How to Create Salesforce List Views

How to Create and Customize Salesforce List Views

  • Shoaib
  • Salesforce
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Business decisions have moved from being intuition-based to data-backed. Businesses are continually relying on and harnessing the power of data to make decisions that give them a competitive edge and add to their viability.

Businesses handle a lot of data. Every transaction generates data. This data must then be analyzed and interpreted to make future business decisions. Dealing with this enormous data can be time-consuming and a little bit challenging.

Luckily, Salesforce list views make data exploration and analysis a little bit simpler for you. This article discusses Salesforce list views, and how to create Salesforce list views and customize the same. Keep on reading to learn how to simplify your data handling.

What are Salesforce List Views?

Data analysis can easily become frustrating, especially when handling a lot of data. Having sorted lists can simplify that process. A list is an ordered collection of elements or entries that are distinguished by their indices.

A list view is a Salesforce tool that defines the search conditions to view a specific segment of data. List views let you view a particular set of records by applying filters. List views are very comprehensive as they provide a list of desired records.

With list views, you can easily sort data one by one and by several fields. You in turn get to view the desired segment that you require to build a report. You can filter a list of records and pull out only what you require.

Lists are a time saver. Rather than going through the whole data set, list views avail the option to search and filter what is of importance to you. You spend less time and energy than you would have otherwise spent going through the large volumes of data available.

Lists also help you to identify gaps and blanks in your data set. They improve data hygiene in Salesforce. You can easily spot which field was not filled and the one that is wrongly filled. This in turn increases the accuracy of your data and reporting.

List views are also very powerful. You can display up to 15 fields of your choice through a list view. You can also change, arrange, rearrange and customize list views. There’s just so much you can do with list views.

How to create Salesforce list views

You can easily create Salesforce list views within a few minutes. You can create the list views in Salesforce Classic and Salesforce Lightning. You will need user permission and manage public list views permission to create and customize Salesforce list views.

Follow the steps below to create Salesforce list views:

Step 1: In the top navigation bar, select the object type for which you want to list view. You can select from a whole range of objects including accounts, contacts, email addresses, and so on.

Step 2: Select ‘New’ from the list view controls on the right-hand side next to search the list. The list view control is visualized as a cog wheel icon.

Step 3: Add a name to your list. Ensure you name the list appropriately and within professional guidelines. Also, give it a name that you will easily remember.

Step 4: Add an API name. The name must begin with a letter and must only use underscores and alphanumeric characters. The API name cannot end with an underscore nor contain two consecutive underscores. Ensure that the API name is relevant to the list.

Step 5: Now add the people who can view the list. Salesforce list views allow you to select the people who can view your list. You can select all users or your team members with whom you’re handling the project together.

Step 6: Click save and you are ready to go. Your list is now created.

Customizing Salesforce List Views

You can do so much more after creating your Salesforce list views. You can customize it to add or remove columns and fields. To customize Salesforce list views, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to the list view controls and select the ‘Select Field to display’ option.

Step 2: You can add or remove fields from visibility. To add a field, select the field from the available field window and move it to visible fields. To remove a field from visibility, select the field and move it to the available field window.

Step 3: Click ‘Save’ to save your changes and edits.

Step 4: You can also sort the order of the contents in the list. If the arrow in the account name holder is upward then the list is sorted alphanumerically from the first. If the arrow is downward, the list is sorted from the last record.

You can also edit the record provided it has a pencil icon. The record is not editable if it lacks a pencil icon.

How to Optimize Salesforce List Views

Businesses handle a lot of data. Displaying this data can be difficult especially when there are thousands of records. Salesforce list views require optimizing when it gets to such a point.

You can make Salesforce load quicker by optimizing Salesforce list views. Here are a few hacks to optimize Salesforce list views:

  • Use date filters such as start date and end date. This segments your data and gives you what you require.
  • Only select the fields that you need.
  • Use the pinned list view function to highlight a specific view. Click the pin icon next to the name of your list view to pin the List.
  • Use the favorite/starred function to access important lists and records quickly and without having to search every time. Star a list by clicking the star next to the list name.
  • Segment users into groups based on the specific requirements and use cases for better analysis.

Filter Salesforce List Views

By default, Salesforce shows all the accounts without any filters. You can however add filters to your Salesforce list views. You can add filters through the filter panel.

Step 1: Click the filter icon that resembles a funnel to open and collapse the filter pane.

Step 2: Go to the Field dropdown menu and select the fields you want to filter. You can only select fields available in the ‘Visible Fields’ window.

Step 3: Select the desired operator and value you want to filter. Click ‘done’ then ‘Save’. The new list view will appear in the list view dropdown for you to access and work on.

Visualize Salesforce list Views through Charts

You can visualize the data in your lists through charts. Visualization makes it easy to understand and interpret the data. To create charts for your Salesforce list views, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click the ‘Opportunities’ tab and select opportunities for list views. Click on the chart icon.

Step 2: Click the cog wheel icon in the charts panel and select ‘New Chart’.

Step 3: Add a name to the charts and the required parameters.

Step 4: Click ‘Save’

Types of Salesforce Custom List Views

There are three views available for lists. You can select the one that appeals to you most.

Kanban View

This view gives you a visual summary of your data. You can choose the fields your record will be grouped and summarized by. For example, you might group accounts by type and summarize by annual revenue. The records will be separated based on the record type with each record having its Kanban tab.

Table View

This is the default option for Salesforce list views. The data is displayed in rows and columns. The view is similar to a spreadsheet and allows you to wrap text, resize and sort any column.

You can easily resize your columns in case the text does not fit in the text box. You can also sort the data in the column by clicking once to sort in ascending order and twice in descending order.

Split View

This type of view allows you to see a list and a record side by side. You don’t have to switch between records and tabs while using this type of view. The view saves you a lot of time and effort making it easier to work on your data.

Conclusion

Salesforce list views are a great tool to help you make sense of your business data. They are also a powerful reporting tool for Salesforce users. List views help you segment and analyze your business data easily and quickly. Use Salesforce list views to make data-backed decisions that grow your business.

PlumLogix can help you with all your Salesforce needs. We help businesses maximize their Salesforce subscription by offering premium Salesforce-managed services to help your team achieve your digital transformation goals. Get in touch and let us grow your business together.

Author: Shoaib
Shoaib Chaudhary is an entrepreneur and influencer with over two decades of experience in the technology industry. Shoaib founded Plumlogix with the help of the global 100 CIO, CTO, to empower businesses to eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, savings, growth, rich customer engagement, accountability, and data security. Before plumlogix, he built global businesses serving fortune 1000 companies, like Barns & Noble, Tenet Healthcare, Bloomberg, Sunnco, FannieMae, etc. Shoaib has been influencing global leaders to exceed organizational goals while advancing social responsibility. Shoaib also founded PlumlogixU.org for the advancement of in-demand digital skills globally.