Lookup Icon
The Lookup Icon in Salesforce is the visual identifier (typically a small SVG or PNG icon) that represents an object across the Lightning Experience UI: in the navigation menu, in lookup dialog results, in related list headers, in global search results, and on the record header.
Definition
The Lookup Icon in Salesforce is the visual identifier (typically a small SVG or PNG icon) that represents an object across the Lightning Experience UI: in the navigation menu, in lookup dialog results, in related list headers, in global search results, and on the record header. Each standard object ships with a default icon (the Account building, the Contact person, the Opportunity briefcase), and admins can customize the icon for custom objects via the Tab Style configuration. The icons are part of the Salesforce Lightning Design System (SLDS) icon library.
Lookup Icons matter because they provide visual chunking in dense interfaces. A search result list mixing Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and Cases is far more scannable when each row has its object''s icon than when the rows are plain text. Salesforce ships hundreds of standard icons under SLDS, organized by category (action, custom, standard, utility, doctype). Custom objects can pick from the standard set or upload a custom image. The icon choice affects the entire user experience subtly but consistently.
How Lookup Icons drive visual navigation across Salesforce
Where the icon appears
The Lookup Icon shows up across the UI: the navigation menu (tab icons), the global search results (icon per matched record), the lookup dialog (icon next to each candidate), the related list (header icon for the related object), the activity timeline (icon per linked record), and the highlights panel on record pages. The single icon configuration drives all these surfaces consistently.
SLDS icon library
Salesforce Lightning Design System (SLDS) ships hundreds of icons organized by category: Action icons (for buttons), Custom icons (for custom objects), Standard icons (for standard objects), Utility icons (for inline UI), and Doctype icons (for file types). Admins pick from these when setting an object''s icon. The library is published at lightningdesignsystem.com for designers to reference.
Tab Style configuration
Admins set an object''s icon via the Tab Style configuration. Setup, Object Manager, the object, Edit, Tab Style. The picker shows the available SLDS Custom icon set; admins choose by clicking. Some orgs upload custom images (PNG, SVG); the upload runs through the same Tab Style configuration.
Standard icon swaps
Standard objects come with fixed icons that admins cannot change (Account is always the building icon, Opportunity always the briefcase). Custom objects pick from the Custom icon set in SLDS. The choice persists across every Lightning surface and propagates to mobile.
Brand color and icon backgrounds
Each icon has a default background color. Salesforce ships these as part of the SLDS theming. Admins customizing the icon set should ensure the background color works with the org''s Theme Builder configuration; a clashing icon-and-theme combination looks broken.
Mobile and desktop consistency
The icon configuration drives both desktop Lightning Experience and the Salesforce mobile app. A single change updates both surfaces. This is one of the rare configuration points where mobile and desktop are unified automatically.
Custom Image uploads
For complete brand control, admins can upload a custom image as the object''s icon. The image must be SVG or PNG, sized appropriately (typically 16x16 or 32x32 px), and accessible to all users. Custom images are useful for branded products but break the SLDS-standard look-and-feel.
Set or customize an object''s Lookup Icon
Icon configuration takes one minute. Pick deliberately because the icon shows up across the entire user experience.
- Open the custom object''s settings
Setup, Object Manager, the custom object, click Edit.
- Open Tab Style
Click the Tab Style picker. The dialog shows available SLDS Custom icons grouped by category.
- Pick an icon
Browse the categories (Animals, Buildings, Business, Education, etc.). Pick the icon that best represents the object semantically.
- Or upload a custom image
Click Create Your Own to upload a PNG or SVG. Size it appropriately (16x16 or 32x32 px).
- Save and verify
Save the object. Verify the icon appears correctly in the navigation menu, lookup dialogs, and search results.
- Test on mobile
Open the Salesforce mobile app and confirm the icon renders correctly there too.
- Standard object icons are fixed. Admins cannot change Account or Opportunity icons; only custom objects support icon changes.
- Custom uploaded images break the SLDS look-and-feel. Stick with SLDS Custom icons unless brand requirements demand otherwise.
- Icon background colors clash with custom Theme Builder themes occasionally. Test the combination before saving.
- Uploaded images must be appropriately sized. Oversized images render poorly at small UI scales.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Custom Object Tab StyleSalesforce Help
- SLDS IconsSalesforce
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Lookup Icon.
- Lightning App BuilderSalesforce Help
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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