Enhanced Notes is on by default in any org created after Spring 16. Older orgs must enable the feature and add the Notes related list to page layouts before users can create notes the modern way.
- Enable the Notes feature
Setup > Notes > Notes Settings. Check Enable Notes. The setting applies to the whole org; once on, it cannot be cleanly disabled without a Salesforce support ticket.
- Add Notes related list to page layouts
Each object's page layout needs the Notes related list (and ideally hides the older Notes & Attachments list to prevent confusion). Add Notes to Account, Contact, Opportunity, Lead, Case, and any custom object layout users work with daily.
- Add the New Note quick action
Add the New Note global action to the publisher on relevant page layouts and to the global publisher. The action lets users create a note directly without scrolling to the related list.
- Set sharing defaults
Verify that the parent object's sharing model gives notes the visibility you want. For sensitive customer data, consider running a Sharing Settings audit on each parent object before enabling notes.
- Train users on the difference
Users get confused when they see both Notes and Notes & Attachments related lists. Pick one (Notes is the modern choice) and remove the other from page layouts so the path forward is unambiguous.
Default modern feature. Rich text, images, multi-record sharing, indexed for search. Use for all new note-taking.
Legacy plain-text feature. Still present in older orgs for historical data. Read-only in modern UI.
Notes attached as Activity records appear on the activity timeline. Used by sales reps for call summaries.
For structured, reusable text, use Lightning Knowledge instead of Notes. Knowledge supports approval workflow and translation.
- Enhanced Notes and Classic Notes live on different related lists with different names. Both are called Notes in casual conversation; trainers must clarify which one users should use.
- Notes do not appear in standard Activity reports. To analyze adoption, query ContentNote via SOQL or CRM Analytics; the Reports & Dashboards builder gives partial coverage only.
- ContentDocumentLink visibility can leak notes beyond the parent record audience if a note is shared to multiple records and one of those records has broader sharing. Audit cross-record links during sensitive data implementations.
- Field Service technicians sometimes fall back to Description fields instead of Notes because Description is editable on mobile while older Notes versions had issues. Confirm the current mobile experience works for them before standardizing.