How to create a custom object (Salesforce's equivalent of CREATE TABLE)

You never run CREATE TABLE in Salesforce. You define a custom object through the Object Manager and the platform provisions storage, indexes, and the metadata mapping for you. The wizard takes about a minute; the choices you make in it are mostly permanent.

1. 1
   Open Object Manager

   Setup, then Object Manager, then Create, then Custom Object. The wizard handles the basic configuration and you can refine the rest after the object exists.

2. 2
   Set the label and API name

   Singular and plural labels appear in UI strings throughout the platform. The Object API Name auto-derives from the singular label and ends with __c. It is what your code, formulas, and integrations reference. The API name is permanent once you save.

3. 3
   Choose the Name field type

   Pick Text for most cases or Auto Number when records should get a sequential identifier. Text Name fields are searchable from the global search; Auto Number fields are not, though you can add a separate searchable field if you need both.

4. 4
   Configure platform features

   Allow Reports, Allow Activities, Track Field History, In Chatter Groups, and Help Settings. Allow Reports and Track Field History are the two most commonly missed. Leaving them off costs you analytics and audit later, and Allow Reports cannot be toggled on after deployment without rebuilding the object.

5. 5
   Set the deployment status

   Deployed makes the object available immediately. In Development hides it until you flip the switch, which is useful when you want to define fields and load test data before exposing anything to users.

6. 6
   Add fields, page layouts, and tabs

   After the object exists, use Fields and Relationships to add columns and Page Layouts to control how they render. Add a custom tab if users need to navigate directly to a list view of the records.