Salesforce Console Planning Questions

Review these questions to help you get the most out of your console implementation.

Who will use a console in your Salesforce org?

A console is designed for users who want to find, update, and create records quickly. If users’ profiles are assigned to a console app, they can access it. Before creating a console, we recommend determining which of your existing user profiles will benefit the most from console access, such as profiles assigned to support agents or a telesales team. You can also consider creating a profile or cloning an existing profile from which you can assign users to a console.

Have you purchased enough feature licenses?

Salesforce users must have a feature license to use a console. After you set up a console, you can manually assign the licenses to users.

Who will implement console apps for your company?

A console is an app, consisting of a group of tabs working as a unit to provide application functionality. Salesforce provides standard apps, such as Sales and Service. You create a console as a custom app that users select from the app menu and App Launcher. If there is a user in your company who is familiar with creating apps in Salesforce, have that person implement console apps.

Which objects do you want users to access in the console?

The navigation tab in Salesforce Classic and the navigation bar in Lightning Experience, lets users select objects, such as cases, accounts, or contacts, and view that object’s home page. We recommend that you add objects that function as the center of your business processes. For example, the center of support agents’ business process is most likely cases, so make cases available to agents in the console.

How do you want records to display in a console when they’re selected?

A console displays all records as tabs so that users can quickly find, update, and create records on one screen. Primary tabs display the main item to work on, such as an account. Subtabs display related records, such as cases or contacts on an account.

Salesforce Classic

You can select which records display as primary tabs and subtabs. Pick the center of your business process as a primary tab, and related items as subtabs. For example, you can set accounts as a primary tab, and cases and contacts as subtabs. You can also choose how records display when they’re selected outside of primary tabs or subtabs, for example, when users select cases from list views or search results.

Lightning Experience

In Lightning console apps, primary tabs are called workspace tabs. By default, records open as workspace tabs when selected from the list view associated with the current navigation bar item. Records opened from a workspace tab open as subtabs. For example, if you select accounts from the navigation bar and then click an account in the list, the account opens as a workspace tab. Then, if you click a contact name from the account page, the contact record opens as a subtab.

You can define navigation rules for a console app. Navigation rules determine how records open when they’re clicked outside of a workspace tab or subtab containing a record. For example, define a rule so that when you select accounts from the navigation bar and then click an account in the list, it opens as a workspace tab and its associated contact opens as a subtab.

What features can I use in the console?

Salesforce Classic

Available features include things like Highlight Panels, Interaction Logs, Chat, a Knowledge sibebar, whitelisitng domains, choosing how lists display, setting up push notifications, keyboard shortcuts, and more.

For a list of features that you can implement in your console, see Console Configurable Features in Salesforce Classic.

Lightning Experience

Customizing a Lightning console app is different than a Salesforce Classic console.

For a list of features that you can implement in your console, see Element ID 'topic-title' not found in topic with ID 'console_lex_feature_parity'.

Do you want users to receive and make phone calls from a console?

You can integrate Salesforce with third-party computer-telephony integration systems (CTI) using Open CTI. For more information, see Salesforce Call Center.

Do you want to customize, extend, or integrate a console with other systems?

Create components to customize, extend, or integrate the Salesforce Console with other systems. For example, you might want to create components that display third-party apps or content when users view specific pages.

What is the Agent Console?

The Salesforce console improves upon the Agent console by providing you with more options and more advanced technologies.