How to Create Text Area (Long) Field Type in Salesforce

In this Salesforce tutorial, we will learn how to create a text area long field type in Salesforce and we can use it to enter up to 131,702 characters. If the text is too long then we can use text area long filed. Moreover, we will focus on some of the practical scenarios for implementation.

Recently, I worked for the Salesforce company in the United States of America. While working here, I got a task where I needed to write some things on product quality. To fulfill this requirement I use the text area long Field Type and which is present under the Field and Relationship.

So, as a solution, I discovered the text area long field as a solution that helps in entering up to 131,702 characters. Let’s go into more detail about how to create the text area long field type in Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic.

Text area long field type in Salesforce

Text area long field type is defined as a field type that permits the users to enter up to 131,072 characters on a separate line. We can create the long text field on any type of object because the long text is useful for storing a large amount of information like descriptions, notes, and comments.

The datatype text area long can store up to 65536 alphanumeric characters and it also holds rich text formatting like highlighting some of the text, fonts, and colors.

For example, there is a book who wrote by an American author Mark Twain after writing the book he wants the people who read this book to give back some useful comments, for this they make a separate field for that by simply using a text area long field in which the reader can comment up to 131,072 characters on a separate line and this text area long Field Type and which is present under the Field and Relationship.

Now, let’s move further and see how to create the text area long field type in Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic.

Difference between text area long field type and text area rich field type in Salesforce

Here we are discussing the difference between the text area long field type and the text area rich field type in Salesforce:

1. This text area rich field gives a set of formatting tools like font style, colors, sizes, numbering, indentations, etc.	1. Text Area Rich Field Type
2. The text area long field is planned to store a large amount of plain text.	2. Text area rich field is used to permit the user to input and show the text with a formatting option.
3. This text area long field gives a set of formatting tools like font style, colors, sizes, numbering, indentations, etc.	3. This text area rich field gives a set of formatting tools like font style, colors, sizes, numbering, and indentations, etc.
4. It can carry up to 255 characters on a single line, and have a maximum number of characters.	4. It can carry up to 131072 characters, which is similar to the long text area field.
5. The stored data in the text area long field is plan text without any markup or formatting.	5. The text is rich and has a visual editor that permits the users to apply formatting without requiring any HTML knowledge.

This is how we can understand the difference between the text area long field type and text area rich field type in Salesforce.

Read How to Create Text Field Type in Salesforce

How to create text area long field type in Salesforce Lightning

Here we are creating the text area long field type in Salesforce Lightning. Here we are taking an example we are using the price book object inside the price book object we want to add the comment fields as a text area long field in which the reader who reads the book gives back some useful comments that help the author to increase there thinking and writing skills.

For this, they make a separate field for that by simply using a text area long field in which the reader can comment up to 131,072 characters on a separate line

If you want to learn how to create the text area long field type in salesforce lightning follow these steps:

1: Login into your Salesforce lightning account, Go to the gear icon. Under the gear icon, there are two options present first one is Setup and another one is Service Setup. Here we are clicking on the Setup option.

After clicking on the setup option, the setup page is open. Click on the Object Manager that is present at the nav bar near the home tab.

2: After clicking on the Object Manager, the Object Manager page is open. Here we can see lots of objects are present. Here we want to select the Price book object. For selecting the price book object, enter the price book object in the search box. The price book object comes at the top, click on the price book object.

3: After clicking on the price book object, the price book object page is open. Under this price book object page, there is a details section in which field and relationship option is present. Click on the fields and relationship option.

4: After clicking on the field and relationship option, the field and relationships page is open. For creating the field type click on the new button that is present at the top of the field and relationship page.

5: After clicking on the new button, the data type page is open. There are lots of data types present on the page. Here we are selecting the text area long data type field that is present at the bottom of the page. The text area long field allows the users to enter up to 131,072 characters on separate lines and then click on the next button.

6: After clicking on the next button, the price book new custom field page is open. Now enter the details, first fill the field label as Comments and then fill the length as 32,768 after that fill the visible line by 3 and then fill the field name by simply clicking on the field, and the field name is automatically filled then fill the description if you want to fill otherwise leave the field the same.

After that click on the next button that is present at the top and the bottom of the page.

7: After entering the details, now established the field-level security. Now select the profiles to which we want to grant edit access to this field via field-level security. The field will be hidden from all profiles if we do not add to it field-level security.

Click on the visible checkbox and then click on the next button that is present at the top and the bottom of the established field-level security page.

8: After establishing the field-level security, now add the custom field to the page layout. Select the page layout that should include this field. This field will be added as the last field in the first 2-column section of this page layout. The field will not appear on any pages if we do not select a layout. Click on the save button.

9: After clicking on the save button. The text area long field type is created, go to the app launcher and enter sales in the search box. Select sales, the sales page is open and then select the price book object that is present in the nav bar.

The price book object page is open, here you can see that on the right side of the page, there is a details section and under this section, we can see that the text area long field type is created and we can enter the comments related to the price book in the comment field.

In this way, we understand how to create the text area long field type in Salesforce Lightning. Let’s Proceed further and learn how to create the text area long field type in Salesforce Classic.

Read How to Create Text Area Field Type in Salesforce

How to create text area long field type in Salesforce Classic

Here we are creating the text area rich field type in Salesforce Classic. Here we are taking an example we are using the order object this order object is used to order something by the customers. In this order object, we want to add the order description as a text area long field. Where we give the description related to the order.

If you want to learn how to create the text area long field type in Salesforce Classic follow these steps:

1: First log in to the Salesforce account, when we log in to the account the Salesforce lightning edition is open. Moving to Salesforce Classic, click on the Profile picture. The Profile picture drop-down list is open. Under this profile picture list, there is an option to switch to Salesforce Classic. Click on it.

After clicking on the switch to Salesforce Classic option, click on the drop-down arrow of the username. The drop-down list is open, under this list Setup option is present below the My Profile option. Click on the Setup.

2: After clicking on the setup option, the setup page is open. Enter the lead in the Quick Find Box. The order object comes at the top, click on the order drop-down menu. The drop-down list is open, under this drop-down list there is a field option. Click on the field option.

3: After clicking on the fields option, the order custom field page is open. Scroll to the bottom of the page there is an order custom field and a relationship section. For creating the new field click on the new button.

4: After clicking on the new button, the data type page is open. There are lots of data types present on the page. Here we are selecting the text area long data type field that is present at the bottom of the page. Click on the next button.

5: After clicking on the next button, the Order New Custom Field page is open. Now enter the details, first fill the field label, as a description and then fill the length as 32,768 after that fill the visible line by 3 and then fill the field name, by simply clicking on the field, and the field name is automatically filled then fill the description if you want to fill otherwise leave the field the same.

After that click on the next button that is present at the top and the bottom of the page.

6: After entering the details, now established the field-level security. Now select the profiles to which we want to grant edit access to this field via field-level security. The field will be hidden from all profiles if we do not add to it field-level security.

Click on the visible checkbox and then click on the next button that is present at the top and the bottom of the established field-level security page.

7: After establishing the field-level security, now add the custom field to the page layout. Select the page layout that should include this field. This field will be added as the last field in the first 2-column section of this page layout. The field will not appear on any pages if we do not select a layout. Click on the save button.

This is how to create the text area long field type in Salesforce Classic.

Conclusion:

We can create the long text field on any type of object because the long text is useful for storing a large amount of information like descriptions, notes, and comments.

The datatype text area long can store up to 65536 alphanumeric characters and it also holds rich text formatting like highlighting some of the text, fonts, and colors.

I hope you got an idea of how to create a long text area field in Salesforce also, I have explained step by step how to create the text area long field type in Salesforce Lightning and in Salesforce Classic.

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