Icons
Icons in Salesforce are the visual identifiers that appear next to objects, tabs, list views, and actions throughout the Lightning Experience UI.
Definition
Icons in Salesforce are the visual identifiers that appear next to objects, tabs, list views, and actions throughout the Lightning Experience UI. The platform uses the Lightning Design System (SLDS) icon library, a curated set of several hundred SVG icons covering objects, utilities, actions, statuses, and standard concepts. Each icon has a name (account, opportunity, custom_1, custom_55) and a category (Standard, Custom, Action, Utility, Doctype). Administrators choose an icon for each custom object and custom tab through the Object Manager.
Beyond customization, icons matter for usability. Users navigate primarily by visual recognition: the tab bar, the App Launcher, and list views all rely on icons to distinguish similar-named items quickly. Picking distinctive icons for custom objects pays dividends in user adoption, while leaving custom objects on the default placeholder icon produces UI clutter that slows daily work. The platform offers a Custom icon range (Custom_1 through Custom_100) specifically for custom objects, plus the ability to use any Standard icon when the meaning fits.
How Salesforce icons work across the UI
SLDS icon categories
Lightning Design System organizes icons into five categories. Standard icons represent platform objects (Account, Opportunity, Case). Custom icons are the Custom_1 through Custom_100 range for customer use on custom objects. Action icons appear on quick actions (Edit, Delete, Email). Utility icons are small symbols used in buttons and inline elements (refresh, search, settings). Doctype icons represent file types in Files (PDF, Excel, image). Picking from the right category is the first step to a consistent UI.
Choosing an icon for a custom object
Object Manager > Custom Object > Edit > Object Icon. The picker shows the Custom range first, then Standard icons. Pick one that visually represents the object's purpose. If no Custom icon fits, a Standard icon from a related concept is often acceptable (using the Order icon for a custom Order Line object, for example). Avoid using the same icon for multiple objects in the same app; visual collision defeats the purpose.
Tab Style versus Object Icon
Salesforce historically had separate Tab Styles and Object Icons, but the modern Lightning model unifies them: the object's icon appears in the tab bar, list views, and global search results. Some legacy configurations may show a separate Tab Style for backward compatibility; the modern path is to set the Object Icon and let the platform use it consistently.
Custom SVG icons
For organizations needing branded icons beyond the SLDS library, custom SVG icons can be uploaded through Static Resources and referenced from Lightning Web Components or Lightning App pages. This is a developer-tier feature and requires component work; not all UI surfaces will display the custom icon. The simpler path is to pick the SLDS icon closest to the desired meaning and accept the visual constraint.
Action icons and quick actions
Action icons appear on Quick Actions, both global actions and object-specific actions. The platform picks a default action icon based on the action type (New, Edit, Delete), but admins can override. Custom Lightning Components used in actions can specify their own action icon. Consistency matters here too: similar-purpose actions across objects should use similar action icons.
Icon color and the picker
Each Custom icon comes in a fixed color set; the picker shows the color along with the symbol. Standard icons have fixed colors tied to their semantic meaning (green for Opportunities, blue for Accounts). Color is not separately customizable in the standard icon picker; for branded color use cases, custom SVG icons are the only path.
Mobile experience
Icons render in the Salesforce Mobile App with the same SLDS library. The mobile rendering applies different sizing and sometimes different background colors, but the symbol itself remains identical. Test the icon choice in the mobile app for the full picture; an icon that looks distinctive on a desktop tab bar may blend into others at mobile scale.
Choose and assign icons for custom objects
Picking icons is a small but cumulatively important UI decision. The steps below cover both the standard icon picker workflow and the rare custom SVG path.
- Inventory custom objects without icons
Setup > Object Manager. Sort by Custom; scan for objects still on the default placeholder icon. These are the candidates for icon assignment.
- Open the Object Manager picker
For each custom object, click into its detail. Edit. Scroll to Object Icon and click the picker.
- Pick from Custom or Standard
Browse the Custom_1 through Custom_100 range and the Standard icons. Pick one that visually represents the object's purpose without colliding with other objects in the same app.
- Save and verify
Save the object. Open a Lightning page using the object; confirm the new icon appears in the tab bar, list view, and global search results.
- Document the icon-to-object map
For orgs with many custom objects, maintain a small reference doc listing which icon each object uses. This prevents future admins from picking the same icon for a different object.
- Audit for collisions
Periodically scan the app's tab bar and App Launcher for two objects sharing an icon. Resolve collisions; users cannot distinguish them quickly.
- Pilot custom SVG only if needed
If branded icons are required, build custom Lightning components that reference Static Resources with SVG content. Test on every UI surface that needs to render the icon.
Custom_1 through Custom_100. The intended range for customer use on custom objects.
Platform icons for standard objects (Account, Opportunity, Case). Can be reused on custom objects where meaning fits.
Used on quick actions. Set per action; defaults based on action type.
Small inline icons used in buttons and component internals. Usually managed by developers, not declaratively.
Branded icons uploaded through Static Resources. Requires component work to display.
- Default placeholder icons make custom objects indistinguishable in the App Launcher and tab bar. Pick a real icon for every custom object as part of object creation.
- Visual collision (two objects using the same icon in the same app) defeats the purpose. Audit periodically.
- Icon color is fixed per Standard or Custom icon. Branded color requires custom SVG and component work.
- Custom SVG icons may not render in every UI surface. Mobile, certain modal views, and packaged components may fall back to defaults.
- Changing an icon does not break anything functionally, but users accustomed to the old icon may briefly hesitate. Communicate icon changes alongside other UI updates.
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.
Test your knowledge
Q1. In which area of Salesforce would you typically find Icons?
Q2. What is the primary benefit of Icons for Salesforce administrators?
Q3. Can a Salesforce admin configure Icons without writing code?
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