Consider Customizing Page Layouts

Review of Page Layouts and Record Types

Understand how to use record types and page layouts in K-12 Architecture Kit to capture and display the appropriate information for contacts and accounts.

In Build Sample Data in Your K-12 Architecture Kit Trial Org, we talked about what we see when viewing a student’s Contact record. In particular, we talked about the highlights panel, the Details section, and related lists. The entire collection of headings, fields, and visual containers that we see in this type of record is what we call a page layout.

Page layouts are flexible and provide a way to show the right information to the the right users. Remember that when you create a new Contact, you specify whether the person is a student, guardian, or faculty member. Your choice is reflected in the type of record that's created. For example, when you specify that a Contact is a student, the Contact record that's created has a student record type. Faculty and guardians also have their own record types.

If you're wondering why we create these different types of records, it's because the kind of information you capture—and show—differs from one user to the next. With different Contact record types in place, we can assign different page layouts to them. For example, our K12 Kit Student Layout and K12 Kit Guardian Layout include a FERPA indicator, but the K12 Kit Faculty Layout does not. That's because teachers don't have information that's protected by FERPA guidelines, but family members and students do, so their page layouts reflect that difference.

Different types of records are also created for Account records. Now that you’re familiar with the variety of Account types that come with K-12 Architecture Kit, it should make sense that each of them are represented by a different record type.

Review the Page Layouts Provided

See the page layouts that are included with K-12 Architecture Kit.

We can easily compare and contrast the provided page layouts if we take a look at the Contact object, to start.

1. Click , then click Setup.

2. Click the Object Manager tab.

3. In the list of objects, click Contact.

4. Click Page Layouts.

5. Click into the different layouts for student, guardian, and faculty members, and notice the similarities and differences between them.

6. Back in the Object Manager tab, switch to the Account object and look at the page layouts there, too.

There are lots of ways you can customize the look of your page layouts. You can add, remove, or change the placement of items on the page. Common customizations include changing the order of related lists, renaming a section, adding a new section, and adding a custom field you may have added to an object. If you’re new to working with page layouts, we recommend spending some time with the resources listed in Learn About Salesforce.

We mention below a couple of customizations you might find helpful for the student Contact page layout.

Customize the Highlights Panel

The highlights panel on a student Contact record shows the fields specified in a compact layout. The compact layout can be customized. For example, if you want the highlights panel to show a student's primary language, add that field to the compact layout.

Now, when we look at a student’s Contact record, the Primary Language field is easy to spot.

1. Click , then click Setup.

2. Click the Object Manager tab.

3. In the list of objects, click Contact.

4. Click Compact Layouts.

5. From the actions menu for K12 Student Contact Compact Layout, click Edit.

6. From the Available Fields list, select Primary Language, then Add it to the Selected Fields list.

7. If you don’t want it to be the last field in the highlights panel, move it Up in the list.

   

8. Click Save.

Add Additional Primary Affiliations

The student Contact page layout in K-12 Architecture Kit shows the Primary Household and Primary Language fields by default.

If your school is one of many in a large district, add the Primary Educational Institution field on the student's Contact page layout.

1. Click , then click Setup.

2. Click the Object Manager tab.

3. In the list of objects, click Contact.

4. Click Page Layouts.

5. From the actions menu for K12 Kit Student Layout, click Edit.

   

6. Enter primary in the Quick Find box.

7. Drag thePrimary Educational Institution field to the Primary Affiliations section.

   

8. Click Save.

Now, the student’s Contact record shows the student’s connection to the school. If the field is blank, you can edit it by clicking the pencil icon.