How to Reset or Restart the Auto Number field in Salesforce

In this Salesforce tutorial, we will learn how to reset or restart the auto number in Salesforce. In the previous blog, we are already discussing the auto number field but now here we will discuss how to reset or restart the auto number in Salesforce.

Recently I was working as an employee in the Salesforce company in the United State Of America. I got a task where I needed to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce. Moreover, we will focus on some of the practical scenarios for implementation.

When we have a large amount of data related to the employees who are working in the company and there is an auto number field data type that is helpful and automatically set the number and gives the unique number to the data.

But now the company wants to reset or restart this auto number field and the numbering again starts from the one. To reset the field or fulfill this requirement firstly I reset the auto number field that is already created to text field the Field Type and then again edit this text field to the auto number field that is present under the Field and Relationship.

When we edit the field and reset the field again to the auto number the data will again start from number one. Let’s move ahead and see the practical implementation and how we can do that.

Let’s learn how to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic.

How to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce Lightning

Here we are learning how to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce Lightning. Now we take an example we are using the contact object. There are lots of contacts present in the Contact book and we want to give the ids to the contact from which we can easily find the contact.

Inside this contact object, there is already generated unique field with an auto number not we want to reset this auto number unique field to start the number again. For this, there is a trick that we use in this lightning edition to reset this auto number field task.

If you want to learn how to reset or restart the auto number field in salesforce lightning, follow these steps:

Step-1: For Perform how to reset the auto number field in Salesforce, first 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.

Now enter the contact object in the search box. And the contact object comes at the top. Click on the contact object.

Step-3: After clicking on the contact object. The contact object page is open. Here we can see the details related to the contact. And under this contact object on the left-hand side of the page, there is a separate section of details, and under these details, there is a field and relationships option.

Here we are selecting this field and relationship option for creating the fields and creating the relationship between the fields and the object.

Step-4: After clicking on the field and relationship, the Fields and Relationships page is open. Under this page, there are lots of fields created. Scroll to the bottom of the page and search the auto number field. Here we can see there is the unique id with the auto number field. Click on the unique id field.

Step-5: After clicking on the unique id which has an auto number field. The 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 unique id custom field page.

Step-6: After clicking on the edit button, the Edit contact custom field unique id page is open. Now we want to change the field type for changing the field type click on the change field type button.

Step-7: After clicking the change field type button the choose field type page is open now change the field auto number to the text field type this is the trick to reset or restart the auto number field. After clicking on the text field type click on the next button that is present at the top and the bottom of the page.

Step-8: After changing the field type auto number to text. The next step is to verify the details related to the field and click on the save button that is present near the next button.

Step-9: After saving the field, the changing unique id field type is shown under the field and relationship page. And we can see that the unique id field id changed and it’s shown as a text field. Now we again want to change the field type and for this type, we change the text field to again auto number.

After changing the text field to auto number the auto number field is reset and starting again from the one. For this click on the drop-down arrow of the unique id field. The drop-down list is open. Under this list, there are two options. The first one is edit and the second one is delete. Here we want to edit the field, so click on the edit button.

Step- 10: After clicking on the edit button. Now we want to again edit the contact custom field unique id, the custom field unique id page is open. Now we want to change the field type, for changing the field type click on the change field type button.

Step-11: After clicking the change field type button the choose the field type page is open which is step one, now change the field that is text to auto number field type this is the trick to reset or restart the auto number field. After clicking on the auto number field field type click on the next button that is present at the top and the bottom of the page.

This auto number again starts generating the number that uses a display format we define and the number automatically increases for each and every new record.

Step-12: After choosing the auto number field type again. Now reset the details of the unique id field again. Here we can see the Display Format of the unique id field is shown as the same. But the starting number field is blank, again set the starting number. Here we are entering the starting number as 1.

After entering the starting number check the details again of the unique id field and then click on the save button.

Step-13: After resetting the auto number field of the unique id and click on the save button. The unique id field with field type as the auto number is shown under the field and relationship page.

This way, we understand how to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce Lightning. Let’s Proceed and learn how to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce Classic.

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

How to reset or restart the auto number field 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 opportunity object. There are lots of opportunities present in the buying orders and we want to give the ids to the opportunities from which we can easily find which opportunity is linked to which order.

Inside this opportunity object, there is already generated opportunity number field with an auto number not we want to reset this auto number unique field to start the number again. For this, there is a trick that we use in this classic edition to reset this auto number field task.

If you want to learn how to reset or restart the auto number field in salesforce classic, follow these steps:

1: When we log in to the Salesforce account, the Salesforce Lightning org is open. For switching to the Salesforce Classic edition. To move to the classic account, 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 opportunity object comes at the top. Click on the drop-down arrow of the opportunity object.

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

3: After clicking on the fields, the opportunities custom object page is open. Now scroll to the bottom of the page there is an opportunity for custom fields and relationships section is present.

Under this section, there are lots of fields created. Scroll to the bottom of the page and search the auto number field. Here we can see there is the opportunity number with the auto number field. Click on the opportunity number field.

4: After clicking on the opportunity number which has an auto number field. The 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.

5: After clicking on the edit button, the Edit opportunity custom field opportunity number page is open. Now we want to change the field type for changing the field type click on the change field type button.

6: After clicking the change field type button the choose field type page is open now change the field auto number to the text field type this is the trick to reset or restart the auto number field.

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

7: After changing the field type of opportunity number auto number to text. The next step is to verify the details related to the field and click on the save button that is present near the next button.

8: After saving the field type, the changing opportunity number field type is shown under the field and relationship page. And we can see that the opportunity number field id changed and it’s shown as a text field.

Now we again want to change the field type and for this type, we change the text field to again auto number. After changing the text field to auto number the auto number field is reset and starting again from the one.

For this click on the drop-down arrow of the opportunity number field. The drop-down list is open. Under this list, there are two options. The first one is edit and the second one is delete. Here we want to edit the field, so click on the edit button.

9: After clicking on the edit button. Now we want to again edit the opportunity custom field opportunity number, the custom field opportunity number page is open.

Now we want to change the field type, for changing the field type click on the change field type button.

10: After clicking on the edit button. Now we want to again edit the opportunity custom field opportunity number, the custom field opportunity number page is open.

Now we want to change the field type, for changing the field type click on the change field type button.

11: After clicking the change field type button then choose the field type page that is open which is step one, now change the field that is text to auto number field type this is the trick to reset or restart the auto number field.

After clicking on the auto number field field type click on the next button that is present at the top and the bottom of the page. This auto number again starts generating the number that uses a display format we define and the number automatically increases for each and every new record.

12: After selecting the auto number field type. Now reset the details of the opportunity number field again. Here we can see the Display Format of the opportunity number field is shown as the same.

But the starting number field is blank, again set the starting number. Here we are entering the starting number as 1. After entering the starting number check the details again of the opportunity number field and then click on the save button.

13: After resetting the auto number field of the opportunity number and click on the save button. The opportunity number field with field type as the auto number is shown under the field and relationship page.

So, with this, we have learned, how to reset or restart the auto number field in Salesforce Classic.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, to reset or restart the auto number there is a trick first change the auto number field to the text field and then again change the text field to the auto number field. For doing that thing we can reset the number or start the number from the first.

I hope you read the complete blog and you get the complete idea related to resetting or restarting the auto number in Salesforce. This auto number field helps generate a sequence number. And I have also explained all the steps of reset and restarting the auto number in Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic.

You may like to read:

• How to Create Auto Number Field Type in Salesforce?
• How to Create Number Field Type in Salesforce