Custom Fields for Articles

Lets support reps enter a currency amount. The system formats the field as a currency amount, which can be useful if you export data to a spreadsheet application. You can make this field required to ensure that a support rep enters a value before saving an article.

Salesforce uses the round-half-to-even tie-breaking rule for currency fields. For example, 23.5 becomes 24, 22.5 becomes 22, −22.5 becomes −22, and −23.5 becomes −24.

Values lose precision after 15 decimal places.

Lets support reps upload and attach a file to an article. You can make this field required to ensure that a support rep enters a value before saving an article. Note the following caveats about File fields:

• The maximum attachment size is 25 MB.
• You can add up to 5 File fields to each article type; contact Salesforce to increase these limits.
• If the Disallow HTML documents and attachments security setting is enabled, File fields do not support HTML files.
• Text content in a File field attachment is searchable. You can search up to 25 MB of attached files on an article. For example, if an article has six 5-MB file attachments, the first 4.16 MB of each file is searchable.
• You cannot attach Salesforce CRM Content files using the File field.
• The File field type is not supported in Developer edition.
• The filename cannot exceed 40 characters.
• You cannot convert a File field type into any other data type.

File Fields are available in Salesforce Classic only.

Lets support reps automatically calculate values based on other values or fields such as merge fields.

Salesforce uses the round half up tie-breaking rule for numbers in formula fields. For example, 12.345 becomes 12.35 and −12.345 becomes −12.35.

In Database.com, the Formula editor does not provide a Check Syntax button. Syntax checking occurs when the support rep attempts to save the formula.

Creates a relationship between two records so you can associate them with each other. For example, opportunities have a lookup relationship with cases that lets you associate a particular case with an opportunity. A lookup relationship creates a field that lets support reps click a lookup icon and select another record from a window. On the associated record, you can then display a related list to show all the records that are linked to it. You can create lookup relationship fields that link to users, standard objects, or custom objects. If a lookup field references a record that has been deleted, Salesforce clears the value of the lookup field by default. Alternatively, you can choose to prevent records from being deleted if they're in a lookup relationship. You can make this field required to ensure that a support rep enters a value before saving an article.

Lookup relationship fields are not available in Personal Edition.

Lookup relationship fields to campaign members are not available; however, lookup relationship fields from campaign members to other objects are available.

Lets support reps enter any number. This entry is treated as a real number and any leading zeros are removed. You can make this field required to ensure that a support rep enters a value before saving an article.

Salesforce uses the round half up tie-breaking rule for number fields. For example, 12.345 becomes 12.35 and −12.345 becomes −12.34. Salesforce rounds numbers referenced in merge fields according to the user's locale, not the number of decimal spaces specified in the number field configuration.

Lets support reps enter a percentage number, for example, '10'. The system automatically adds the percent sign to the number. You can make this field required to ensure that a support rep enters a value before saving an article.

If the decimal value is greater than 15, and you add a percent sign to the number, a runtime error occurs.

Values lose precision after 15 decimal places.

Lets support reps enter any phone number. Character limit is 40. You can make this field required to ensure that a support rep enters a value before saving an article.

Salesforce automatically formats it as a phone number.

Lets support reps enter up to 131,072 characters that display on separate lines similar to a Description field. You can set the length of this field type to a lower limit, if desired. Any length from 256 to 131,072 characters is allowed. The default is 32,768 characters. Every time a support rep presses Enter in a long text area field, a line break and return character are added, and both count toward the character limit. Also, smart links add more characters than what is displayed.

If you lower the character limit and you have articles that surpass the new limit, the articles can’t be edited until the limit is reset higher than their character counts.

Lets support reps enter up to 131,072 characters of HTML-supported text, including code samples () and smart links between Salesforce Knowledge articles.

• You can have up to 100 links to different Salesforce Knowledge articles in one rich text field.
• When you convert a text area (rich) field to a text area (long) field, links are displayed as link reference numbers, not URLs.
• The upgraded editor doesn’t support Internet Explorer version 7 or version 8 in compatibility mode. If you are using these browsers, use the older editor.