Records & List Views
Everything in Salesforce is stored as a record — a Lead, a Contact, a Client (Opportunity), a Property, etc. This guide covers how to view, edit, and organise records.
Viewing a Record
Screenshot needed: A record page showing the highlights panel, Details tab, Related tab, and Activity tab
Click any record name (blue hyperlink) to open it. A record page has several sections:
Highlights Panel
The top section shows the most important fields at a glance — typically name, status, owner, and key dates. These fields are always visible without scrolling.
Details Tab
Click the Details tab to see all fields on the record. Fields are organised into sections (e.g. "Contact Information", "Address Details").
- View mode — fields display as read-only text
- Edit mode — click the pencil icon next to any field to edit it inline, or click the Edit button (pencil icon at the top) to edit multiple fields at once
Related Tab
The Related tab shows records linked to this one. For example, a Contact's related tab might show:
- Opportunities (Clients) they're associated with
- Activities (tasks, calls, events)
- Documents sent to them
Activity Tab
The Activity tab shows a timeline of all interactions — tasks, calls, emails, events, and Chatter posts. You can filter and sort the timeline.
Editing Records
Screenshot needed: Inline editing a field — showing the pencil icon on hover and the edit state
Inline Editing
- Hover over a field value
- Click the pencil icon that appears
- Make your change
- Press Enter or click away — the field saves automatically
Full Edit
- Click the Edit button (pencil icon at the top of the record)
- Modify multiple fields
- Click Save
Required Fields
Fields marked with a red asterisk (*) must be filled in before saving. If you miss one, Salesforce will highlight it in red with an error message.
Creating Records
There are several ways to create new records:
- From a tab — click the New button on any list view
- From a related list — click New on a related list (e.g. "New Contact" from an Account's related contacts)
- Quick Action — click the + icon in the global actions bar or use record-specific quick actions
- From the App Launcher — search for the object type and click New
List Views
Screenshot needed: A list view in table mode showing column headers, sort indicators, and the filter/display mode icons
List views are saved filters that show a table of records matching specific criteria.
Using List Views
- Click a tab (e.g. Leads)
- The default list view opens showing records in a table
- Click the list view name (dropdown) to switch between saved views
- Common views: "My Leads", "All Leads", "Recently Viewed"
Switching Display Modes
List views can display in different formats:
| Mode | Best For |
|---|---|
| Table | Scanning lots of records, sorting by columns |
| Kanban | Visual pipeline view, grouped by a status/stage field |
| Split View | Browsing records one at a time while keeping the list visible |
Click the icons in the top-right of the list view to switch modes.
Filtering & Sorting
- Sort — click any column header to sort. Click again to reverse the order
- Filter — click the filter icon (funnel) to add filter conditions
- Search within list — use the search bar at the top to find records within the current view
Creating a List View
- Click the list view dropdown
- Click New
- Name your list view
- Set visibility (just you, or shared with others)
- Add filter conditions
- Select which columns to display
- Click Save
Inline Editing in List Views
You can edit records directly from a list view:
- Double-click a cell in the table
- Edit the value
- Press Enter or Tab to move to the next cell
- A blue indicator shows unsaved changes
- Click Save (or Cmd+S) to save all changes at once
Kanban View
Screenshot needed: The Kanban view showing cards grouped into status columns with drag handles
The Kanban view shows records as cards grouped into columns by a status or stage field (e.g. Lead Status or Client Stage).
- Move cards — drag and drop cards between columns to change their status
- Summary bar — shows count and totals for each column
- Card fields — each card shows key fields configured by your admin
- Alerts — yellow indicators show records that need attention
Cloning Records
To create a copy of an existing record:
- Open the record
- Click the dropdown arrow next to the Edit button
- Select Clone
- Modify any fields as needed
- Click Save
Deleting Records
- Open the record
- Click the dropdown arrow next to the Edit button
- Select Delete
- Confirm the deletion
Deleted records go to the Recycle Bin and can be restored within 15 days.