challenge, open your Trailhead Playground org in a new window by right-clicking on the Launch button (as pictured below).

Right-click on the Hands On Challenge Launch button for the Open Link in New Window option

Step 2: Log in to your Trailhead Playground org.

Step 3: Go back to the lesson screen and copy the component installation URL without the domain, such as packaging/installPackage.apexp?p0=04tj0000001mMYP

Select the package install path without the domain portion of the URL

In some cases, the installation instructions will have a link without the URL on the page. In this case, right-click the link and copy the target to get the path, pasting it into a text editor to extract the portion following the domain.

Right click on the likn to copy the address if the URL is not displayed

Step 4: With the package path in your clipboard, paste it after the domain name of your Playground in the window you have already logged into and press Enter.

With the package path in your clipboard, past it after the domain name of your Playground in the window you have already logged into

Step 5: Once the installation screen comes up, you can continue as instructed in the Trailhead lesson.

Component installation screen should load

I have tested this on both Chrome and Firefox running in Windows 7. Your results may vary with a different combination of browsers and operating system. Happy trails!

Next read this:

Scott S. Nelson has been leading the conception, design, development and maintenance of technology-based business solutions for over 25 years. Whether it is in the cloud or in the corner, his main focus is on ease of use and simplicity of ownership.

InfoWorld Technology of the Year Awards 2023. Now open for entries!