How to use list views in Salesforce
Description: In this guide we will look what List Views are and how to use them in Salesforce
Tips and overview
List Views are a way of bringing out data, they are a simple reporting function. Added to this it is possible to make edits to records from the List View without being required to open the record up and edits can be applied on mass to multiples records at once.
The limitations include the fact they are restricted to data from 1 object whereas in reports you can draw out information from multiple areas (e.g. report on Contacts and Accounts with Professional Information at the same time).
Before creating a List View it is helpful to have an example record open so that you can see what fields are available and what can be inputted into these fields. Have a rough idea of the amount of records to be returned so you will know whether you need to adjust the filters. And check for existing List Views that you can adjust rather than creating a new one.
On every tab you will find a section near the top called View
By clicking on the 'Go!' button it will run the List View
You can sort the columns by clicking on them. Click once for sorting ascending and again for descending
If the column contains alpha there is an alphabet short cut available in the top right corner that will limit your selection to the letter selected
You can see above that with B selected in the right hand side column the names starting with B are the only ones showing up.
The position of the columns can be rearranged by clicking on them and dragging them into your desired position.
Editing an existing List View
Now you may want to adjust the results that are coming out and you can do this by clicking on 'Edit' which is just to the right of the name of the List View you have open. The 1st time you edit a List View it will say 'Clone' instead of 'Edit'
Editing is split into a few stages:
If you are adjusting a List View you may want to change the name, the name has to be unique but the system will let you know if a different name is needed.
Down from this section is where you can select the filters that will include the results you want and omitted the other data that isn't required.
From this we can see that it will return results only when the Contact Status is Active, the Contact Record Type is TF Employee Contact and the Account Name starts with Teach First. The furthest left column called 'Field' is where you can look for the field that you want to filter on, the middle column called 'Operator' then gives you some options and depending on the field this will include:
The column on the right called 'Value' is where you can insert what can be entered in to that field. Sometimes this will give you a lookup magnifying glass icon which after clicking on this will take you to a page with all the possible values and you can tick which ones you want in.
If a lookup icon is not available you can enter text in and if you want more than one line you can separate them with a comma to include all your required results.
The final option in Step 2 is the ability to include Filter Logic and this is a way you can adjust the way your filters behave. Clicking on 'Add Filter Logic..' will open up the following:
The link on the text 'Tips' explains how this filter logic can be adjust so instead of the current filter logic where my 3 filters all have to be true I could put in 1 AND (2 OR 3) and this would then mean that filter 1 always has to be present but then either the filters 2 or 3 have to be present, not necessarily both 2 and 3 present. This is explained further in that 'Tips' link.
In the third section you can select what fields are shown and also the order in which they are displayed.
On the left hand side are the fields that can be pulled in to the List View. Click on the field(s) that you want and then hit the right Add arrow, you can then use the Up and Down buttons to re-order them. Fields at the bottom will appear on the far right and at the top on the far left.
The final step is about giving access to the List View, you can make it so that it is only visible to you or visible to all (note that depending on your Profile view you may not have this step).
You can then Save it or Save As making sure to change the name.
Creating your own List View
This can be done by following the steps above but instead of hitting edit you click on Create New View.
Making Mass edits
In order to make mass edits in a list view a couple of criteria's have to be met. Firstly one of the filters has to a record type and it has to have this defined. So for example in the Contact List View you have to have Contact Record Type equals TF Employee Contact (this TF Employee Contact can be changed to General Contact, Education Contact and so on), and in the Account List View you could use Account Record Type equals PA: Ambassador (again this could be PA: Participant, School, Private/Public and so on). The second criteria is that you can not have Filter Logic in place.
With these in place you will notice that next to the records a box will be available, with this you can select as many records as you need.
Then you can double click on the field that you want to change and you will be given the option to change that record or change all the records.
This will then change all the records at once without you having to open every record up make the changes and save every time.