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Full Parent Account entry
How-to guide

Set up a parent-child account hierarchy

You build an account hierarchy by setting the Parent Account field on the child records, then viewing the result with the View Account Hierarchy action. No package or special feature toggle is required, since the field exists on the standard Account object.

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

You build an account hierarchy by setting the Parent Account field on the child records, then viewing the result with the View Account Hierarchy action. No package or special feature toggle is required, since the field exists on the standard Account object.

  1. Open the child account

    Go to the account that should sit below another account, for example a branch or subsidiary. Click Edit, or edit the Parent Account field inline from the record page.

  2. Set the Parent Account field

    Type the parent company name to match an existing account, or click the lookup icon to search. From the lookup you can also create a new parent account if the record does not exist yet. Save the record.

  3. View the hierarchy

    From any account in the tree, open the action menu and choose View Account Hierarchy. The tree shows the parent at the top with child accounts nested beneath, anchored on the account you opened it from.

  4. Customize the columns (optional)

    From the hierarchy view, add fields such as Owner, Industry, or Annual Revenue as columns so key data shows inside the tree. This adds an Org_Account_Hierarchy item to the Accounts list view menu.

Key options
Parent Account fieldremember

The self-lookup on Account that names another account as the parent. Set it on the child, not the parent.

View Account Hierarchy actionremember

The standard action that renders the tree; it reads only from the Parent Account field.

Hierarchy columnsremember

The fields displayed in the tree, defaulting to the Recently Viewed Accounts list view until you customize them.

Gotchas
  • Person accounts cannot use the Parent Account field or the View Account Hierarchy action.
  • Account hierarchies are not viewable in the Salesforce mobile app.
  • Lightning Experience shows up to 2,000 accounts in the tree; Salesforce Classic shows up to 500 child accounts.
  • The field is a lookup, so roll-up summary fields cannot total child revenue onto the parent automatically.

See the full Parent Account entry

Parent Account includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.