View
In Salesforce, a View (most commonly used as "List View") is a saved, named configuration for displaying records from an object.
Definition
In Salesforce, a View (most commonly used as "List View") is a saved, named configuration for displaying records from an object. It defines the columns shown, the filter criteria that limit which records appear, a sort order, and a scope (My records, All records, or a shared group). Users create personal Views for their own use, admins can publish Views shared with groups or org-wide, and the same concept extends to Report views (filter + grouping + visualization) and Dashboard views (filtered dashboards per viewer).
In plain English
“A View in Salesforce is a saved configuration for displaying records, like a list view (filtered record list), report view, or dashboard view. Views determine which records appear and how they're displayed, saving users from re-creating filters every time.”
Worked example
A sales rep at Summit Group creates a List View called "My Top-10 Active Opps" on the Opportunity object: filter Stage ≠ Closed Won/Lost, Owner = Current User, Amount > 50000, sorted by Close Date. The View shows five columns (Name, Amount, Stage, Close Date, Next Step) and appears in her Opportunity tab's View picker. Her team lead creates a parallel shared View "West Region - At Risk Deals" that every rep on the team uses, ensuring pipeline reviews reference the same filtered set rather than everyone building their own ad-hoc reports.
Why View matters
In Salesforce, a View is a saved configuration for displaying records, such as a list view (filtered record list), report view, or dashboard view, that determines which records are shown and how they're displayed. Views save users from re-creating filters and configurations every time they need to see specific data.
List views are the most commonly used views. Users create personal list views for their own work and admins create shared views for teams. Mature orgs maintain well-organized list views for each object, with clear naming and appropriate sharing.
How organizations use View
Maintains organized list views for each object with clear naming.
Creates shared views for team use and personal views for individual workflows.
Treats view management as part of user experience optimization.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is a View?
Q2. What's the most common type?
Q3. Why create saved views?
Discussion
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