This study plan is designed to help you prepare effectively for the Experience Cloud Consultant certification using the Pomodoro Technique and Forgetting Curve principles. It includes clear goals, daily tasks, and review schedules to maximize retention and productivity.

Plan Overview

1. Study Duration: 4 Weeks (5 days/week, 2 hours/day)
2. Daily Study Structure:
   • 4 Pomodoro sessions (25 minutes of study + 5 minutes break).
   • 10 minutes of review after the last session.
3. Weekly Review:
   • Review key topics every Saturday.
   • Use active recall techniques (e.g., self-quizzing, summarizing).
4. Goals:
   • Week 1: Master foundational topics (Knowledge Areas 1–3).
   • Week 2: Dive into advanced topics (Knowledge Areas 4–5).
   • Week 3: Cover the remaining advanced topics (Knowledge Areas 6–8).
   • Week 4: Focus on revision, mock exams, and weak areas.

Week 1: Foundational Knowledge

Day 1: Introduction to Experience Cloud Basics

Objective: Understand what Experience Cloud is, its features, and use cases.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Read:
   • Study the Core Definition of Experience Cloud:
     • What it is, its purpose, and how it connects Salesforce data to external users.
   • Understand the Key Features:
     • Different use cases: Customer Portals, Partner Portals, Employee Communities, and Industry-Specific Solutions.
2. Watch:
   • Go through a Salesforce Trailhead video or tutorial about Experience Builder basics.
3. Hands-On:
   • Log in to a Salesforce Developer Org.
   • Create a new Customer Service Template community:
     • Explore prebuilt components like Knowledge Search, Case Submission, and navigation menus.
   • Adjust the homepage layout to add a welcoming message or banner.
4. Summarize:
   • Write down the purpose and use cases of Experience Cloud in your own words.
5. Review:
   • At the end of the day, quiz yourself:
     • “What are the core use cases of Experience Cloud?”
     • “What are the main features of the Customer Service Template?”

Day 2: Sharing, Visibility, and Licensing (Part 1)

Objective: Learn how data-sharing principles work in Experience Cloud.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Read:
   • Study the Sharing Hierarchy:
     • Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD): What they are and how to configure them.
     • Role Hierarchy: Understand how roles determine record visibility.
     • Sharing Rules: Learn their purpose and when to use them.
     • Manual Sharing: How administrators or record owners share data.
2. Practice:
   • In your Salesforce Developer Org:
     • Configure OWD settings for Cases, Knowledge Articles, and Opportunities.
     • Set OWD for Cases to “Private” and test by logging in as different users to see visibility changes.
   • Create Sharing Rules for a scenario:
     • Example: Allow customer users to access specific opportunities based on their region.
3. Test Your Understanding:
   • Explain the difference between OWD, Sharing Rules, and Role Hierarchy in simple terms.
   • Write down examples of when each would be used.

Day 3: Sharing, Visibility, and Licensing (Part 2)

Objective: Understand external sharing and user licensing.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Study Licensing:
   • Learn about License Types:
     • Customer Community License: For customers needing basic features.
     • Partner Community License: For partners needing access to opportunities and collaboration tools.
     • Lightning External Apps License: For external applications with custom functionality.
2. Hands-On:
   • Assign licenses in Salesforce:
     • Create mock users with Customer and Partner Community Licenses.
   • Configure External Sharing Settings for customer users:
     • Test how records are shared with external community users.
3. Guest Users:
   • Learn the limitations of guest users:
     • What guest users can and cannot access.
     • How to allow guest access to public Knowledge Base articles.
   • Configure guest user access in your Developer Org.
4. Summarize:
   • Write down:
     • Use cases for each license type.
     • Key limitations for guest users.

Day 4: Branding and Personalization (Part 1)

Objective: Create a visually appealing community using branding tools.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Learn Branding Basics:
   • Study how to use the Theme Panel in Experience Builder.
   • Understand the importance of brand consistency (e.g., colors, fonts, and logos).
2. Practice in Experience Builder:
   • Open the community you created on Day 1.
   • Customize the branding:
     • Add your company’s logo.
     • Change the community’s color scheme to match your organization’s branding.
     • Adjust fonts for readability.
   • Preview changes for desktop and mobile views.
3. Navigation Menus:
   • Create a clear navigation structure:
     • Add links to "FAQs," "Track Orders," and "Contact Support."
     • Group related items under submenus for organization.
4. Summarize:
   • Document the steps you took to adjust branding and navigation.

Day 5: Branding and Personalization (Part 2)

Objective: Implement personalization features to tailor the user experience.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Study Personalization:
   • Learn how Audience Targeting works:
     • Configure rules to display content based on user roles or attributes.
   • Explore how to create Dynamic Components that change visibility for different users.
2. Hands-On:
   • Configure dynamic visibility for a homepage banner:
     • Show a promotional banner to VIP customers only.
     • Hide the “Submit a Case” button for guest users.
   • Test these rules by simulating different user roles.
3. Content Management:
   • Use Salesforce CMS to:
     • Create a Knowledge Base article.
     • Schedule the article to go live at a specific time.
     • Translate the article into multiple languages and assign audiences for each version.
4. Quiz Yourself:
   • “What is Audience Targeting, and how is it used?”
   • “How do you configure a dynamic component in Experience Builder?”

Day 6: Review Day

Objective: Reinforce knowledge from Days 1–5.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Review:
   • Revisit your notes and key takeaways from each day.
   • Summarize the main concepts of Experience Cloud Basics, Sharing, Licensing, Branding, and Personalization.
2. Practice:
   • Redo key hands-on exercises:
     • Configure OWD and Sharing Rules.
     • Adjust branding in Experience Builder.
     • Test audience targeting in a community.
3. Quiz Yourself:
   • Use Trailhead quizzes or create your own questions to test retention.
4. Plan:
   • Write down any topics you found challenging and schedule extra time for them in Week 2.

Week 2: Intermediate Knowledge

Day 1: Templates and Themes (Part 1)

Objective: Understand the standard templates and their use cases.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Learn Standard Templates:
   • Study the features and purposes of:
     • Customer Service Template.
     • Partner Central Template.
     • Build Your Own Template.
   • Note how each template aligns with different use cases.
2. Hands-On:
   • Log in to your Salesforce Developer Org.
   • Create two new communities:
     • Use the Customer Service Template for one and Partner Central Template for the other.
     • Explore the pre-configured pages in each community (e.g., Case Submission, Knowledge Search).
   • Compare the differences in functionality and layout between the two templates.
3. Test Mobile Responsiveness:
   • Preview both communities on mobile devices using the Experience Builder’s responsiveness tester.
   • Identify which pages need adjustments for mobile usability.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study template features and use cases.
• Session 2: Create and explore the Customer Service Template community.
• Session 3: Create and explore the Partner Central Template community.
• Session 4: Test and document mobile responsiveness.

Day 2: Templates and Themes (Part 2)

Objective: Learn theme customization and advanced layout design.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Theme Customization Basics:
   • Explore the Theme Panel in Experience Builder:
     • Change fonts, colors, and background images to match a brand.
   • Experiment with prebuilt themes like “Bold” or “Minimalist.”
2. Advanced Theme Customization:
   • Use CSS to customize:
     • Button colors and hover effects.
     • Font sizes for headers and body text.
   • Add a custom background image or gradient using the Theme Panel.
3. Dynamic Layouts:
   • Practice creating dynamic layouts:
     • Create a personalized homepage for different user roles.
     • Test Audience Targeting by showing a “Sales Dashboard” to partners and a “Support Dashboard” to customers.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Learn Theme Panel features and practice basic customization.
• Session 2: Implement CSS for advanced styling.
• Session 3: Configure dynamic layouts using Audience Targeting.
• Session 4: Test and document changes.

Day 3: User Creation and Authentication (Part 1)

Objective: Learn methods for creating and managing community users.

Detailed Tasks:

1. User Creation Methods:
   • Study how to:
     • Enable self-registration for external users.
     • Add users manually via Salesforce.
   • Understand how self-registration is linked to guest user permissions.
2. Hands-On:
   • Configure a self-registration page in your Developer Org:
     • Add fields like name, email, and phone number.
     • Test the registration process as a new customer.
   • Create a mock user manually and assign them a role and license.
3. User Role Assignment:
   • Practice assigning external users to roles:
     • Create roles like “Customer User” and “Partner User.”
     • Test role visibility by logging in as these users.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study user creation methods and roles.
• Session 2: Configure a self-registration page.
• Session 3: Add a user manually and assign roles/licenses.
• Session 4: Test role-based visibility.

Day 4: User Creation and Authentication (Part 2)

Objective: Implement and test advanced authentication methods.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Single Sign-On (SSO):
   • Study how SSO works with Salesforce:
     • Understand the SAML and OAuth protocols.
   • Configure SSO in your Developer Org:
     • Use Google Workspace or another identity provider.
     • Test SSO by logging in as an external user.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):
   • Enable MFA for all external users.
   • Test the MFA login process using Salesforce Authenticator.
3. Social Login:
   • Set up social login with Facebook or LinkedIn:
     • Create a connected app for the social provider.
     • Add the social login button to your community login page.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study SSO protocols and configure SSO.
• Session 2: Enable and test MFA for external users.
• Session 3: Configure and test social login.
• Session 4: Write a summary of authentication methods.

Day 5: Practical Lab – Consolidating Week 2 Knowledge

Objective: Build a complete community integrating templates, themes, and user authentication.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Build the Community:
   • Use the Partner Central Template.
   • Customize the theme to match a fictional company’s branding.
   • Configure navigation for Partner Managers and Partner Users.
2. Add User Management:
   • Set up self-registration for new partners.
   • Assign roles and licenses to existing users.
3. Integrate Authentication:
   • Enable SSO for partner users.
   • Add MFA for enhanced security.
   • Include a social login option for external users.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Set up the Partner Central community.
• Session 2: Configure navigation and roles.
• Session 3: Add authentication features.
• Session 4: Test the complete setup.

Day 6: Weekly Review

Objective: Reinforce all Week 2 concepts.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Review Notes:
   • Summarize the key takeaways for templates, themes, user creation, and authentication.
2. Redo Key Exercises:
   • Reconfigure a navigation menu.
   • Test dynamic layouts and CSS styling.
   • Practice enabling SSO and MFA.
3. Take a Quiz:
   • Use Trailhead or mock exam questions to test your understanding.
4. Plan Ahead:
   • Note down any weak areas for extra focus in Week 3.

Week 3: Advanced Topics

Day 1: Adoption and Analytics

Objective: Learn how to measure and improve community engagement through analytics and adoption strategies.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Adoption Dashboard:
   • Study the purpose and features of the Adoption Dashboard:
     • Metrics like Daily Active Users (DAUs), Most Popular Pages, and Login Frequency.
   • Identify how these metrics help evaluate community performance.
2. Hands-On:
   • Access the Adoption Dashboard in your Developer Org:
     • Review the dashboard’s prebuilt reports.
     • Identify trends such as the most and least active users.
3. Google Analytics Integration:
   • Learn how Google Analytics tracks community interactions:
     • Understand metrics like Bounce Rates and Page Visits.
   • Configure event tracking for specific actions (e.g., button clicks, case submissions).
4. Optimize Adoption:
   • List strategies to improve community adoption:
     • Simplify navigation.
     • Provide onboarding materials like videos and FAQs.
     • Implement gamification (e.g., badges for active users).

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study Adoption Dashboard features and metrics.
• Session 2: Analyze data in the Adoption Dashboard.
• Session 3: Learn and configure Google Analytics integration.
• Session 4: Develop a list of adoption improvement strategies.

Day 2: Administration, Setup, and Configuration (Part 1)

Objective: Master the configuration of navigation menus and page layouts.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Navigation Menus:
   • Study how to:
     • Create menu items that link to internal pages, external URLs, or Salesforce objects.
     • Use dynamic navigation to display content based on roles.
   • Hands-On:
     • Configure a navigation menu:
       • Add links to “My Cases,” “Submit a Case,” and “Knowledge Base.”
       • Create role-based visibility rules for menu items.
2. Page Layouts:
   • Explore how page layouts are managed in Experience Builder.
   • Hands-On:
     • Customize the homepage:
       • Add components like a Welcome Banner, Case Submission Button, and Knowledge Search.
       • Adjust the placement and size of components for an optimized layout.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study navigation menu configuration.
• Session 2: Practice creating and customizing navigation menus.
• Session 3: Learn and practice homepage layout customization.
• Session 4: Test dynamic navigation visibility.

Day 3: Administration, Setup, and Configuration (Part 2)

Objective: Focus on optimizing search functionality for your community.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Search Basics:
   • Study the difference between Standard Search and Einstein Search:
     • Standard Search: Basic keyword matching.
     • Einstein Search: AI-driven, personalized results.
2. Search Optimization:
   • Configure search filters to prioritize certain content types (e.g., Knowledge Articles over Discussions).
   • Enable Einstein Search in your Developer Org and test its features.
3. Search Testing:
   • Test search functionality by:
     • Simulating common user queries (e.g., “password reset” or “submit a ticket”).
     • Reviewing search results for relevance and accuracy.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study search settings and differences between search types.
• Session 2: Configure Einstein Search and filters.
• Session 3: Test and refine search functionality.
• Session 4: Document best practices for search optimization.

Day 4: Customization Considerations (Part 1)

Objective: Learn advanced customization using Apex and Visualforce.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Apex:
   • Study how Apex is used in Experience Cloud:
     • Automate processes like assigning cases or sending notifications.
   • Hands-On:
     • Write an Apex trigger to route cases to specific teams based on criteria.
2. Visualforce:
   • Study the use of Visualforce for custom user interfaces.
   • Hands-On:
     • Create a Visualforce page for displaying case history.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study Apex basics and use cases.
• Session 2: Write and test an Apex trigger in Salesforce.
• Session 3: Learn about Visualforce features and create a sample page.
• Session 4: Test the Visualforce page in your community.

Day 5: Customization Considerations (Part 2)

Objective: Learn advanced customization with Lightning Web Components (LWC).

Detailed Tasks:

1. LWC Basics:
   • Understand how LWC enables interactive, dynamic components in communities.
   • Study LWC architecture and key features.
2. Hands-On:
   • Build a custom LWC:
     • Example: Create a progress tracker for cases.
     • Add the LWC to your community homepage.
3. Performance Optimization:
   • Identify performance issues caused by custom components:
     • Minimize heavy scripts and reduce dynamic rules.
   • Test community load times before and after optimizations.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Study LWC basics and architecture.
• Session 2: Build and test a custom LWC.
• Session 3: Optimize community performance.
• Session 4: Write a summary of customization best practices.

Day 6: Weekly Review**

Objective: Reinforce knowledge from Days 1–5.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Review Notes:
   • Revisit notes on adoption, analytics, administration, and customization.
2. Practice Key Exercises:
   • Redo tasks like configuring search settings, building LWCs, and writing Apex triggers.
3. Take a Quiz:
   • Test your understanding of Week 3 topics using Trailhead quizzes or mock exams.
4. Plan Ahead:
   • Identify weak areas for additional focus in Week 4.

Week 4: Final Review and Mock Exams

The fourth week is all about revision, reinforcement, and exam readiness. It ensures that you consolidate all previously learned material, practice under exam-like conditions, and refine weak areas.

Day 1: Focused Review (Experience Cloud Basics and Sharing, Visibility, Licensing)

Objective: Revisit foundational knowledge and strengthen understanding of data-sharing principles.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Review Notes:
   • Summarize the core concepts of Experience Cloud Basics:
     • Use cases for Customer, Partner, and Employee portals.
     • Features of templates and use cases.
   • Revisit the Sharing Hierarchy:
     • Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD), Sharing Rules, Role Hierarchy, and Manual Sharing.
2. Hands-On Practice:
   • Reconfigure OWD and Sharing Rules in a mock community.
   • Test guest user access to public pages and identify limitations.
3. Practice Questions:
   • Solve 10–15 questions focused on sharing, visibility, and licensing.
   • Analyze incorrect answers and review corresponding notes.
4. Mock Scenario:
   • Example:
     • A Partner Community requires access to opportunities based on the user’s region. Configure roles, sharing settings, and licenses to meet this requirement.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Revise Experience Cloud Basics and Sharing Hierarchy concepts.
• Session 2: Practice OWD and Sharing Rules configuration in Salesforce.
• Session 3: Solve practice questions and analyze mistakes.
• Session 4: Work on the mock scenario and summarize findings.

Day 2: Focused Review (Branding, Personalization, and Templates/Themes)

Objective: Refine understanding of branding, personalization, and template customization.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Review Notes:
   • Revisit key points about branding:
     • Theme Panel customization (logos, colors, fonts).
     • Dynamic navigation and audience targeting.
   • Summarize the features and use cases of the three main templates:
     • Customer Service, Partner Central, and Build Your Own.
2. Hands-On Practice:
   • Customize a community:
     • Add a promotional banner for VIP users using audience targeting.
     • Adjust navigation menus for different user roles (e.g., Admins, Partners, Customers).
   • Practice creating a mobile-friendly layout by adjusting responsive design settings.
3. Practice Questions:
   • Solve 10–15 questions about templates, themes, and branding.
4. Mock Scenario:
   • Example:
     • Create a navigation menu where Partners see “Opportunities,” while Customers see “Submit a Case.”

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Revise branding and personalization concepts.
• Session 2: Practice community customization with audience targeting.
• Session 3: Solve practice questions and review mistakes.
• Session 4: Work on the mock scenario and document steps.

Day 3: Focused Review (User Creation, Authentication, Analytics, and Optimization)

Objective: Master user management, authentication methods, and community analytics.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Review Notes:
   • Study user creation methods:
     • Self-registration and manual user creation.
     • Role and license assignment.
   • Revisit authentication methods:
     • SSO (Single Sign-On), MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), and Social Login.
   • Summarize analytics tools:
     • Adoption Dashboard metrics and Google Analytics integration.
2. Hands-On Practice:
   • Configure self-registration in a community:
     • Test the flow for new users and verify assigned roles.
   • Enable and test:
     • SSO with a third-party identity provider.
     • MFA using Salesforce Authenticator.
   • Integrate Google Analytics and track user behavior in the community.
3. Practice Questions:
   • Solve 10–15 questions focused on user creation, authentication, and analytics.
4. Mock Scenario:
   • Example:
     • Create a secure Partner Portal with SSO and MFA enabled. Add Google Analytics tracking to measure engagement.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Revise user management and authentication concepts.
• Session 2: Practice configuring self-registration and SSO.
• Session 3: Solve practice questions and review mistakes.
• Session 4: Integrate Google Analytics and document findings.

Day 4: Mock Exam 1

Objective: Simulate the exam experience and analyze weak areas.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Take a Mock Exam:
   • Complete a full-length mock exam (60 questions).
   • Set a timer for 105 minutes to mimic the actual exam duration.
2. Analyze Results:
   • Review incorrect answers.
   • Identify weak areas (e.g., Sharing Rules, Branding).
3. Revise Weak Topics:
   • Spend 1–2 Pomodoro sessions revisiting challenging topics.
   • Use Trailhead resources or Salesforce documentation for clarification.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Take the mock exam.
• Session 2: Review answers and identify weak areas.
• Session 3: Revise weak topics (e.g., Apex use cases, dynamic layouts).
• Session 4: Solve additional questions on weak areas.

Day 5: Mock Exam 2 and Final Revision

Objective: Further refine exam readiness and focus on weak areas.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Take Another Mock Exam:
   • Attempt a second full-length mock exam under timed conditions.
   • Track improvement in score and time management.
2. Final Topic Reviews:
   • Revisit high-weight topics such as Sharing & Visibility, Templates & Themes, and Authentication.
3. Hands-On Practice:
   • Practice:
     • Configuring a dynamic navigation menu.
     • Adjusting page layouts and testing mobile responsiveness.
     • Writing a basic Apex trigger for case routing.
4. Exam Strategy:
   • Develop a test-day strategy:
     • Time allocation per question.
     • How to handle tricky scenarios or lengthy questions.

Pomodoro Breakdown:

• Session 1: Take the second mock exam.
• Session 2: Review results and note areas of improvement.
• Session 3: Focus on high-weight topics and hands-on practice.
• Session 4: Develop and rehearse an exam strategy.

Day 6: Final Review

Objective: Perform a comprehensive review of all topics and prepare mentally for the exam.

Detailed Tasks:

1. Rapid Topic Review:
   • Skim through notes and summaries from Weeks 1–4.
   • Focus on weak areas identified in mock exams.
2. Quiz Yourself:
   • Solve 15–20 practice questions spanning all topics.
3. Hands-On Verification:
   • Revisit the Salesforce Developer Org:
     • Test navigation menus, audience targeting, search configurations, and user creation flows.
4. Relax and Prepare:
   • Take a break after reviewing.
   • Prepare exam essentials (e.g., ID, testing environment).
   • Sleep well to stay refreshed for test day.

Final Notes

• Consistency: Stick to the schedule and ensure you complete the hands-on exercises.
• Review Strategy: Use active recall and spaced repetition for better retention.
• Confidence: Focus on understanding concepts rather than memorization.