Mass Action
A Mass Action in Salesforce is an action that runs on many records at the same time.
Definition
A Mass Action in Salesforce is an action that runs on many records at the same time. Users select rows in a list view, then click a button in the action bar to apply one operation across every selected record. The most common form is a mass quick action, which lets people create or update records in bulk instead of opening each one. Built-in examples include Mass Transfer, Mass Delete, and Mass Email, while admins build custom mass actions on top of quick actions.
A mass action saves clicks when the same change applies to a batch of records. Instead of editing fifty leads one at a time, a user selects all fifty and runs a single Update a Record action. Salesforce caps a mass quick action at 100 records per run. The list view shows checkboxes per row plus a Select All option, and the configured actions appear in the bar above the list.
How mass actions work across list views and related lists
Mass quick actions on list views
The modern way to do a mass action is the mass quick action on a Lightning Experience list view. It is built on a Create a Record or an Update a Record quick action that you already defined for the object. A user opens the list view, selects rows with the per-row checkboxes, and clicks the action in the bar. Salesforce then applies that one action to every selected record in a single pass. Update a Record actions push the same field values onto all chosen rows. Create a Record actions spin up a new related record for each one. The feature is supported on cases, leads, accounts, campaigns, contacts, opportunities, work orders, and any custom object that supports quick actions and has a list view button layout. The hard ceiling is 100 records per run, so very large batches still need a different tool. Because the action reuses a normal quick action, it respects validation rules and field requiredness just like a single-record edit. That keeps your data quality rules in force even when many records change at once.
Setting it up in List View Button Layout
Configuration happens in the object management settings, not in a special mass-action screen. First you create the quick action itself: a Create a Record or Update a Record action on the right object, with the fields you want people to set. Then you open List View Button Layout for that object and edit the List View layout. Inside the List View Actions in Lightning Experience section you add the quick actions you want surfaced for multi-record use. Only actions placed here show up in the list view action bar for selected rows. This gives admins precise control over which mass operations each object exposes. A sales team list view can offer a different set of actions than a service team list view on cases. Because the configuration is per object, you decide once where each action belongs and it stays consistent across every list view on that object. There is no per-list-view toggle for the actions themselves, so plan the button layout around the operations your users actually repeat.
Mass actions on related lists
Mass quick actions are not limited to standalone list views. You can also run them from a related list on a record page, which is handy for batch work in context. To enable this, the related list needs to be set up as an Enhanced List. In Lightning App Builder you select the Related Lists component or the Related List Single component, turn on the Show list view action bar checkbox, and set the Related List Type to Enhanced List. One detail trips people up. The quick action must be created on the object inside the related list, not on the parent. To add a mass action to the Opportunities related list on an Account page, you build the quick action on the Opportunity object. If the actions you added do not appear, the usual cause is a related list still set to the basic type rather than Enhanced List. Once configured, a user can select several child records right on the parent record and apply an update without leaving the page. The same 100-record limit and validation behavior apply here.
Built-in mass actions you already have
Beyond custom mass quick actions, Salesforce ships several built-in mass operations. Mass Transfer changes the owner on a batch of records such as accounts, leads, or cases, and it lives in Setup under Data. Mass Delete Records removes a set of records of a chosen type, also from Setup. Mass Email lets you send one templated email to many leads or contacts, subject to per-user daily send limits that vary by edition. These tools predate mass quick actions and run from Setup rather than the list view action bar. They suit one-off cleanup and administrative jobs where you query for the target records and act on the whole set. For everyday user-facing work, the list view mass quick action is usually the better fit because it lives where users already browse records. Knowing both families matters. A new admin who only knows the built-in Setup tools can miss the faster list view path, and a user who only knows list view actions can overlook Mass Transfer for an ownership cleanup that spans thousands of records.
Custom mass actions with Flow and Apex
When a Create or Update quick action is not enough, admins extend mass actions with automation and code. A common no-code pattern is a screen flow that takes a collection of record IDs and processes them. You can surface that flow from a list view so a user selects rows, launches the flow, and the flow runs its logic against every selected record. This handles multi-step work that a plain quick action cannot, like updating related records, calling an approval, or branching on field values. For requirements that exceed Flow, a Lightning Web Component or Visualforce page backed by an Apex controller can read the selected IDs and run bulk logic with full programmatic control. The Apex approach is the right call when you need callouts, complex error handling, or processing past the 100-record interactive limit. The trade-off is maintenance: code needs tests and review, while a quick action or flow is easier to change later. Pick the lightest tool that meets the need, and reserve Apex for genuinely complex bulk operations.
When to reach for Data Loader instead
Mass actions are built for interactive, in-the-moment work on a visible set of rows. They are not a bulk data pipeline. The 100-record ceiling on a mass quick action makes that clear. When you need to insert, update, or delete thousands or millions of records, the right tool is Data Loader or the Bulk API. Data Loader reads a CSV, maps columns to fields, and processes records in large batches outside the list view. It is the standard choice for migrations, scheduled syncs, and any change too big for the action bar. The decision is mostly about volume and repeatability. Ad-hoc changes to a handful of records that a user can see and select fit a mass action. Recurring or high-volume loads fit Data Loader. A useful habit is to draw the line at the 100-record cap: if a batch routinely exceeds it, move that work to Data Loader or a scheduled job rather than fighting the interactive limit.
Audit trail and data quality
A mass action is not a special back door. Every record it touches goes through the same write path as a single-record save. That means LastModifiedById and LastModifiedDate update normally, and any tracked fields write to field history just as they would for a manual edit. Validation rules and required fields still apply, so a mass quick action can partially fail if some records violate a rule. You see which records succeeded and which did not, rather than silently skipping the bad ones. This is good news for governance. You can audit a bulk change after the fact by reporting on records that share the same LastModifiedById and a tight LastModifiedDate window. Field History Tracking, where enabled, gives a field-level record of what changed. Because the platform enforces the same rules for one record or one hundred, a mass action does not let users bypass controls that would block them individually. Plan validation rules with bulk edits in mind so a single bad value does not stall an otherwise valid batch.
Set up a mass quick action on a list view
Set up a mass quick action so users can update many records from a list view at once. You first build a Create a Record or Update a Record quick action, then expose it on the object's List View Button Layout. The steps below cover a standard list view in Lightning Experience.
- Create the quick action
In Setup, open Object Manager and pick your object. Under Buttons, Links, and Actions, click New Action. Choose action type Update a Record (or Create a Record), set a label, and select the fields users should set during the mass action.
- Open List View Button Layout
Still in Object Manager for that object, go to List View Button Layout and edit the List View layout. This is where you control which actions appear in the list view action bar.
- Add the action to the Lightning section
In the List View Actions in Lightning Experience section, move your new quick action into the selected list. Only actions placed here become available for multi-record use. Save the layout.
- Test on the list view
Open a list view for the object, select a few rows with the checkboxes, and click your action in the bar. Confirm the change applies to all selected records and that validation rules behave as expected.
Update a Record changes fields on the selected rows; Create a Record makes a new related record per row. Pick the one that matches the bulk task.
The fields you add to the quick action are exactly what users can set during the mass action. Keep the set small and relevant to the repeated task.
Only quick actions placed in this section of List View Button Layout surface in the action bar for selected records.
To run the action from a related list, set Related List Type to Enhanced List and turn on Show list view action bar in Lightning App Builder.
- A mass quick action processes at most 100 records per run; larger batches need Data Loader or the Bulk API.
- For a related list, create the quick action on the child object, not the parent, or it will not appear.
- Mass quick actions respect validation rules and required fields, so part of a batch can fail if some records violate a rule.
- If actions do not show on a related list, check that the list is set to Enhanced List with the action bar enabled.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Mass Quick ActionsSalesforce
- Set Up a Mass Quick Action for List ViewsSalesforce
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Mass Action.
- Set Up a Mass Quick Action for Related ListsSalesforce
- Mass Quick Action ConsiderationsSalesforce
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Mass Action.
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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