Home Tab
The Home Tab is the landing page Salesforce users see when they first log in.
Definition
The Home Tab is the landing page Salesforce users see when they first log in. In Lightning Experience, it is a configurable Lightning Page assembled from components (Performance, Today''s Events, Today''s Tasks, Recent Records, Top Deals, News, Chatter Feed, custom Lightning Components). Admins design one or more Home Lightning Pages per app, assign them to user profiles or apps, and the system selects the appropriate page for each user at login.
The Home Tab anchors the user''s daily Salesforce experience. A well-designed Home Tab surfaces the work the user needs to do today (open opportunities, overdue cases, pending approvals) without forcing a click. A neglected Home Tab shows the Salesforce default layout, which is generic enough that most users develop the habit of skipping it entirely. The component library is wide enough that admins can build role-specific home pages (one for sales reps, one for managers, one for service agents) using the same Lightning App Builder used for record pages.
Designing a Home Tab that users actually open every morning
The Lightning Home Page model
Salesforce ships a Default Home Page out of the box. Admins build new Lightning Home Pages via Lightning App Builder (Setup, Home Pages, click New). The designer offers a grid of regions where components drop in. Saving the page makes it available for assignment to apps or profiles. Multiple Home Pages can coexist; the system picks the right one per user based on profile and app context.
Standard components and their value
The standard component library covers most use cases. Today''s Events surfaces the user''s next calendar items. Today''s Tasks lists tasks due today. Performance Chart shows the user''s quota attainment for the current quarter. Top Deals lists the rep''s largest open opportunities. Recent Records surfaces what the user touched last. News and Chatter Feed bring contextual stream content. Picking the right four-to-six components is the bulk of the design work.
Role-specific home pages
Different roles need different home pages. A sales rep needs Today''s Tasks, Top Deals, and Performance. A sales manager needs the same plus a team-level pipeline summary. A service agent needs Today''s Cases and a custom Case queue picker. Build separate Lightning Home Pages and assign by App + Profile combination in Setup, Home Pages, Assignments.
Custom Lightning Web Components
When the standard components do not fit, admins add custom Lightning Web Components. A common pattern is a custom Pipeline Summary LWC that aggregates the rep''s opportunities by Forecast Category and renders a colored panel. Custom LWCs deploy via SFDX, surface in the App Builder component pane, and drop onto Home Pages like any standard component.
Home Page vs. App Page distinction
The Home Tab is one of three Lightning Page types: Home Page, App Page, and Record Page. Home Pages render at the Home tab; App Pages render at custom tabs accessed from the App Launcher; Record Pages render on individual record views. The App Builder is the same designer, but the available components and the assignment scope differ. Home Pages assign by App and Profile.
Mobile and Salesforce app behavior
The Salesforce mobile app uses a separate mobile home configuration (Setup, Mobile App, Home). The desktop Lightning Home Page is not automatically reflected on mobile; admins configure each environment separately. Components must support the Salesforce app target to render on mobile.
Performance considerations
Every component on the Home Page runs on every page load. A page with eight heavy components (custom LWCs running SOQL, big Chatter feeds, dashboard renderings) takes seconds to load. Keep Home Pages light; defer heavy queries to lazy-loading patterns inside the components. The Salesforce Optimizer report flags pages that exceed the recommended component count.
Build and assign a custom Home Lightning Page
The end-to-end loop from designing to assigning a new Home Page takes about 30 minutes. The art is in component selection, not the technical steps.
- Open Lightning App Builder
Setup, Home Pages, click New. Choose a layout template (one-column, two-column, three-column).
- Drag standard components onto the page
Pick four to six components that match the target audience. Today''s Tasks, Performance, Top Deals are the typical core for sales reps.
- Add custom LWCs if needed
Drop any custom Lightning Web Components that match the page target. Configure component properties from the inspector pane.
- Activate and assign
Click Activation, choose the assignment scope: org default, app default, or app + profile. Save the assignment.
- Test as the target user
Log in as a user matching the assignment criteria, navigate to the Home tab, verify the new page renders.
- Iterate based on user feedback
Adoption signals (do users start clicking through to records from the Home tab) tell you whether the design works. Adjust components based on what gets ignored.
One-column, two-column, three-column, or a custom region template.
Standard or custom LWCs that render on the page.
Org default, App default, or App + Profile assignment.
Decides whether the page renders in the Salesforce mobile app.
- Home Pages assign by App + Profile combination. Forgetting to assign a page to a profile means users on that profile see the default page, not the new design.
- Mobile and desktop are separate configurations. Designing a great desktop Home Page does not automatically improve the mobile experience.
- Performance Chart requires Collaborative Forecasts to be enabled. The component renders empty for orgs without it.
- Salesforce ships the Default Home Page; orgs that never customize end up with a generic page that nobody uses. Customizing is the first-day task that drives adoption.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Lightning Home PagesSalesforce Help
- Lightning App BuilderSalesforce Help
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Home Tab.
- Lightning App Builder Developer GuideSalesforce Developers
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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