LWC Introduction | Lightning Web Components in Salesforce | Peoplewoo Skills

21.11.25 09:15 AM - By Peoplewoo

Lightning Web Components (LWC) is Salesforce’s modern web development framework built on native browser standards. It allows developers to build fast, reusable, and high-performing UI components for Lightning Experience and Salesforce Mobile App.

In this blog, you’ll learn what LWC is, why it's important, its architecture, key features, real-life examples, and how beginners can get started.


What are Lightning Web Components (LWC)?


LWC is a lightweight framework built using modern JavaScript and native browser APIs. Unlike Aura Components, LWC relies heavily on standard web technologies such as:

  • JavaScript (ES6+)
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • Web Components Standards
  • Shadow DOM & Custom Elements

This approach makes LWC fast, scalable, and future-proof — helping Salesforce developers build UI with the power of modern JS frameworks.


Watch Our Video Tutorial

   

Why Did Salesforce Introduce LWC?


Salesforce introduced LWC to align closer with modern web standards and improve the developer experience. Aura Components were powerful but required more Salesforce-specific syntax and were heavier.


Key Reasons:



  • To improve performance
  • To reduce framework overhead
  • To make Salesforce UI development more modern
  • To make components reusable and maintainable
  • To allow developers to use real JavaScript instead of proprietary syntax


Architecture of Lightning Web Components


LWC architecture is based on three key principles:


1. Modern Browser Engine


Uses native APIs such as custom elements, templates, Shadow DOM, and ES modules, making it lightweight and speedy.


2. Reactive Component Lifecycle


Whenever data changes, the UI automatically updates using a reactive rendering engine.


3. Secure and Isolated Components


Each component runs inside shadow DOM, ensuring encapsulation and preventing styling conflicts.


Key Features of LWC


  • Native JavaScript Support: Uses modern ES6+ JS features.
  • Shadow DOM: Scoped styling and DOM encapsulation.
  • Reactive Properties: UI updates automatically on data change.
  • Lightning Data Service: Easy, declarative Salesforce data access.
  • Events & Communication: Parent-child communication using events.
  • Reusable Components: Build once, use anywhere.
  • High Performance: Lightweight and optimized for speed.


Real-Life Use Cases of LWC


LWC is useful in many Salesforce scenarios:

  • Building custom UI in Lightning Record Pages
  • Creating dashboards and interactive charts
  • Developing guided selling or lead capture components
  • Creating forms, modals, and flows
  • Customizations for Salesforce Communities (Experience Cloud)
  • Integrating APIs and external services using Apex or fetch()


How LWC Works Behind the Scenes

Step-by-Step Working:


  1. Developer writes HTML, JS, and CSS in a component folder
  2. Browser reads ES modules and native web component syntax
  3. Salesforce compiles and deploys the component into Lightning Runtime
  4. Component receives data via @api, @track, or LDS
  5. Browser renders UI using reactive rendering engine

This native browser-powered architecture reduces processing time and improves performance drastically.


How to Create Your First LWC

Prerequisites:


  • Salesforce DX
  • VS Code with Salesforce Extensions
  • Dev Hub enabled
  • Scratch Org or Sandbox


Steps:


  1. Open VS Code → Create a Salesforce Project
  2. Right-click on the LWC folder → Create Lightning Web Component
  3. Write HTML, JS, and CSS
  4. Deploy to Org
  5. Add the component to a Lightning Page

That’s it! Your first LWC is live.


Why Learn LWC?



LWC is the future of Salesforce UI development. Companies are heavily adopting Lightning Experience, and strong LWC developers are in high demand.

  • High-paying job opportunities
  • Core skill for Salesforce Developers
  • Used in almost all modern Salesforce apps
  • Essential for integration and automation UI

If you want to grow your Salesforce career, LWC is a must-have skill.


Learn LWC with Peoplewoo Skills


Want to master LWC from scratch?

  • Live classes with expert trainers
  • Hands-on coding sessions
  • Real-time projects
  • Interview preparation
  • Certification guidance

Join Peoplewoo Skills to build your career as a Salesforce Developer!

Dharmesh R.

The explanations are clear, and the repetition really helps to reinforce the concepts. It covers everything in detail, from the basics to more advanced topics. The course includes in-depth examples that make complex ideas easy to understand. Overall, I’m really impressed and can’t wait to explore more!

Jermaine L.

Taking this course like help me acquire all the knowledge and skills I need to excel and optimize my performance to fulfilling my operational duties in my current role as an email marketing specialist

Sumit N.

Awesome explanation. He keep repeating which helps to remind/refresh the concepts. Loved it

Varun V.

It's a great course that covers everything you need to know. After almost finishing, I feel confident using the SDC platform. Definitely a 5-star experience!

Prajakta Nimba S.

This course is perfect for anyone looking to build a solid foundation in Salesforce Data Cloud. The content is well-structured, easy to follow, and packed with real-world examples that make the concepts practical

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the difference between LWC and Aura Components?

LWC is built on modern web standards (ES6+, Custom Elements, Shadow DOM) and is lighter, faster, and more standards-compliant. Aura is Salesforce's older component framework that uses a proprietary model. LWC offers better performance and aligns with standard web development practices.

2. Do I need to know modern JavaScript to learn LWC?

Yes. LWC uses ES6+ features (modules, classes, arrow functions). Familiarity with modern JavaScript will make learning LWC much easier, though beginners can start with basic JS and progress quickly.

3. What are @api, @track, and @wire decorators?

  • @api exposes a public property or method to parent components.
  • @track (mostly not required now) marks properties for reactivity — native objects/arrays are reactive by default in modern LWC.
  • @wire connects a property or function to a data source (Apex method or Lightning Data Service) for reactive data retrieval.

4. How do LWC components communicate with each other?

LWC supports multiple communication patterns:

  • Parent to child: use public properties (@api).
  • Child to parent: dispatch custom events.
  • Sibling or cross-hierarchy: use Lightning Message Service (LMS) or pub-sub for non-LWC contexts.

5. When should I use Lightning Data Service (LDS) vs Apex?

Use LDS for standard CRUD operations and to benefit from client-side caching, record-level security, and reduced server calls. Use Apex when complex business logic, batch processing, or operations not supported by LDS are required.

6. How do I debug LWC components?

 Use browser dev tools (console, network, debugger). Also leverage VS Code with Salesforce extensions and the Lightning Inspector (Chrome extension) to inspect component tree, events, and performance.

7. Are LWCs supported in Experience Cloud (Communities)?

Yes. LWC components can be used in Experience Cloud (formerly Communities). Some components may require additional configuration or audience visibility settings.

8. How do I test LWC components?

Use Jest for unit testing (Salesforce provides the @salesforce/sfdx-lwc-jest setup). For UI and end-to-end tests, use tools like Selenium, WebDriverIO, or Cypress (with appropriate authentication setups).

9. Can I reuse third-party JavaScript libraries in LWC?

Yes — you can add libraries as static resources and load them (e.g., via loadScript/loadStyle). Always ensure compatibility and consider performance and security implications.

10. What are common performance tips for LWC?

  • Minimize DOM updates and heavy computation in render cycle.
  • Use @wire and LDS where possible for efficient data access.
  • Lazy-load heavy libraries with loadScript.
  • Keep components small and focused (composition over monoliths).

Conclusion


Lightning Web Components (LWC) is a powerful, modern framework that brings the best of JavaScript and web standards into Salesforce. With its lightweight architecture and high performance, LWC has quickly become the backbone of Salesforce UI development. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, learning LWC will significantly boost your Salesforce career and open multiple job opportunities worldwide.


More SFDC Resources


Start your SFMC journey today — join our Live Training 

Need help? Chat with us on WhatsApp anytime.

Learn. Practice. Get Certified. Succeed with Peoplewoo Skills.

Peoplewoo

Peoplewoo

Peoplewoo Consulting Private Limited
https://www.peoplewoo.com/
Tags :
Categories :