Definition
Custom help text configured at the object level in Salesforce that appears on the object's overview or support page, providing users with a description of the object's purpose and how it should be used.
Real-World Example
a sales rep at Pinnacle Corp uses Object-Level Help to manage and organize customer data more effectively. They configure Object-Level Help to ensure the sales and service teams have a unified view of every customer interaction, from initial contact through ongoing support. This setup reduces duplicate data entry and improves cross-team collaboration.
Why Object-Level Help Matters
Object-Level Help is custom help text configured at the object level in Salesforce that appears on the object's overview or support page, providing users with a description of the object's purpose and how it should be used. Admins write the help text once per object and it's shown whenever users access the object's help. This is distinct from field-level help (which appears on individual fields) and is useful for explaining the broader purpose and usage patterns of an object.
Object-level help is one of the underused features for documenting Salesforce orgs to end users. Most orgs have custom objects with names that don't fully convey their purpose, and new users struggle to figure out what each object is for. Adding object-level help puts that explanation right in the user interface where users will encounter it naturally, reducing onboarding friction and support questions. Mature orgs treat object documentation as part of standard customization work.
How Organizations Use Object-Level Help
- •BrightEdge Solutions — Configures object-level help on every custom object, with brief explanations of purpose and key relationships.
- •NovaScale — Treats object-level help as part of the customization checklist when creating new custom objects.
- •Cobalt Ventures — Reduces support questions by documenting objects in-context where users will see the explanation.