Salesforce Visualforce URLs: Removing Instance Names (Critical Update FAQ)

What Does Removing Instance Names From Visualforce URLs Do?

This change updates the URL format used for Visualforce pages in orgs with My Domain deployed.
Visualforce page with no namespace:

• Old URL: https://<MyDomain>--c.<instance>.visual.force.com/apex/<pagename>
• New URL: https://<MyDomain>--c.visualforce.com/apex/<pagename>

Visualforce page with a managed package namespace:

• Old URL: https://<MyDomain>--<PackageNamespace>.<instance>.visual.force.com/apex/<pagename>
• New URL: https://<MyDomain>--<PackageNamespace>.visualforce.com/apex/<pagename>

Why Did Salesforce Remove Instance Names from Visualforce URLs?

Salesforce made this change to simplify the hostnames used in Visualforce URLs and to eliminate the need to change them during instance refreshes and org migrations.

When Was the New URL Format Enforced?

Starting with the Summer 2020 release, all orgs with My Domain deployed use the new URL format for Visualforce. This change has already been enforced — there is no action required to activate it in current orgs.

What Happens to Links Saved Before the Change?

Links using the older URL format that you have saved or that appear in emails redirect automatically to the new URL format when they are accessed.

Does the New URL Format Break Customizations?

Yes, this is possible. If you have customizations that parse the hostnames within visual.force.com URLs, those customizations may break. For example, Visualforce page controllers or client-side JavaScript functions that parse a URL may break or behave differently, especially logic that relies on window.location and makes assumptions using the old URL hostname format (for example, logic that extracts the My Domain name from a visual.force.com hostname to construct a my.salesforce.com URL).

How Do I Check If My Org Uses the New URL Format?

In Setup, type Critical into the Quick Find box, then click Critical Updates. If "Remove Instance Names From URLs" is listed as Activated, your org is using the new URL format.

Does Remote Site Settings Need to Be Updated?

No. Remote Site Settings do not need to be updated as a result of this change. However, it is best practice to use the organization's My Domain name (ending with my.salesforce.com, cloudforce.com, or database.com) in Remote Site Settings rather than instance-specific hostnames (for example, na32).