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Full Salesforce Console entry
How-to guide

Build a Lightning console app in the App Manager

You create a console by building a Lightning app and setting its navigation type to Console, then adding the objects, pages, and utilities your team needs. Here is the click path in the App Manager. If you only need a starting point, enabling the standard Service Console or Sales Console app is faster than building one by hand.

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

You create a console by building a Lightning app and setting its navigation type to Console, then adding the objects, pages, and utilities your team needs. Here is the click path in the App Manager. If you only need a starting point, enabling the standard Service Console or Sales Console app is faster than building one by hand.

  1. Open the App Manager

    In Setup, go to Apps, then App Manager. Click New Lightning App to start a fresh app, or click the dropdown next to an existing Lightning app and choose Edit to convert or adjust it.

  2. Set navigation type to Console

    On the App Options step, choose Console as the navigation style instead of Standard. This is what turns on workspace tabs, subtabs, and the split view behavior for the app.

  3. Add navigation items and configure split view

    Add the objects and tabs users should see, then decide how lists behave, including whether split view is available so agents can work a list beside the open record.

  4. Build the utility bar

    On the Utility Items step, add the Lightning components users need in the footer, such as Notes, History, a softphone, or Omni-Channel, and set each item label, icon, and properties.

  5. Assign the app and save

    On the User Profiles step, add the profiles that should use the console, save the app, and confirm those users have the Lightning Console User permission.

Key options
Navigation typeremember

Set to Console to enable the tabbed multi-record workspace; Standard shows one record at a time.

Utility itemsremember

Lightning components shown in the fixed footer; some run as background utilities with no panel.

Split viewremember

A left-side list panel paired with the open record, on by default and collapsible for more space.

Standard console appsremember

Service Console and Sales Console are prebuilt; enable one for a fast, supported starting point.

Gotchas
  • Users without the Lightning Console User permission cannot open the app even if the app is assigned to their profile.
  • Console apps are dense and best for trained, high-volume teams; casual users are often better served by a standard navigation app.
  • Lightning console apps lack full parity with Classic console apps, so confirm features like push notifications and pop-out workspaces before a migration.
  • Split view needs horizontal room and feels cramped on small laptop screens, so weigh screen size when you decide who gets a console.

See the full Salesforce Console entry

Salesforce Console includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.