Creating a Quick Action is a Setup workflow: pick Object-Specific or Global, pick the Action Type, configure predefined values and the action layout, add to the page layout or publisher.
- Pick Object-Specific or Global
For an action tied to a specific record (New Task on Account), use Object-Specific. For context-free actions (New Task from header), use Global.
- Open the Quick Action setup
For Object-Specific: Setup, Object Manager, the object, Buttons, Links, and Actions, New Action. For Global: Setup, Global Actions, New Action.
- Pick the Action Type
Create a Record (pick the target object), Log a Call, Send Email, Custom Visualforce, Flow (pick the Flow), Lightning Web Component (pick the LWC).
- Set Label, Name, Description, Icon
Label is user-facing. Name is the API name. Description is internal documentation. Icon is from the Lightning Design System library.
- Configure Predefined Field Values
On the action record, Predefined Values tab. Add field-value pairs that auto-set when the action runs. Use merge syntax for parent record references.
- Build the Action Layout
On the action record, Layout. Drag fields from the palette into the layout. Order them by user input frequency.
- Add to the page layout or publisher
For Object-Specific: open the object's page layout, drag the action into the Mobile and Lightning Actions section. For Global: Setup, Publisher Layouts, drag into Quick Actions section.
- Test the action
Open a record (for Object-Specific) or the header (for Global), click the action, fill in the layout, save. Confirm the new record has the right field values and the parent linkage works.
Create a Record, Log a Call, Send Email, Custom Visualforce, Flow, or Lightning Web Component. Permanent after creation.
Display label shown to users. Should describe the action in 1-3 words.
API name. Must be unique within the org for Global Actions, within the parent object for Object-Specific.
For Create a Record, the sObject the action creates. Required only for the Create type.
Visual icon from the Lightning Design System library. Optional but recommended for usability.
- Action Type cannot be changed after creation. Clone the action to switch from Create a Record to Flow or vice versa.
- Predefined Field Values are not validated. A predefined value that violates a Validation Rule fails or surfaces a confusing error.
- Action Layouts are separate from page layouts. Adding a field to the page layout does not auto-add it to action layouts; configure each action layout deliberately.
- Global Quick Actions do not auto-link to the current page context. Use Object-Specific for context-linked workflows.
- Flow-backed actions need the Flow's running user context configured carefully. System-context Flows bypass sharing; user-context Flows respect it. Pick deliberately.