Performance Tuning Tips for Related Lists on Salesforce Account Record Pages

The following techniques help improve related list performance. Implement and test them in the order listed. The combination of Two-Column Index and Embedded Visualforce Page with Extension Controller is typically the most effective. In some cases, Two-Column Index alone may be sufficient.

1. Enable Separate Loading of Related Lists

Enable Separate Loading of Related Lists in Setup → Customize → User Interface. With this setting enabled, the main record detail section loads and displays first. Related lists then load independently in the background, reducing the perceived page load time for the user.

2. Reduce Data Volume

Reduce the Number of Related Lists: Remove related lists that end users rarely access, or replace them with custom links to the related list pages.
Minimize Fields Displayed: Reduce the number of columns displayed on each related list to only the fields users need.
Reduce Record Count: As a best practice, keep the number of records in related list objects below 10,000 per parent record. If you perform a large-scale deletion of records, empty the Recycle Bin after the soft delete — soft-deleted records can still affect related list performance. After emptying the Recycle Bin, log a case with Salesforce Support to request a Physical Delete of the records.

3. Use Two-Column Indexes

A Two-Column Index improves query performance when related lists are consistently filtered and sorted by two specific fields. The first column in the index should be the field used as a filter, and the second column should be the field used for sorting. This approach is especially effective for related lists with list views or filters that always use the same two fields.

4. Use Embedded Visualforce Pages with Extension Controllers

Replace high-volume standard related lists with embedded Visualforce pages that use extension controllers. This approach provides two key performance benefits:

• You can add an additional filter condition in the SOQL query within the extension controller, using the second field from your Two-Column Index in the ORDER BY clause.
• You can use the SOQL LIMIT keyword to control how many records are transferred to the browser. Add a custom link to allow users to view all records when needed.

5. Re-export and Re-import Related Records

If performance remains unacceptable for specific Account records after implementing the above techniques, exporting and re-importing the records in the related list objects associated with those Accounts can help reset internal storage fragmentation and improve query performance.