What Are Lightning Web Components? Lightning Web Components (LWCs) are Salesforce’s modern, performance-first UI framework. They’re built on native web standards — HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — and designed for scalable, reusable development on the Salesforce Platform. They use the web standards every developer already knows — HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — and bring speed, reusability, and modular design to Salesforce apps.
In this guide, we’ll explore what Lightning Web Components are, why they matter, how they compare to older frameworks like Aura, and how you can get started with them today.
What Are Lightning Web Components and How Do They Work?
Lightning Web Components (LWC) are a UI framework introduced by Salesforce that leverages the browser’s native Web Component APIs. Instead of relying on proprietary abstractions like Aura, LWC is built on modern web standards like:
- Custom Elements
- Shadow DOM
- ES6 JavaScript Modules
- HTML Templates
This allows Salesforce developers to build apps with better performance, less code, and tighter integration with standard development practices.
Why Salesforce Introduced Lightning Web Components
Salesforce introduced LWC to solve three core pain points:
- Performance limitations of Aura Components
- Need for more standardized, web-native development
- Demand for reusable and testable UI elements
With LWC, developers write cleaner code, get better page load times, and gain access to the latest ECMAScript features out of the box.
Salesforce Lightning Web Components vs Aura Components
Let’s break down the key differences between LWC and Aura:
| Feature | Aura Components | Lightning Web Components |
|---|---|---|
| Based On | Proprietary framework | Web Standards (HTML, JS) |
| Learning Curve | Steep | Moderate (for web devs) |
| Rendering Speed | Slower | Fast |
| Reusability | Moderate | High |
| Shadow DOM | ❌ | ✅ |
| Testing & Debugging | Harder | Easier |
LWC is leaner, faster, and far more future-proof. Aura isn’t going away immediately, but it’s clearly legacy tech at this point.
Real-World Use Cases for Lightning Web Components in Salesforce
You’ll find LWCs used across many Salesforce implementations. Some real-world examples include:
- Custom record pages (Account, Opportunity, etc.)
- Dynamic dashboards and charts
- Third-party API integrations
- Enhanced user input forms with validation
- Reusable UI elements across apps
If you’re building anything interactive on Salesforce, LWC is your go-to tool.
Benefits of Using Lightning Web Components in 2025
Salesforce continues to invest in LWC as the future of their platform. That means better long-term support, richer tooling (like Lightning App Builder), and native integration with Flow and Omniscripts.
Plus, LWC developers can reuse skills across modern frontend frameworks — giving you cross-platform value if you work in both Salesforce and open web apps.
How to Get Started with Lightning Web Components in Salesforce
To start building LWCs, you’ll need:
- A Salesforce Developer Org or Sandbox
- Salesforce CLI (SFDX) and VS Code
- The Salesforce Extension Pack for VS Code
Once your environment is set up:
- Create your project using
sfdx force:project:create - Generate a new LWC with
sfdx force:lightning:component:create - Deploy with
sfdx force:source:deploy - Use Workbench, VS Code, or your deployment pipeline to push to orgs
👉 Pro Tip: You can even use ChatGPT to scaffold component ideas, write initial JavaScript logic, and suggest improvements.
Best Practices When Using Salesforce Lightning Web Components
To write clean, scalable LWCs:
- Use one component per responsibility (single responsibility principle)
- Leverage public properties and events for parent-child communication
- Avoid logic-heavy templates — move logic to the JS controller
- Always test with different Salesforce users (Profiles, Record Types)
🔗 Additional Resources to Learn More
- Official LWC Documentation – Salesforce
- LWC Recipes GitHub
- Trailhead Module: Build Lightning Web Components
Final Thoughts: What Are Lightning Web Components in 2025?
Whether you’re a Salesforce admin looking to uplevel into dev work, or a frontend engineer entering the Salesforce ecosystem, learning Lightning Web Components is an investment in future-proof Salesforce development.
It’s fast, standard, and scalable — and it’s where Salesforce is putting its innovation efforts.
FAQ
What are Lightning Web Components (LWC) in Salesforce?
Lightning Web Components (LWCs) are Salesforce’s modern web development framework built on standard web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. They enable developers to create fast, reusable UI components that run natively in the browser.
How is LWC different from Aura Components?
LWC uses modern web standards and offers better performance, simpler syntax, and improved developer experience compared to Aura Components. Unlike Aura, LWC relies on native browser features like the Shadow DOM and custom elements.
Do I need to learn Aura before learning LWC?
No. LWC is a standalone framework, and you don’t need to learn Aura first. However, understanding Aura may help if you’re working on legacy Salesforce orgs that use both component types.
Can I use Lightning Web Components with Salesforce Flow or App Builder?
Yes. LWCs are fully compatible with tools like Salesforce Flow and the Lightning App Builder. You can drag and drop LWCs onto record pages, apps, and even embed them into screen flows for custom user experiences.
How do I deploy a Lightning Web Component in Salesforce?
You can deploy LWCs using Salesforce CLI (SFDX), VS Code with the Salesforce Extension Pack, or web-based tools like Workbench. Simply write your component, push it to your org, and expose it in your Lightning App. Checkout my guide here
