How to Display a Field in a Related List in Salesforce

Salesforce is a powerful tool for managing and organizing data. One of its key features is the ability to create and customize related lists, which are lists of records linked to a parent record. This guide will walk you through the process of displaying a specific field in a related list in Salesforce.

Understanding Related Lists in Salesforce

Related lists in Salesforce are useful for quickly accessing and managing related records. They are typically located under the Related tab on the record detail page of an object. For example, a record for a customer might have a related list for their orders, contacts, or invoices.

Customizing a Page Layout

To show a specific field in a related list, you need to edit the page layout of the parent object. This can be done through the Salesforce setup process.

Steps to Edit Page Layout

Sign in to your Salesforce account and navigate to the object you want to modify. For example, if you want to add a field to the related list of a Contact, navigate to the Contact object.

Go to the Related tab and click on the Page Layouts option. From there, select the page layout you want to edit.

In the layout editor, you will see a list of related objects to the parent object. For example, if editing the layout for a Contact, you might see related lists for Accounts, Opportunities, and Tasks.

Select the related object you want to modify, and then choose the specific related list. For example, if modifying the layout for a Contact related to Accounts, choose the Account related list.

In the related list layout editor, you will see a list of fields available for that related object. You can drag and drop the fields you want to display from this list into the desired position in the related list.

Once you have added the desired fields, save your changes by clicking the Save button.

Adding or Removing Fields in a Related List

When you are working with a related list, you can add or remove fields through the page layout editor. This provides flexibility in how you organize and present information to your users.

Adding a Field

Select the related list in the layout editor.

Locate the field you want to add in the available fields list.

Drag and drop the selected field into the desired position in the related list.

Save your changes to apply the new field to the related list.

Removing a Field

Select the related list in the layout editor.

Find the field you want to remove from the related list.

Drag the field from its current position to the “Available Fields” list on the left.

Save your changes to remove the field from the related list.

Best Practices for Customizing Related Lists

When customizing related lists, it is important to consider the needs of your users and the overall data management strategy. Here are some best practices to follow:

Keep it User-friendly: Ensure that the fields and the layout are intuitive and easy to understand.

Relevance: Only display fields that are relevant to the users and the business processes.

Data Integrity: Be mindful of data integrity and make sure that the fields you display do not conflict with the business rules or data validation.

Performance: Avoid adding too many fields or too many related lists to the page layout, as this can impact performance.

Consistency: Ensure that the field display is consistent across similar objects and related lists for a clean and professional look.

Conclusion

Customizing related lists in Salesforce allows you to present the most relevant data to your users, enhancing their efficiency and productivity. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily add or remove fields from a related list, ensuring that your data presentation is both useful and effective.