View
A View in Salesforce is a saved, named configuration for displaying records from an object.
Definition
A View in Salesforce is a saved, named configuration for displaying records from an object. It captures the columns shown, the filter criteria that decide which records appear, a sort order, and a sharing scope that controls who else can use it. The most common form is the List View, a filtered list of one object's records that shows only data the viewer is allowed to see.
The word also describes related display configurations. A report view pairs filters with grouping and a chart, a dashboard view shows a filtered dashboard per viewer, and a Kanban view turns an underlying list view into a column-by-column board. In everyday admin and sales work, "View" almost always means a list view on an object such as Accounts, Opportunities, or Cases.
How Views organize record display across Salesforce
The list view, the everyday meaning of View
When a Salesforce user says "view," they almost always mean a list view. A list view is a filtered list of one object's records, and it shows only data the viewer can access through ownership, sharing, or read access. Each list view stores three things that matter most: the filter criteria that decide which rows appear, the set of fields shown as columns, and a sort order. Salesforce ships several list views out of the box, including Recently Viewed, which is the default when you open an object tab. From the list view controls (the gear icon), users switch between saved views in a dropdown. A well-run org treats list views as named entry points into the data. A sales rep might keep "My Open Opportunities - This Quarter" pinned, while a support manager keeps "Escalated Cases - Unassigned." Because the view is saved, nobody rebuilds the same filter every morning. The view also respects the platform sharing model, so two people opening the same named view can see different record counts depending on what each is allowed to access.
Filters and filter logic
Filters are the heart of a view. Each filter names a field, an operator, and a value, such as Stage equals Closed Won or Amount greater than 50000. The "Show Me" setting at the top of the panel narrows the starting scope, usually All records or records you own. By default Salesforce joins multiple filters with AND, so a row must satisfy every condition. When you need OR or NOT, open Filter Logic and write an expression that references each filter by its number, for example 1 AND (2 OR 3). Every filter number must appear in the logic statement, or the view will not save. A few field types cannot be filtered. Long text area and rich text fields are not supported as filter criteria, and formula fields cannot serve as list view filters either. Numeric filters also accept values only in the range from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,648. Good filter design keeps a view focused. A view that returns tens of thousands of rows can be slow to render, so Salesforce advises tightening filters rather than loading everything and scrolling.
Columns, sorting, and inline editing
A view controls which fields appear as columns through Select Fields to Display, where you move fields into the visible list and reorder them with arrow controls. Columns are about what the reader sees at a glance, while filters are about which rows qualify. The two are independent, so a view can filter on a field that is not shown as a column. Sorting works per column by clicking a header. Standard list views allow sorting by one field, and Lightning Experience extends this to as many as five columns for objects that render with Lightning Web Components. Encrypted fields cannot be used for sorting. List view search is broader than the visible columns, because it looks at all searchable fields even when the matching column is hidden. Lightning Experience also supports inline editing directly from a list view, so a user can update a value without opening the record. The list does not refresh automatically after an inline edit, and LWC-rendered lists may cache data for up to 30 seconds, so a freshly changed record can take a moment to reflect.
Sharing scope, who else gets the View
Every list view has a visibility setting chosen at creation. The options are keep it private so only you can see it, make it visible to all users including Partner and Customer Portal users, or share it with specific groups. Salesforce shares list views with public groups, roles, and territories, not with named individual users. To change a shared view's settings, the editor must belong to the group the view is shared with and hold the right permission to manage list views. This is why mature orgs lean on public groups and roles to organize shared views, rather than trying to grant access person by person. Personal views stay out of everyone else's dropdown, which keeps the list of shared views tidy. A common pattern is for an admin to publish a small, curated set of team views (for example, a standard pipeline view for every sales role) while individuals build private views for their own quirks. Because sharing controls visibility of the configuration, not the records, the underlying sharing model still decides which rows each viewer actually sees inside any shared view.
Kanban, charts, and other view formats
A list view is not limited to a table. Kanban view turns the same underlying list view into a board, where records sit in columns and you drag a card from one column to the next to update a field, all without opening an edit dialog. Each list view keeps its own Kanban settings, and most standard and custom objects support it, though a few like Tasks do not. Kanban is popular for Opportunity pipelines because moving a card changes the Stage. List views in Lightning Experience can also show a chart built from the records currently in the view, which gives a quick visual read without building a full report. Beyond list views, the same "view" idea appears in reporting. A report combines filters with grouping and a visualization, and a dashboard view presents a filtered dashboard, sometimes tailored per running user. These share the spirit of a saved view, a stored way to slice and present records, even though they live in different parts of the product and use their own builders.
Programmatic access and the deprecated UI API resource
Views are not only a clicks feature. Developers read list view data through the Salesforce platform, but the path has shifted over time. The User Interface API once exposed a resource to get list view records and metadata, and that specific resource is now marked deprecated in the developer documentation. Teams building custom Lightning components are pointed toward current data services instead, such as the lightning-list-view base component and the getListUi and related wire adapters, which return a view's records, columns, and metadata in a supported way. On the query side, SOQL with a WHERE clause covers most needs when you want the underlying records without a saved view at all. The practical takeaway is that the saved list view is a UI construct first. When you automate against it, prefer the supported wire adapters and components, and treat the older UI API list view resource as legacy. This keeps integrations from breaking when Salesforce retires deprecated endpoints in a future release.
How to create a list view in Lightning Experience
Creating a list view is the most common way to make a View in Salesforce. Open the object whose records you want, then use the list view controls to build, filter, and share a saved view. These steps follow Lightning Experience.
- Open the object and start a new view
Click the object's tab (for example Opportunities), open the list view controls using the gear icon, and choose New. To start from an existing view instead, choose Clone.
- Name it and set visibility
Enter a List Name and a unique List API Name, then pick a sharing option: only you can see it, all users can see it, or share it with selected groups, roles, or territories. Click Save to open the Filters panel.
- Set the scope and add filters
Use Show Me to pick All records or records you own, then click Add Filter and choose a field, an operator, and a value. For OR or NOT conditions, open Filter Logic and reference each filter by its number.
- Choose columns, then save
From the list view controls choose Select Fields to Display, move the fields you want into the visible list, reorder them, and click Save. Sort by clicking a column header and pin the view if you want it as the object's default.
The label users see in the list view dropdown. Make it specific, such as "My Open Cases - High Priority."
A unique developer name auto-suggested from the label, used when the view is referenced programmatically.
Choose private (only you), all users, or share with public groups, roles, or territories. Views cannot be shared with named individual users.
At least the Show Me scope, plus any field, operator, and value filters that decide which records appear in the view.
- Long text area, rich text, and formula fields cannot be used as filter criteria, and encrypted fields cannot be used to sort.
- Every filter number must appear in your Filter Logic expression, or the view will not save.
- A shared view's records still follow the org sharing model, so different viewers may see different record counts in the same named view.
- LWC-rendered list views can cache data for up to 30 seconds, and the list does not auto-refresh right after an inline edit.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on View.
Hands-on resources to go deeper on View.
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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