Object-Level Help
Object-Level Help is a Salesforce customization that replaces the default Help for this Page link on a custom object's pages with content the admin specifies.
Definition
Object-Level Help is a Salesforce customization that replaces the default Help for this Page link on a custom object's pages with content the admin specifies. The override targets the help icon visible at the top right of an object's tab home, list views, edit pages, and detail pages. Admins point the help link to either a Visualforce page hosted in the org or to an external URL that opens in a new tab.
The feature exists so internal documentation teams can replace Salesforce's generic help text with company-specific guidance: how this object fits into your business process, which fields are required for compliance, which integration syncs the record. It applies only to custom objects, not standard ones. For standard objects, the Help link always points back to Salesforce Help, regardless of any customization attempt.
How Object-Level Help fits into the in-app help strategy
The two ways to deliver custom help
Object-Level Help supports two delivery options. A Visualforce page renders inside Salesforce, preserves the Lightning chrome, and lets you use Apex controllers to personalize content per user, profile, or record type. An external URL opens in a new browser tab and is the simplest option for organizations that already host documentation in Confluence, Notion, or a corporate intranet. Visualforce is more polished but adds maintenance overhead; URL is faster to launch.
Where the link actually appears
The help icon shows up on the top right of the tab home page (the page users see when they click the object's tab in the navigation bar), on each list view, on the New and Edit dialogs, and on the record detail page. The icon is a question-mark glyph next to the record name. Hovering shows a tooltip; clicking opens the configured help content. Lightning Experience uses the same configuration as Classic, so a help link configured once works in both UIs.
Custom objects only
Object-Level Help cannot replace help for standard objects like Account, Contact, or Opportunity. Salesforce locks those help links to their internal documentation. Workarounds include adding a Visualforce or LWC component to the record page that links to internal docs, building a utility bar item that opens internal documentation in a side panel, or training users to use the App Launcher search bar for help links.
Field-Level Help versus Object-Level Help
Field-Level Help is the hover tooltip that appears next to a field name on edit pages, configured per field under the field's Setup > Help Text. Object-Level Help is the global help link for the entire object. The two are complementary: Field-Level Help explains a single field; Object-Level Help explains the object's role, process, and ownership. Use Field-Level Help for "what does this checkbox mean" and Object-Level Help for "what is this object for and when do I create one".
Personalization through Visualforce
When help content needs to differ by profile, record type, or user attribute, route the help link to a Visualforce page with an Apex controller that reads UserInfo, current record context, and any custom logic, then renders the right help section. Common patterns include showing manager-only escalation steps to managers, hiding compliance warnings from users in non-regulated regions, and switching language based on user locale. Plain external URLs cannot do this without a server-side router.
Permissions and visibility
The help link respects the visibility of its target. A Visualforce page must be in a profile's Enabled Visualforce Pages list, or the user clicks Help and sees an Insufficient Privileges error. External URLs respect the user's network access to that hostname. For SAML-protected documentation, the help link can carry deep-link parameters so the docs system can route to the right page after the user authenticates.
How to configure Object-Level Help for a custom object
Configure Object-Level Help in two steps: build the content (a Visualforce page or external URL), then point the custom object at it. Total elapsed time for a URL-based override is usually under 10 minutes.
- Decide on Visualforce or URL
Pick URL if your help docs live in Confluence, Notion, or a similar external system and require no personalization. Pick Visualforce if help content needs profile-aware logic or must stay inside the Salesforce chrome for compliance.
- Build the Visualforce page (if applicable)
Create a new Visualforce page under Setup > Visualforce Pages. The page can be as simple as static HTML or as rich as an Apex-controlled component. Test that the page renders for the profiles that will use it; grant page-level access through profiles or permission sets.
- Open the custom object's setup
Setup > Object Manager > [object name] > Details. Scroll to the Custom Help Settings section. Click Edit.
- Choose Help Setting and link
Set Help Setting to either Open a window using a Visualforce page or Open a window using a custom URL. Pick the page or paste the URL. Save.
- Verify in each context
Click the help icon on the object's tab home, on a list view, on the New dialog, and on a record detail page. Confirm the configured content appears every time. If it falls back to the default Salesforce help, recheck the Custom Help Settings save.
Default behavior. Help icon points to Salesforce''s generic documentation. Useful only for objects users do not interact with often.
Renders a VF page inside Salesforce. Best for personalized, branded help that needs to stay in the platform.
Opens an external URL in a new browser tab. Best for docs hosted in external systems like Notion, Confluence, or a public site.
- Object-Level Help is custom-object only. Trying to configure it for standard objects through metadata API or workbench will not work; the help link is hard-coded for standard objects.
- The Visualforce page needs profile-level Enabled Visualforce Pages access. Users without access see Insufficient Privileges when clicking Help. Test as a low-privilege user before launch.
- External URLs that send X-Frame-Options DENY will fail to render inside a Salesforce iframe in older help-link implementations. Open in a new tab to avoid the issue.
- The help link is invisible to most users until somebody points it out. Pair Object-Level Help with onboarding documentation so users know to click the question mark.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Defining Custom HelpSalesforce Help
- Custom Help OverviewSalesforce Help
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Object-Level Help.
- Custom Help for Custom ObjectsSalesforce Help
- Defining Field-Level HelpSalesforce Help
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Object-Level 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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Q1. What is Object-Level Help?
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