platform-metadata-retrieve

Retrieves metadata from a Salesforce org to your local project using

sf project retrieve start

. Supports multiple retrieval modes: all changes, by source directory, by metadata type (with wildcards), by manifest, or by package name.

⚠️ Tool Restrictions

Use ONLY the Bash tool to execute

sf project retrieve start

. Do NOT use MCP tools — ignore them completely.

In scope: Retrieving metadata via
```
sf project retrieve start
```
in all supported modes (all changes, source-dir, metadata type, manifest, package name), source and metadata format output
Out of scope: Deploying metadata (use
```
platform-metadata-deploy
```
), listing metadata types, generating package.xml files, source tracking commands (
```
sf project retrieve preview
```
)

Infer from the user's request:

Retrieval mode: all changes | source directory | metadata type | manifest | package name
Target org: org alias/username (uses default if not specified)
Output format: source format (default) | metadata format (ZIP)
Additional options: ignore conflicts, output directory, wait time, API version

User intent	Execute via Bash tool
Retrieve all remote changes	`sf project retrieve start --json`
Retrieve by source directory	`sf project retrieve start --source-dir <path> --target-org <alias> --json`
Retrieve by metadata type	`sf project retrieve start --metadata <MetadataType:Name> --target-org <alias> --json`
Retrieve by metadata type with wildcard	`sf project retrieve start --metadata '<MetadataType:Pattern*>' --target-org <alias> --json`
Retrieve multiple metadata types	`sf project retrieve start --metadata <Type1> --metadata <Type2> --target-org <alias> --json`
Retrieve by manifest	`sf project retrieve start --manifest <path/to/package.xml> --target-org <alias> --json`
Retrieve by package name	`sf project retrieve start --package-name <PackageName> --target-org <alias> --json`
Retrieve to metadata format (ZIP)	`sf project retrieve start --source-dir <path> --target-metadata-dir <output> --unzip --target-org <alias> --json`
Ignore conflicts	`sf project retrieve start --source-dir <path> --ignore-conflicts --target-org <alias> --json`

Constraint	Rationale
Always use `--json` flag	Provides structured output for reliable parsing and error handling
Must run from within Salesforce project	Command requires `sfdx-project.json` at repo root
Wildcard patterns must be quoted	Shell expansion breaks unquoted wildcards like `ApexClass:My*`
Cannot mix --manifest with --metadata or --source-dir	Mutually exclusive flags — command will error
Retrieve all changes requires source tracking	Production orgs don't support source tracking — must use other retrieval modes
--ignore-conflicts only works on trackable orgs	No effect on production orgs; applies to scratch/sandbox only
--output-dir must be inside project directory	Command validates output path is within project boundary
--output-dir cannot match package directory	Command fails if target matches `sfdx-project.json` packageDirectories
Default wait time is 33 minutes	Use --wait flag to override for large retrievals
Package retrieval is for reference only	Retrieved package metadata should not be added to source control for development
CustomField retrieval auto-includes CustomObject	When retrieving CustomField, CLI automatically adds CustomObject to get full context

Issue	Resolution
"This command is required to run from within an SFDX project"	Not in Salesforce project directory — cd to project root with `sfdx-project.json`
"No org found for <alias>" error	Org alias doesn't exist or isn't authenticated — verify with `sf org list`
"This org does not support source tracking"	Production org doesn't allow "retrieve all changes" mode — use --source-dir, --metadata, or --manifest instead
"ERROR running project retrieve start: Cannot mix --manifest with --metadata or --source-dir"	Remove conflicting flags — use one retrieval mode only
Wildcard pattern retrieves nothing	Pattern not quoted — wrap in single quotes: `'ApexClass:My*'`
"The package directory path in sfdx-project.json does not exist"	Output directory conflicts with package directory — use different path
"Output directory must be inside the project"	--output-dir path is outside project boundary — use relative path inside project
Retrieve times out	Increase wait time with `--wait 60` for large metadata volumes
Retrieved files overwrite local changes	Use `--output-dir` to retrieve to separate location, or commit local changes first
SourceConflictError with conflict table	Conflicts detected between local and remote on trackable org (scratch/sandbox) — resolve conflicts manually or use --ignore-conflicts to force overwrite

The command returns JSON output with retrieved components details.

See

examples/success_output.json

and

examples/error_output.json

for response structures.

Need	Delegate to
Deploy metadata to org	`platform-metadata-deploy` skill
Preview retrieve without executing	Execute `sf project retrieve preview --target-org <alias> --json`
List available metadata types	Execute `sf org list metadata-types --target-org <alias> --json`

File	When to read
`examples/success_output.json`	To understand successful retrieve response structure
`examples/error_output.json`	To handle common error scenarios
`references/retrieval_modes.md`	For detailed explanation of all retrieval modes and when to use each
`references/cli_flags.md`	For complete flag reference with usage patterns