Quick Action
A Quick Action in Salesforce is a configurable button that runs a specific operation: create a record, log a call, send an email, launch a Flow, open a Visualforce page, or invoke a Lightning Web Component.
Definition
A Quick Action in Salesforce is a configurable button that runs a specific operation: create a record, log a call, send an email, launch a Flow, open a Visualforce page, or invoke a Lightning Web Component. Quick Actions appear as buttons on record pages, in the Lightning header, in mobile screens, in the Case Feed, and inside other Quick Action containers. They are the primary mechanism for adding admin-configurable buttons to the Salesforce UI without writing code.
Quick Actions come in two flavors. Object-Specific Quick Actions are tied to a specific sObject and appear on records of that object, automatically populating the parent record's context (a New Task on Account creates a Task already linked to the Account). Global Quick Actions are context-free and appear in the Lightning header and mobile launchpad. Beyond the two flavors, Quick Actions support six Action Types: Create a Record, Log a Call, Send Email, Custom Visualforce, Flow, Lightning Web Component. Together they cover most admin-configurable UI patterns on the platform.
How Quick Actions power admin-configurable buttons across the platform
Object-Specific vs Global Quick Actions
Object-Specific Quick Actions live on a specific sObject and appear on records of that object. Setup, Object Manager, the object, Buttons, Links, and Actions, New Action. The action auto-links new records to the parent: a New Case Comment on Case creates a CaseComment linked to that Case. Global Quick Actions live in Setup, Global Actions and appear in the Lightning header and mobile. They do not auto-link to a parent record. The choice depends on whether the action is contextual (use Object-Specific) or cross-context (use Global). Most orgs use both.
Action Types: Create, Log a Call, Send Email, Visualforce, Flow, LWC
Six Action Types are supported. Create a Record creates a new record of any object (with predefined values and an action layout). Log a Call creates a Task with Type = Call and exposes call-specific fields. Send Email opens the email composer (typically for case-related correspondence). Custom Visualforce launches a Visualforce page in a modal. Flow launches a screen Flow with input variables auto-populated from the parent record. Lightning Web Component launches a custom LWC in a modal. The Type is picked at creation and cannot be changed; clone the action to switch types.
Predefined Field Values
Quick Actions support Predefined Field Values: fields auto-populated when the action runs, often hidden from the user. A New Case action on Account might predefine Type = Question, Priority = Medium, Status = New, leaving Subject and Description for the user. Predefined values reduce input burden and improve data consistency. They can reference the parent record through merge syntax: a New Task Quick Action on Account can predefine WhatId = {!Account.Id}, automatically linking the new Task to the current Account. The pattern is what makes contextual Quick Actions so useful.
Action Layouts: separate from page layouts
Every Quick Action has its own Action Layout: a separate field list that controls which fields appear when the action runs. Action Layouts are configured in the Quick Action setup, separate from the parent object's page layout. The narrower field set keeps the modal focused: a New Contact action layout might have Name, Email, Phone, Account, while the Contact page layout has 30 fields. Action layouts are what let Quick Actions be fast: the user fills in 3 to 5 fields instead of navigating the full record edit page.
Quick Actions in Lightning page layouts
On Lightning record pages, Quick Actions appear in two places: the Highlights Panel actions strip and the Lightning App Builder Actions component. The page layout's Mobile and Lightning Actions section is where admins add Quick Actions to the layout. Different Lightning pages can have different action sets. The Dynamic Actions feature (newer than the base Quick Actions feature) lets admins make action visibility conditional on field values, which extends the static page layout model significantly.
Flow-backed Quick Actions and complex workflows
For multi-step workflows, Flow-backed Quick Actions are the right choice. The Quick Action launches a Flow with input variables auto-populated from the parent record. The Flow can prompt for inputs across multiple screens, branch on conditions, perform DML, call Apex, and return the user to the original record at completion. This is the modern pattern for replacing legacy Visualforce-backed Quick Actions: the Flow gives a no-code path to the same workflow with better maintainability and mobile compatibility.
LWC-backed Quick Actions for custom UI
When the workflow needs a custom UI beyond what Flow can offer, a Lightning Web Component can back the Quick Action. The component receives the parent record context through the @api recordId property, renders custom UI, calls Apex if needed, and closes the modal at completion. LWC-backed actions are the right path for custom calculators, complex pickers, integration UIs, or any pattern that exceeds Flow's UI primitives. The downside is the maintenance burden: every LWC needs developer attention, while Flows are admin-maintainable.
Building a Quick Action for a button workflow
Creating a Quick Action is a Setup workflow: pick Object-Specific or Global, pick the Action Type, configure predefined values and the action layout, add to the page layout or publisher.
- Pick Object-Specific or Global
For an action tied to a specific record (New Task on Account), use Object-Specific. For context-free actions (New Task from header), use Global.
- Open the Quick Action setup
For Object-Specific: Setup, Object Manager, the object, Buttons, Links, and Actions, New Action. For Global: Setup, Global Actions, New Action.
- Pick the Action Type
Create a Record (pick the target object), Log a Call, Send Email, Custom Visualforce, Flow (pick the Flow), Lightning Web Component (pick the LWC).
- Set Label, Name, Description, Icon
Label is user-facing. Name is the API name. Description is internal documentation. Icon is from the Lightning Design System library.
- Configure Predefined Field Values
On the action record, Predefined Values tab. Add field-value pairs that auto-set when the action runs. Use merge syntax for parent record references.
- Build the Action Layout
On the action record, Layout. Drag fields from the palette into the layout. Order them by user input frequency.
- Add to the page layout or publisher
For Object-Specific: open the object's page layout, drag the action into the Mobile and Lightning Actions section. For Global: Setup, Publisher Layouts, drag into Quick Actions section.
- Test the action
Open a record (for Object-Specific) or the header (for Global), click the action, fill in the layout, save. Confirm the new record has the right field values and the parent linkage works.
Create a Record, Log a Call, Send Email, Custom Visualforce, Flow, or Lightning Web Component. Permanent after creation.
Display label shown to users. Should describe the action in 1-3 words.
API name. Must be unique within the org for Global Actions, within the parent object for Object-Specific.
For Create a Record, the sObject the action creates. Required only for the Create type.
Visual icon from the Lightning Design System library. Optional but recommended for usability.
- Action Type cannot be changed after creation. Clone the action to switch from Create a Record to Flow or vice versa.
- Predefined Field Values are not validated. A predefined value that violates a Validation Rule fails or surfaces a confusing error.
- Action Layouts are separate from page layouts. Adding a field to the page layout does not auto-add it to action layouts; configure each action layout deliberately.
- Global Quick Actions do not auto-link to the current page context. Use Object-Specific for context-linked workflows.
- Flow-backed actions need the Flow's running user context configured carefully. System-context Flows bypass sharing; user-context Flows respect it. Pick deliberately.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Quick Action.
- Actions OverviewSalesforce Help
- Create Object-Specific Quick ActionsSalesforce Help
- Create Global Quick ActionsSalesforce 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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