Salesforce Record Types
What Is Record Types?
A record type lets a single object support different business processes, different picklist value sets, and different page layouts depending on which type a specific record uses -- all within one object rather than creating separate custom objects.
Why It Matters
Without record types, every Opportunity, Case, or Lead uses the same page layout and the same picklist options regardless of context. A retail sales opportunity and an enterprise sales opportunity often need genuinely different fields, stages, and approval paths. Record types make that possible without duplicating the underlying object.
How to Set It Up
Go to Setup, find the object, and click Record Types.
Click New, give it a name, and choose which existing record type to clone picklist values from (or start fresh).
For each picklist field, select which values should be available for this record type specifically.
Assign the record type to the relevant profiles, and choose which page layout each profile should see for this record type.
Test by creating a new record as a user with that profile and confirming the correct layout and picklist values appear.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most frequent issue is picklist value sprawl -- adding new values to the master picklist without deciding which record types should actually see them, leaving irrelevant options visible everywhere. The second is assigning a record type to a profile but forgetting to assign a page layout for that specific combination, which can produce a confusing blank or default layout for users.
Next Step
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