While working as a Salesforce admin, I received a requirement from the client to create a custom application to manage its sales pipeline more effectively. We need to create a custom app in Salesforce to fulfill this requirement.
Here, I explained standard and custom apps in Salesforce and how we can create custom apps in Salesforce.
App in Salesforce
In Salesforce, an “App” is a collection of tabs that work together to allow the application to function properly. It has a name, a logo, and a specific set of tabs.
For example, a sales app could contain features for contact management, lead tracking, and sales processing. Salesforce apps provide a focused environment where users can efficiently manage specific business operations.
There are two types of apps in Salesforce:
1. Standard Apps in Salesforce
The standard apps are pre-built applications provided by Salesforce. These apps are created to handle common business operations and are ready for use.
Following are some examples of standard apps in Salesforce:
- Service: This app is designed for support purposes, knowledge base management, and customer interactions.
- Marketing: This app manages marketing campaigns, leads, and other marketing activities.
- Community: This is used to manage customer’s and partners’ external communities.
- Analytics: It provides advanced analytics and reporting capabilities.
2. Custom Apps in Salesforce
Custom apps are Salesforce applications that users can build according to particular business needs that cannot be fulfilled by standard apps. They can be created with Salesforce’s point-and-click features and custom code.
When we create a custom app, its API Name will appear as AppName_c. This _c refers to the custom app or objects. We can have standard and custom tabs in the custom app.
Difference Between Standard and Custom Apps in Salesforce
| Standard Apps | Custom Apps |
| Built-in applications provided by Salesforce are designed to meet basic business needs. | Created to fulfill the organization’s specific business needs. |
| Requires minimum configuration and is ready to use out of the box. | Need to design and configuration based on the organization’s specific requirements. |
| Salesforce automatically updates the Standard App with new releases. | The business must manage maintenance and updates. |
Create a Custom App in Salesforce
For example, you want to create a custom Salesforce app for library management and add some standard objects (tabs) to create an account and generate reports and dashboards.
I have explained how we can create a custom Salesforce app in the following steps.
1. On the Setup page, search for the Apps in the Quick Find Box and select App Manager.
2. Click on the new Lightning App.
3. Provide the App Name, and the Developer Name is automatically populated. If you want to describe the application, add it to the Description.
You can also add your organization’s logo by clicking on the Upload the Image option and changing the color of the default logo by changing the Primary color Hex Value.
4. Click the Next button, Set Utility Bar Alignment as Default, and click Next.
5. Select the standard objects you want to add to your app from the Available Items and transfer them to Selected Items with the help of the arrow.
As per our requirement, I have added an account, report, and dashboard standard object to the app. Then, click on the Next button.
6. Select the Profile for our application so that the selected profile users can see this app. By default, Salesforce assigns us a System Administrator profile.
So, we will move the System Administrator profile from Available Profiles to Selected Profiles. Select Save & Finish.
7. To check whether the app has been created, click on the App Launcher and search for the app name. Here, you can see the Library Management app has been created. Click on the app name to open it.
8. As you open the app, you will see the app name and standard objects that we added while creating the app.
This is how we can create a custom salesforce app.
Conclusion
I hope you have an idea about standard and custom apps in Salesforce. In that, we have seen what standard and custom objects are and the differences between them. We also saw why a custom object is needed in Salesforce, and I explained how to create a custom Salesforce app with examples and step-by-step explanations.
You may like the following salesforce tutorials:
- How to Create a Custom Field in Salesforce
- How to Create a Custom Object in Salesforce
- How to create an event in Salesforce Lightning
- How to Create Quick Actions in Salesforce
- How to Disable Apps at Profile Level in Salesforce [2 ways]
I am Bijay Kumar, the founder of SalesforceFAQs.com. Having over 10 years of experience working in salesforce technologies for clients across the world (Canada, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, etc.). I am a certified salesforce administrator and expert with experience in developing salesforce applications and projects. My goal is to make it easy for people to learn and use salesforce technologies by providing simple and easy-to-understand solutions. Check out the complete profile on About us.
