Why Does Salesforce CLI Authentication Fail in VS Code?

Why Does Salesforce CLI Authentication Fail in VS Code?

On April 12, 2025, Posted by , In Apex,Salesforce, With Comments Off on Why Does Salesforce CLI Authentication Fail in VS Code?

Question

When trying to authenticate a Salesforce org in VS Code, the process successfully redirects to the browser for login, and after entering credentials, the browser confirms “Authentication successfully.” However, in VS Code, the status remains stuck at “in progress,” and if canceled, the following error message appears:

9:53:02.435 sf org:login:web --alias Dev --instance-url https://login.salesforce.com --set-default 
(node:4380) [DEP0040] DeprecationWarning: The punycode module is deprecated. Please use a userland alternative instead. (Use node --trace-deprecation ... to show where the warning was created)
10:10:48.563 sf org:login:web --alias Dev --instance-url https://login.salesforce.com --set-default ended with exit code 1

Answer

This issue is related to the deprecation warning for the punycode module, which occurs due to the way the Salesforce CLI is packaged or installed, specifically if you’ve used the Windows installer. The warning is displayed intermittently, and it affects many commands. This is tied to an open GitHub issue where users are reporting the same behavior, and it tends to appear after every Salesforce CLI command once it first occurs.

  1. Reinstall Salesforce CLI via npm: If you’re using Windows and installed the Salesforce CLI using the official Windows installer, you should uninstall it and then reinstall the CLI via npm. This method bypasses issues with the Windows installer package. To reinstall the CLI using npm, follow these steps:
  • Uninstall the current Salesforce CLI from your system.
  • Open a terminal or command prompt and run the following npm command:
npm install @salesforce/cli -g

This should resolve the authentication issue you’re facing in VS Code by avoiding the deprecated punycode module.

2. Why npm Installation Works: Reinstalling with npm installs a more up-to-date version of Salesforce CLI and ensures better compatibility with Node.js. It also helps mitigate issues that stem from deprecated packages, like punycode, which the official Windows installer may bundle in an outdated form.

3. Check GitHub Issue and Recommendations: If reinstalling via npm doesn’t fully resolve the issue, you can visit the GitHub issue linked to this deprecation warning for more troubleshooting steps. Users on GitHub have shared several other recommendations, and the issue is still under investigation by the Salesforce CLI team. You can also comment directly on the issue to report your specific case or check for any new updates from the Salesforce team.

4. General Advice:

  • Ensure your Node.js version is up-to-date, as outdated versions might not be compatible with the latest Salesforce CLI features.
  • If the issue persists after reinstalling, keep an eye on future Salesforce CLI releases, as they may address this deprecation warning.

By reinstalling Salesforce CLI through npm and checking the GitHub issue, most users have found a solution to this problem, including the inability to authenticate via VS Code.

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