What is the key architectural consideration when deciding between a Before-Trigger and an After-Trigger in Apex?

Question

Salesforce Admin — Hard

What is the key architectural consideration when deciding between a Before-Trigger and an After-Trigger in Apex?

Accepted Answer

When deciding between Before-Trigger and After-Trigger in Apex, the key consideration is the trigger's ability to modify records and access IDs. Before triggers can modify records without extra DML but can't access IDs for inserts. After triggers, however, can access IDs and are ideal for related record updates. This distinction is crucial for choosing the right trigger type.