What it is
A UI Bundle is the deployment unit for a Salesforce Multi-Framework app. The built frontend lives in the Salesforce DX project under force-app/main/default/uiBundles/, and a .uibundle-meta.xml file declares what the app is and where it may run. The `<target>` value is `CustomApplication` for an employee-facing app or `Experience` for a customer-facing one.
Why it matters
The bundle is what makes a React app a first-class Salesforce artifact rather than something hosted elsewhere and pointed at the org. It deploys through the same metadata pipeline as everything else, which is why the app inherits the org’s security model instead of reimplementing it.
Key components
- .uibundle-meta.xml manifest
- <target>CustomApplication</target> for internal apps
- <target>Experience</target> for external apps
- force-app/main/default/uiBundles/ project location
- Custom Application metadata with a <uiBundle> reference for App Launcher entry
How it connects
An internal bundle also needs a Custom Application referencing it, plus a permission set granting visibility, before it appears in the App Launcher. Generate a starter with `sf template generate ui-bundle --template reactbasic`.
Good to know
If you built during the beta, replace `<target>AppLauncher</target>` with `<target>CustomApplication</target>` — the beta value is deprecated.
Related terms
Salesforce Multi-Framework
A framework-agnostic Salesforce runtime that lets a standard React app run natively on the platform, with Salesforce authentication, security and governance applied automatically.
Salesforce Platform SDK
The client library (@salesforce/platform-sdk) a Multi-Framework React app uses to query and mutate Salesforce records over GraphQL, with no authentication or token management.
React Internal App (Salesforce)
A Multi-Framework React app for employees, deployed with target CustomApplication and opened from the App Launcher or the Salesforce mobile app.
React External App (Salesforce)
A Multi-Framework React app for customers or partners, deployed with target Experience and served through Digital Experiences.
UI Bundle in practice
Articles from the Funnelists Team that put this term to work.
How Salesforce LWC Limits React Development for Modern Frontends
Salesforce solution architects often hit walls trying to bring React into LWC. This post explains the historical limits, the new native path with Multi-Framework, and clear criteria for choosing between the two.
Salesforce Platform SDK Guide for Platform Architects Building React Apps
Platform architects facing React integration challenges on Salesforce can use the Platform SDK and Multi-Framework for native security and GraphQL access without custom OAuth layers.
How Do SF Platform Architects Implement Salesforce Micro Frontends Without Framework Lock-In?
Salesforce UI Embedding is now generally available, replacing the developer-preview shell. Here is how Platform Architects place independently deployed apps in Lightning pages, the two patterns to choose between, and how to avoid lock-in.
How Do SF Platform Architects Build Headless Salesforce Experiences with Multiple Frameworks?
Headless Salesforce lets a React front end run on the platform while Salesforce keeps enforcing identity, sharing, and business logic. Here is the four-layer architecture, what Multi-Framework and Headless 360 add, and when the approach fits.
