Most Console Tab behavior is automatic in standard console apps. Customization happens through app Setup for tab persistence and pinning, and through workspaceAPI for programmatic tab control.
- Choose between Service Console and Sales Console apps
Both are Lightning console apps with the same tab system. Pick the app type when you create the app from Setup, App Manager, New Lightning App, and select Console Navigation.
- Set up the app primary objects and pinned tabs
From the app detail page in Setup, configure which objects appear in the Navigation Menu (Cases, Accounts, Knowledge) and which records should pin by default for new users.
- Configure tab session settings
Decide whether tabs should reopen on next login (User Personalization, Sessions to Reopen). Enable this for high-frequency agents who pick up where they left off. Disable it for shared kiosks.
- Build workspaceAPI components for custom tab control
For automation like after Case save, close this tab and open the next queue Case, build an LWC that calls workspaceAPI.closeTab and workspaceAPI.openTab. The methods are documented in the Lightning Web Components Developer Guide.
- Set up tab focus and refresh patterns
Components that listen for record changes can call refreshTab to update the tab content without a full page reload. This is the modern alternative to apex:actionPoller for keeping a console fresh.
- Train agents on tab limits
Agents who do not know there is a tab cap will hit the limit, get confused, and call IT. A one-paragraph training note covering the cap and how to close stale tabs prevents the ticket.
- Tabs are per user, not per role. Closing a tab affects only the current user; the same record stays open for any other agent who has it.
- The workspaceAPI is Lightning-only. Aura console apps used a different API; legacy code targeting the old API does not work in modern Lightning console apps.
- Subtab limits are separate from primary tab limits and counted per primary. Hitting the subtab cap is unusual but possible on complex Cases with many related records.
- Pinned tabs survive logout but not org refresh. Sandbox refreshes wipe pinned tab state for all users in the sandbox.
- Console apps require a console license; standard Lightning Experience users cannot open a console app without one.