How to Change the Format of Auto Number Field on Existing Record in Salesforce

In this Salesforce tutorial, we will learn how to change the format of the auto number field on existing records in Salesforce. The Format can allow us to control the appearance of the auto number field. A display format consists of substitution variables, or any other characters we wish to include as prefixes and suffixes.

While working as an employee in a company that is based in the United States of America. I got a task where I needed to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce. 

The employee of the company selects the objects and sees whether under this object there is an auto number field on the existing record or not. If yes then they select this field and edit that field and change the format of the auto number this formatting is used to arrange the record. Now let’s see and see the practical implementation and how we can do that.

Let’s learn how to change the format of an auto number field in an existing record in Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic.

How to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce Lightning

Here we will learn how to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce Lightning. Let’s take an example we are using the opportunity object. There are lots of opportunities present in the order and we want to give the ids to the opportunity from which we can easily find the order.

Now selects the opportunity object and see whether under this object there is an auto number field on the existing record or not. If yes then they select this field and edit that field and change the format of the auto number this formatting is used to arrange the record.

If you want to learn how to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in salesforce lightning, follow these steps:

Step-1: Enter Salesforce Login on Google, the login.salesforce.com page is open. Now enter the username and password and login into the Salesforce account. When we login into the Salesforce account the Salesforce Lightning version is automatically open.

Go to the gear icon. Click on the gear icon(⚙️), the drop-down list is open and under this list, there are two options. The first one is Setup and another one is Service Setup. Click on the Setup option. After clicking on the Setup option, the setup page is open.

Under this setup page, we can see that two tabs are present on the nav bar. The first tab is Home and the next tab is Object Manager. We click on the Object Manager tab.

Step-2: After Clicking on the Object Manager tab, the Object Manager page is open. Under this object manager page, lots of objects are present. Here we can select any of the objects. If the object is not shown clearly enter the object name in the search box.

We are entering the opportunity object in the search box. And the opportunity object comes at the top. Click on the opportunity object.

Step-3: After choosing the Opportunity object. The Opportunity object page is open. Under this page we can see the detail related to the opportunity object on the right side is present and on the left side there is a section under which lots of options are present.

Here we are selecting the Fields and Relationships option that is present under the details and is used for creating the fields and creating the relationship between the fields and the object.

Step-4: After clicking on the Field and Relationship option, the Field and Relationships page is open. Under this page lots of fields are present. Here we are selecting one of the fields which has an auto number type. Here we can see that the opportunity number has an auto number field type. Click on this opportunity number field.

Step-5: After clicking on the Opportunity Number option, the opportunity custom field Opportunity Number page is open. Under this page, there is a detail related to the Opportunity number custom field.

We can edit this detail and change the detail related to the Opportunity Number Custom Field. Click on the edit button that is present at the center of the Opportunity Number custom field page.

Step-6: After clicking on the edit button, the Opportunity custom field Opportunity Number edit page is open. Scroll to the bottom of the page and we can see that there is auto number options section is present. Under this section there is auto number display format is shown.

This existing auto number format Opp-{0000}1 represents that the Leading zeros are padded to four digits. Now we want to change this format of an auto number field on an existing record.

Step-7: Change the format of the existing record. Here we are using OPPO-{000} format. This format shows that there are leading zeros padded with three digits. After changing the auto number display format click on the save button that is present at the bottom of the Opportunity custom field Opportunity Number page.

Step-8: After clicking on the save button, the auto number display format that we are changing is displayed under the auto number option. Now the auto number that is generated under the records is shown in this format, now on the previous format.

This way, we understand how to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce Lightning. Let’s Proceed and learn how to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce Classic.

Read Effects when Auto Number Field Exceeds the Specific Digits in Salesforce

How to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce Classic

Here we will discuss how to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce Classic. For example, we are using the contact object. There are lots of contacts present in the employee records. Sometimes when the HR Manager wants to contact any employee with their employee ids. They will be confused about which ids is related to which of the employee.

Now they want to change the format of the contact ids and give the unique ids to all of the employees that can be done only by changing the auto number field on an existing record and this auto number field is present under the Field that we previously created.

If you want to learn how to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in salesforce classic, follow these steps:

1: First, Login into the Salesforce account, When the account is login. The Salesforce Lightning org is open. From this lightning org, we switch to the Salesforce Classic org. For switching to the Salesforce Classic edition. Click on the profile picture. After clicking on the profile picture, the drop-down menu is open. Under this drop-down menu, there is a switch to the Salesforce classic option is present.

Click on the Switch to Salesforce Classic option, the Salesforce Classic edition is open. Now we can create the auto number field type in Salesforce Classic. So first click on the username drop-down arrow, and the username drop-down list is open. Under this list lots of options are present. Now click on the setup option.

2: After clicking on the Setup option, the Setup page is open and under this setup page, there is Quick Find Box. enter the contact in this Quick Find box. The contact object comes at the top. Click on the drop-down arrow of the contact object.

The drop-down list is open, under this contact drop-down list, there is a fields option. Click on the fields option.

3: After clicking on the Fields option, the Contact Custom field is open. Scroll to the bottom of the page and under this page, there are contact custom fields and the relationship section is present and under this section lots of fields are present.

Here we are selecting one of the fields which has an auto number type. Here we can see that the unique id has an auto number field type. Click on this unique id field.

4: After clicking on the unique id option, the contact custom field unique id page is open. Under this page, there is a detail related to the unique id custom field.

We can edit this detail and change the detail related to the unique id custom Field. Click on the edit button that is present at the center of the contact custom field unique id page.

After clicking on the edit button, the Contact custom field unique id edit page is open. Scroll to the bottom of the page and we can see that there is auto number options section is present. Under this section there is auto number display format is shown.

This existing auto number format UNQ-{0000} represents the Leading zeros padded to four digits. Now we want to change this format of an auto number field on an existing record.

5: Change the format of the existing record. Here we are using UNIQ-{000} format. This format shows that there are leading zeros padded with three digits. After changing the auto number display format click on the save button that is present at the bottom of the Contact custom field Unique IDs page.

6: After clicking on the save button, the auto number display format that we are changing is displayed under the auto number option. Now the auto number that is generated under the records are shown in this format, now on the previous format.

So, with this, we have learned how to change the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce Classic.

Conclusion:

In this whole blog, we have learned the formatting of an auto number field. Here we are choosing the object and selecting the record of choosing an object, we can see the formatting section, and, in this section, the auto number format is already displayed, and, in this blog, we change the format of the auto number field.

I think you read the complete blog and you get the complete idea related to changing the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce. This auto number field helps generate a sequence number. And I have also explained all the steps of the format of an auto number field on an existing record in Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic.

You may like to read:

• How to Reset or Restart the Auto Number field in Salesforce
• How to Create Auto Number Field Type in Salesforce?
• Apply Auto Number for Existing Records in Salesforce
• Modify Standard Auto Number Fields in Salesforce