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How to build a modern Chatter extension

Chatlets are not a current Salesforce concept. The modern path is Quick Action or Lightning Component depending on the requirement.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated May 20, 2026

Chatlets are not a current Salesforce concept. The modern path is Quick Action or Lightning Component depending on the requirement.

  1. Identify the Chatter extension you need

    Custom post type, structured form in the feed, specific action a user can take from a Chatter post. Each maps to a different modern surface.

  2. Try a Quick Action first

    Setup, Object Manager, Buttons, Links, and Actions. Create a Quick Action that creates the right record from a Chatter context. Quick Actions are declarative and fast.

  3. Escalate to Lightning Web Component when needed

    For complex UI or behaviour beyond Quick Action capabilities, build a Lightning Web Component embedded in the feed surface.

  4. Translate legacy Chatlet references

    Any documentation that mentions Chatlets is historical. Translate to Quick Action or LWC for the current implementation pattern.

  5. Consider Slack for cross-team collaboration

    Many Chatter extensions today are better served by Slack integration than by extending Chatter directly. Salesforce's Slack-first product direction makes this the modern path for many use cases.

Gotchas
  • Chatlet is a legacy term. Documentation that uses it is historical; translate to Quick Action or LWC.
  • Quick Actions are usually enough. Reach for Lightning Components only when Quick Actions cannot model the requirement.
  • Third-party Chatter recognition apps remain useful but use their own extension models, not Chatlets.
  • Slack integration often beats extending Chatter for collaboration-heavy use cases.

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