Salesforce report/dashboard tools use Analytics REST API not Metadata API
Decision
Built 8 new tools using Analytics REST API (POST/GET/PATCH /analytics/reports and /analytics/dashboards) instead of Metadata API deploy for report/dashboard creation
Rationale
Analytics REST API returns clean JSON, supports full CRUD with column/filter/grouping control, and is the modern Salesforce approach. Metadata API deploy for reports requires building complex XML and zip files. REST API is simpler, faster, and returns structured responses.
Alternatives Rejected
- Metadata API deploy (complex XML, zip building, async polling)\n2. Tooling API (limited report support)\n3. SOQL insert to Report sObject (not supported by Salesforce)
Outcome
SUCCESS (verified 2026-04-16). Salesforce MCP container running healthy (5+ days uptime). 8 report/dashboard tools built on Analytics REST API are deployed and operational. Metadata API approach was never implemented — decision held.