---
schema_version: "1"
id: 46e63390a5f242c3a56ab1475ace1b732d10fdd8d28ab52ad7375e5cb4af33b0
title: Build Client Applications for Metadata API
collection: legacydeveloper
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/legacydeveloper/current/en-us/api_meta/meta_quickstart.md
canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_quickstart.htm
source_site: developer.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 78519f216bb7c68936f90e8461605e34ba897a01b459d1422034da0511d717f3
description: Use Metadata API to retrieve, deploy, create, update, or delete customizations for your org. The most common use is to migrate changes from a sandbox or testing org to your production environment. Metadata API is intended for managing customizations and for building tools that can manage the metadata model, not the data itself.
---
# Build Client Applications for Metadata API

Use Metadata API to retrieve, deploy, create, update, or delete customizations for your org. The most common use is to migrate changes from a sandbox or testing org to your production environment. Metadata API is intended for managing customizations and for building tools that can manage the metadata model, not the data itself.

Salesforce CLI automates the underlying calls of Metadata API. However, you can use these calls directly with your own client application. This guide gives you all the information you require to start writing applications that directly use Metadata API to manage customizations for your organization. It shows you how to get started with File-Based Development. For an example of CRUD-Based Development, see [Java Sample for CRUD-Based Development with Synchronous Calls](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_calls_intro.htm "Use the CRUD-based metadata calls to create, update, or delete setup and configuration components for your organization or application. These configuration components include custom objects, custom fields, and other configuration metadata. The metadata calls mimic the behavior in the Salesforce user interface for creating, updating, or deleting components. Whatever rules apply there also apply to these calls.").