Layout Planning Guide

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when the user:

• Plans page layouts for different user personas
• Decides which fields to include on a layout
• Organizes fields into logical sections
• Chooses between Classic Layouts and Lightning Record Pages
• Selects fields for Compact Layouts (highlights panel)
• Needs guidance on consistent layout patterns across objects

Core Principles

1. Remove Clutter First

Before adding fields, identify and remove unused ones.

Unused fields confuse users and create longer pages. Use tools like Salesforce Optimizer or Field Trip to find fields with no data.

Decision Criteria:

• Field has <5% population rate → Consider removing
• Field hasn't been updated in 6+ months → Consider removing
• Field is never included in reports → Consider removing
• Field duplicates another field's purpose → Remove the duplicate

2. Identify User Personas

Match layout to user needs, not just field availability.

Persona	Primary Need	Layout Focus
Sales Rep	Quick data entry, deal progression	Fields they update daily, Sales Path
Sales Manager	Pipeline visibility, coaching	Team metrics, forecast fields
Executive	Strategic summary	KPIs only, dashboard components
Support Agent	Case resolution	Contact methods, case history
Support Manager	SLA compliance, team performance	Metrics, escalation info
Marketing	Campaign attribution	Lead source, engagement fields
Customer Success	Account health, renewals	Health scores, usage metrics

3. Group Fields Logically

Organize by business context, not alphabetically.

Common section patterns by object:

Account:

• Account Details (Name, Owner, Industry, Rating, Type)
• Address Information (Billing, Shipping)
• Additional Info (SLA, Source, Revenue)

Contact:

• Contact Details (Name, Title, Account, Phone, Email)
• Address (Mailing Address)
• Preferences (Do Not Call, Email Opt-Out)

Opportunity:

• Opportunity Details (Name, Stage, Amount, Close Date, Owner)
• Opportunity Information (Type, Lead Source, Campaign)
• Key Dates (Created, Last Activity)

Quote:

• Quote Details (Name, Opportunity, Account, Status)
• Pricing (Total, Discount, Tax, Grand Total)
• Addresses (Billing, Shipping)
• Terms (Expiration, Description)

Quote Line Item:

• Product Details (Product, Quantity, Unit Price)
• Pricing (Discount, Total Price)

Dynamic Forms vs fieldInstance Pattern

Decision Tree:

Should I use Dynamic Forms?
│
├─ Is org on supported edition with Dynamic Forms enabled?
│  ├─ NO → Use fieldInstance pattern
│  └─ YES → Continue
│
├─ Is object supported? (Custom objects + select standard)
│  ├─ NO → Use fieldInstance pattern
│  └─ YES → Continue
│
├─ Do I need field-level visibility rules per profile/record type?
│  ├─ YES → Dynamic Forms recommended (simpler visibility)
│  └─ NO → Either approach works
│
├─ Is this a high-traffic, performance-critical page?
│  ├─ YES → Dynamic Forms (loads only visible fields)
│  └─ NO → Either approach works
│
└─ DEFAULT: fieldInstance pattern (maximum compatibility)

fieldInstance Pattern Benefits:

• Works in ALL Salesforce editions (Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, Developer)
• No special permissions required
• Predictable behavior
• Explicit field control

Dynamic Forms Benefits:

• Simpler visibility rules (point-and-click)
• Better performance (only loads visible fields)
• Field-level granularity without multiple layouts

Compact Layout Field Selection

Choose 4-5 fields that enable quick identification and action.

Selection Criteria:

1. Identification - Fields that uniquely identify the record
2. Status - Current state or stage
3. Quick Action - Fields that enable one-click actions (Phone, Email)
4. Compliance - Visual indicators for restrictions (Do Not Call)

Object-Specific Recommendations:

Object	Recommended Compact Fields	Rationale
Account	Phone, Industry, Owner, Rating	Enable calls, show categorization
Contact	Phone, Email, Account, DoNotCall indicator	Enable contact actions, show restrictions
Opportunity	Amount, Close Date, Stage, Account	Show deal summary
Quote	Status, Total Price, Expiration, Opportunity	Show approval state and urgency
Quote Line	Product, Quantity, Total Price	Show line summary

Visual Indicators:

• Use formula fields with images/icons for opt-out flags
• Example: "Call?" indicator shows checkmark or X based on DoNotCall field
• Place indicators in compact layout for immediate visibility

Default Tab Strategy

Choose the landing tab based on user workflow.

Object	Recommended Default	Rationale
Account	Related	Users often need related Contacts, Opportunities, Cases
Contact	Details	Users typically view/edit contact information
Opportunity	Details	Users frequently update Stage, Amount, Close Date
Quote	Details	Users need to see pricing and status
Case	Related	Users often need related articles, activities
Lead	Details	Users qualifying leads need to update fields

Exception Rule: If a specific persona primarily uses the Related tab, create a profile-specific Lightning page with that default.

Consistency Guidelines

Maintain patterns across objects for user familiarity.

1. Action Button Order - Keep Edit as first action across all objects
2. Tab Order - Details, Related, Activity in consistent left-to-right order
3. Section Naming - Use similar names (e.g., "Additional Info" not "Other Details" on one object and "Extra Fields" on another)
4. Compact Layout Position - Keep critical fields in same relative positions

Planning Output Checklist

Before implementing, document:

• Target persona(s) identified
• Fields to include (with section assignments)
• Fields to exclude (with rationale)
• Compact layout fields selected (4-5)
• Default landing tab chosen
• Related lists to include
• Visibility rules needed (if any)
• Layout pattern choice (Dynamic Forms vs fieldInstance)

Reference Documentation

For detailed guidance, see:

• persona-field-matrix.md - Field × persona priority matrix
• object-specific-guidance.md - Detailed per-object recommendations
• dynamic-forms-decision.md - Complete Dynamic Forms evaluation guide