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How to create a Lightning App

Building a Lightning App takes a 10-minute wizard. The longer work is curating the navigation and utility surfaces for the role that will use it.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated May 19, 2026

Building a Lightning App takes a 10-minute wizard. The longer work is curating the navigation and utility surfaces for the role that will use it.

  1. Open App Manager

    Setup, App Manager. Click New Lightning App.

  2. Name and brand the App

    Provide a Name and Developer Name. Upload a logo and pick a primary colour to brand the navigation bar so users can identify the App at a glance.

  3. Pick Standard or Console navigation

    Standard for most apps; Console for service workflows that need multi-tab workspaces.

  4. Add tabs and utility items

    Drag tabs into the navigation bar in the order the user will use them. Add utility items like Omni-Channel, History, or Macros to the Utility Bar.

  5. Assign to profiles or permission sets

    On the final wizard step, choose which profiles or permission sets can see the App. Set the Default App for the right roles. Save.

Mandatory fields
Namerequired

Human-readable label shown in the App Launcher.

Developer Namerequired

API-safe identifier used in metadata and permission set assignment.

Navigation Stylerequired

Standard or Console; cannot be changed after the App is created.

Navigation Itemsrequired

Tabs and items that appear in the navigation bar.

User Assignmentrequired

Profiles or permission sets that grant access to the App.

Gotchas
  • Navigation style (Standard vs Console) cannot be changed after creation. Pick the right one up front.
  • Profile-only assignment scales poorly. Use permission sets to grant App visibility instead.
  • Utility Bar items are configured per App, not per profile. Two Apps that share users may need duplicate Utility configurations.
  • Default App is per profile. Setting it on the App alone does not make it the default until profile defaults are also configured.

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