Picklists are used in Salesforce to capture static data and define a list wherein users can select via accessing a drop-down menu. Picklists can be either global or custom in nature. This post will teach Salesforce users how to define custom picklist fields.
What Are Custom Picklist Fields?
Creating custom picklist fields helps enable users to select values from pre-defined picklists that the administrator creates.
There are three types of picklist fields under custom picklists:
- Shared – It’s a field where users can choose one value from the global value set. This custom picklist type cannot have additional values other than those it inherited from the global value set.
- Local – A unique custom picklist that lets users choose one value from one administrator-defined list.
- Multi-Select – Lets users choose multiple picklist values from a pre-defined value set. Multiple values in this picklist field are separated by semicolons.
Creating a Custom Picklist Field
Follow these steps to successfully define a new custom picklist field.
- Select the object where a picklist field needs to be created for. Navigate to the fields area of said object.
- Choose New from the Custom Fields related list.
- Determine the picklist type that needs to be created. Choose from either Picklist or Picklist (Multi-Select). Hit Next.
- Type the new picklist field’s label.
- It’s now time to define the values for this picklist. Select from these two options:
a. Use global picklist value set – choose this option for getting values from an already existing global picklist.
b. Enter values for the picklist, with each value separated by a new line – Hit this option to choose values that were made specifically for this picklist alone. Enter the picklist values manually, one value per line. - Select options for arranging the values alphabetically, as well as using the first list item as the default value. Both options can also be selected at the same time. Please note that these settings are permanent and can’t be changed later on.
- For multi-select picklists, define how many values will Salesforce display in a single edit page.
- Provide the help text, if needed. Hit Next.
- Determine the field’s level of security. Hit Next.
- Select page layouts where the newly-created picklist field shall be included.
- Save the work. A new custom picklist field is now created.