Salesforce Admin Page Layouts

Introduction

Today's topic is Page Layouts. Page Layouts constitute the configuration of how a particular object is presented on the screen. It involves decidingwhich fields to expose and whether to set them as read-only or required.

Features of Page Layouts

• Screen composition is achieved through simple drag-and-drop operations.
• When creating a custom object, a default layout is automatically generated.

 

Configuration of Page Layouts.

The screen you are looking at is the Enhanced Page Layout Editor. This feature is enabled by default. In practical terms, when someone says to modify the layout, they usually refer to this section. Surprisingly, I did not know the exact name of this. I learned its official name for this post.

(1) Palette: This contains fields, buttons, quick actions, etc., available for use in the respective object.

(2) Highlights Panel: This corresponds to the Highlights Panel on the Salesforce Classic page. If you adopted Salesforce in the early to mid-2000s, you might not pay much attention to it, as most users are now using Lightning Experience.

(3) Quick Actions: This is where you place actions to be displayed on Classic pages.

(4) Salesforce Mobile and Lightning Experience: This is where you place Quick Actions for use in Salesforce Mobile or Lightning Experience.

(5) Standard Buttons: Placement for standard buttons on Classic pages.

(6) Custom Buttons: Placement for custom buttons on Classic pages.

(7) Fields in the Record Details: This section allows you to add, remove, reorder, and specify fields as read-only or required.

 

You can see that Enhanced Page Layout Editor is enabled by default on User Interface.

 

Create a Page Layout

In the previous post, we created Client and Partner record types for the Account object. Now, let's create a layout to apply to the Client record type. In this exercise, we're not aiming to create a sophisticated Client layout; instead, we're going through the process to help you understand where and how the mentioned items are displayed.

 

Setup -> Object Manager -> Account -> Page Layout -> New

 

(4) I chose New Contact in the Actions section and six fields (Owner, Name, Parent Account, Rating, Phone, Fax).

 

 

Assign the Page Layout

Now that the page configuration is complete, you need to consider where and to whom you want to expose the created page. Personally, if there are record types for the target object, I prefer to create layouts for each record type and assign them accordingly. Going into more detail, you can also assign different layouts based on user profiles.

 

Record Types -> Page Layout Assignment -> Edit Assignment

It may look difficult, but no.

Let me briefly explain with a simple example:

- Users with the Analytics Cloud Integration User profile have been assigned the Account Layout for the Master, Client, and Partner record types.

Since you are being logged in as Admin, let's scroll down the screen to the System Administrator section and proceed to assign the layout for the Client record type.

 

The light purple color indicates that it has been selected. From this selected state, navigate back to the top of the page. In the "Page Layout To Use" section, choose the layout you want to assign, and the allocation will be completed.

Now, let's create and open a Client record for the Account to verify if the layout has been applied correctly. Please check how the applied configurations appear and where they are located on the page.

Note

• When selecting multiple elements, you can use the Ctrl key to select multiple fields.
• To set fields as Read-Only or Required, double-click on the 'placed' field in the page layout or click on the wrench icon (this is not possible from the palette).
• In Professional Edition, once a page layout is created, it cannot be renamed.
• For Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, and Developer Editions, you can preview how it will appear for a specific profile by selecting that profile.
• After completing your tasks, be sure to click the 'Save' button as there is no auto-save feature.
• Limitations for Page Layouts:  https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.layouts_limitations.htm&type=5

 

I Cannot See Fields!

There are two major reasons why you cannot see fields. And mostly, the second reason below is the main reason.

• After assigning a field, you forgot to save it.
• You forgot to assign permissions to the field.

If there is no permission on the Phone field, the field is not shown at all.

When creating fields, many people tend to grant permissions to everyone at the end. It's the most convenient and generally the easiest approach to ensure that permissions are not overlooked. However, permissions should be given only to those who need them. In this process, there might be instances where permissions are overlooked.

If permissions are missing, you can locate the field, go into it, and press "Set Field-Level Security" to assign permissions to the profiles that were overlooked.

 

Conclusion

Have you grasped the concept to some extent? Configuring page layouts is not technically challenging; the key lies in how to configure them effectively. While working, you might have had a thought like, "I have a record type 'A,' and I want to assign some fields differently for each profile. Do I have to create a new page layout every time?" If you've had such considerations, you can consider yourself to have reached a certain level of understanding! 😄

Salesforce provides Dynamic Forms as a solution to the mentioned question. I'll cover the details in the next post.

 

Reference

https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.customize_layout.htm&type=5

https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.layouts_limitations.htm&type=5