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How to create an Event

Creating an Event in Salesforce is most often done from a related record or from the global Calendar view, occasionally synced in automatically from an external calendar app.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated May 16, 2026

Creating an Event in Salesforce is most often done from a related record or from the global Calendar view, occasionally synced in automatically from an external calendar app.

  1. Open the record the Event belongs to

    Most Events are easier to create from the related record (Contact, Account, Opportunity, Case) than from the global Events tab, because starting from the related record auto-populates WhoId or WhatId.

  2. Click New Event on the Activity composer

    The composer sits at the top of any record page. The Event tab is one of several (Task, Event, Log a Call, Email); pick Event for a scheduled session with a start and end time.

  3. Set the Subject

    Write the Subject as a meeting agenda rather than a placeholder. "Q1 QBR with VP Sales" reads better than "Meeting" or "Call."

  4. Set StartDateTime and EndDateTime

    Confirm the time zone is correct. Recurring Events use the StartDateTime as the anchor for every future instance.

  5. Set Location and ShowAs

    Location can be a physical address, a Zoom link, or a meeting-room name. ShowAs controls how the Event appears in calendar pickers; use Out of Office for blocks.

  6. Invite attendees through EventRelation

    Add Users, Contacts, or Leads to the attendee list. Invitations flow to their calendars through whichever calendar sync the org has enabled.

  7. Save

    Click Save. The Event attaches to the parent records, surfaces in calendar sync, and shows up on the Activity Timeline.

Subjectrequired

Required. The headline that shows up in calendar views and reports.

StartDateTimerequired

Required. The scheduled start.

EndDateTimerequired

Required. The scheduled end.

Gotchas
  • EAC-captured Events live in a separate data layer. Reports built against standard Event miss them unless sync-to-Activity is explicitly enabled.
  • Recurring Event edits propagate to future instances by default. Editing a single instance creates an exception; editing the series rewrites every future Event in the recurrence.
  • Private Events are hidden from everyone except the Owner. Salesforce admins cannot see them through Setup; manager visibility is also blocked.
  • EventRelation rows track invitee RSVPs separately from the Event itself. Reports on invite-conversion need to join Event and EventRelation, which most standard report types do not handle.

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