Salesforce usability is key to driving adoption and improving process flow. That’s why any little tip or trick I come across is like gold! Users love it when you can streamline or enhance their experience with Salesforce.
These features may be little-known, but they pack a powerful punch on the user experience. You’ll find these features just as useful as your users will.
Enjoy!
1. Convert Leads into Existing Accounts
We all know that Leads can be converted into existing accounts, but did you know that users can choose an account that doesn’t appear in the list of recommended account names? By using the lookup icon, users can select a different account than what they are presented with.
Using this functionality helps to reduce duplicate records, reduces work for the Admin and increases overall system usability. All users with the ability to convert leads have the ability to perform this action.
2. Search Field Filters
Administrators can modify an objects Search Layouts to include up to 10 specific fields that users can leverage to further pair down their search results. Search Fields come in handy when a large dataset returns and a user needs to further pair down the search results based on additional criteria.
To enable this feature, the Admin needs to click Setup | Customize | Object Name | Search Layouts | Search Field Filters. Add or remove the fields that you want to display on the search results page for that object and click Save!
3. Number Field Short Cuts
Entering in large whole numbers can be cumbersome. Personally, I tend to lose count of the zeroes I’m entering which means that number could be off as a result. Salesforce has a handy shortcut to alleviate this problem.
By entering a “k” or “m” or “b” after the number, Salesforce automatically fills in the necessary number of zeroes. In the example above, you’ll notice that my number was automatically updated to reflect the correct amount when the record was saved.
This function works on all number and currency fields and is great for Salesforce users who work with high-dollar value deals on a regular basis.
4. Collapsable Record Detail Sections
Users can choose to collapse record detail sections. For longer page layouts, this is particularly helpful, especially if the section they are collapsing isn’t used often. The change remains persistent so, in the example below, closing a section on the Account will show as collapsed for all accounts viewed until it’s opened again.
To make this available, ensure that the section can be viewed on the detail page. Make that change through the page layout editor.
5. Additional Reports Tab Columns
How often have you or one of your users gone to a report and wanted to know when it was last modified and by whom? Well, there are some additional columns that can be added to the search results page of the Reports tab that can provide some of that information!
Click on any column, access the drop down arrow and choose the columns you want to add or remove! It’s super easy!
Those are my five! What did you think? Are there other little-known features that you leverage in your org or teach your reps to use that didn’t make this list? If so, I want to know about it! Leave a comment below!
Admin Hero 
Thank you! This is so timely – I’m doing a tips/tricks study hall for my users at the end of this week and these will be a great addition. I don’t think I have anything to add yet but if I think of something I’ll be back. Thanks again.
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Awesome! Glad these are a good fit! I think your users will love these.
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Good tips Brent…sometimes as admins we tend to focus on big picture and lose sight of quick wins.
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These are some of the items that I know fall through the cracks. Glad they were helpful.
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Good stuff! One I use a lot as a system admin is copying a record ID off of a spreadsheet and pasting it into the browser at the end of na##.salesforce.com/[record ID]. If you are logged in to your Salesforce instance, you go directly to that record.
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That’s a great one Roy! Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you. Number field shortcut I liked the most.
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Great tips, Brent. #1 is one that I could have benefitted from recently, as we just finished our trade show season and I’ve done my fair share of converting/merging leads to existing contacts. At least now I know I can click on the lookup field if the account name I’m looking for doesn’t appear.
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Mine is similar to Roy’s. I copy the recordID from a scheduled job that errored out and paste it into the browser as Roy suggests and it takes you directly to that record. If the problem doesn’t jump out at you, attempting to Save often brings up a meaningful error message.
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I like the quick mass update of a single field to the same value on the list screen, by using the checkbox tick and then double clicking on the field to update. Faster than Data Loader at times. The only catch is that the list view needs to only contain a single record type for that object, so you must explicitly have this in the list view filter if you hae more than one record type for that object….
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I am stumped on
2. Search Field Filters
I have been struggling for a long time to enable this feature. However, no luck yet.
As suggested, I followed the following path and chose Account as my Object.
Setup | Customize | Object Name | Search Layouts | Search Field Filters
There, I picked two fields – AccountName, Industry – and clicked Save.
Why am I not seeing these fields as filters?
Thanks for your help!
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After the search is conducted, are you clicking the “Search Filters” link in the modified object? This is where the additional fields to search on should display.
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AWESOME! I’ve been using Salesforce for 11 years and did not know a few of these features, or I forgot them. Already put a couple into action! Thank you!!
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One feature that packs a big punch for me is the ability to simply track the history on Standard or Custom object. By checking one checkbox on an object called ‘Track Field History’, you can track up to 20 fields on various objects, including who made the change, what the value was before, when it happened. Plus once enabled, you can begin to run reporting on changes from those fields going forward.
Never has the ability to check a box become so powerful inside of Salesforce in my opinion.
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I love the trick for large value numbers and for adding columns to the reports list screen. Super useful and I’ll be sharing the number trick with our Sales team. Thanks!
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