What is the primary purpose of using metadata in Salesforce?

The primary purpose of using metadata in Salesforce is to define the structure of data and components. Metadata acts as data about data, providing information about the various components of an application, such as fields, layouts, record types, and user interfaces. This structural definition allows developers and administrators to manage how data is stored and interacted with within the Salesforce platform.

In addition to defining structures, metadata facilitates the customization and configuration of applications according to business needs without direct interaction with the underlying data. It helps teams implement changes more efficiently by allowing them to deploy or modify configurations across different environments, such as from a development environment to production.

While enhanced application speed, managing user roles, and securing sensitive information are indeed important aspects of Salesforce, they are not the primary functions of metadata. Instead, they relate to performance optimization, user management, and data protection practices respectively. Understanding metadata's role is essential for effectively utilizing Salesforce for application development and customization.