What is the use of Remote Action?

Posted by Vinay Vernekar 18th December 2025

Remote Action (JavaScript Remoting) — Overview

Remote Action (also called JavaScript Remoting) allows Visualforce pages to call Apex methods directly from client-side JavaScript. It provides a lightweight, asynchronous way to invoke server-side logic without a full page postback, improving UX and reducing network overhead. Remote Action is implemented using Apex methods annotated with @RemoteAction and JavaScript calls that serialize parameters and handle responses via callbacks.

Why use Remote Action?

Remote Action is useful when you need to:

  • Perform asynchronous server calls from a Visualforce page without re-rendering the whole page.
  • Improve perceived performance by fetching or updating small pieces of data dynamically.
  • Reduce view state and avoid heavy form submissions for simple operations.
  • Integrate complex client-side UI (e.g., single-page interactions) with Apex business logic.

Key characteristics

  • Calls are asynchronous and use a callback function signature: function(result, event).
  • Apex methods must be static and annotated with @RemoteAction.
  • Data is serialized as JSON between client and server.
  • Remoting calls bypass full Visualforce form submission and view state.

Basic example

Server-side Apex controller:

public with sharing class AccountController {
@RemoteAction
public static Account getAccountById(Id accId) {
return [SELECT Id, Name, Phone FROM Account WHERE Id = :accId LIMIT 1];
}
}

Client-side JavaScript on a Visualforce page:


AccountController.getAccountById('{!Account.Id}', function(result, event) {
if (event.status) {
// success - result contains the Account object
console.log('Account name: ' + result.Name);
} else if (event.type === 'exception') {
console.error('Exception: ' + event.message);
} else {
console.error('Error: ' + event.message);
}
});

Callback event object

The callback receives two parameters: the result (deserialized JSON) and an event object. The event contains useful properties:

  • status — boolean, true on success.
  • message — error message when status is false.
  • type — ‘exception’, ‘exceptionType’, ‘apex’, etc.
  • where — stack trace info for server exceptions.

Limitations and best practices

  • Governor limits still apply — each remoting call counts as synchronous Apex execution.
  • Keep payloads small to reduce latency; avoid returning huge collections or blobs.
  • Use pagination or selective SOQL to limit data returned.
  • Validate and enforce sharing/security in Apex (with sharing if required).
  • Handle error cases robustly in the client callback.
  • Because methods are static, avoid using instance state; pass all required data as parameters.

When to prefer Remote Action

Choose Remote Action when you have a Visualforce-based UI and need fast, JS-driven interactions that call Apex. For Lightning Components or modern frameworks, consider Lightning Data Service, LWC wire/adapters, or Platform REST APIs instead.

Security considerations

Remote Action uses the running user’s permissions and sharing rules as enforced in Apex code. Always perform server-side validation and enforce field- and object-level security where needed. Avoid exposing sensitive data through remoting calls unless properly secured.

Summary

Remote Action (JavaScript Remoting) is a powerful tool for integrating client-side JavaScript with Apex in Visualforce pages. It enables asynchronous, JSON-based calls to static Apex methods annotated with @RemoteAction, improving responsiveness and reducing full page postbacks when used properly and securely.

Tags: