Field-level required and unique attributes versus page layout settings
Key Takeaway
Only custom fields can be universally required. Page layout requirements apply only at the presentation level. To require a standard field when both users and other systems save records, use a validation rule.
You can make a field required in two places. The field definition makes a field universally required, so the field must have a value wherever a record is saved. The presentation level is a page layout, field-level security, or a single Lightning page. A requirement there only controls what users must fill in on that screen. When you know which level holds the rule, you know what data it actually protects.
Two places to make a field required
| Field definition | Presentation level | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you set it | The Required checkbox when you define a custom field | A page layout, field-level security, or a single Lightning page |
| Where it applies | Wherever a record is saved | Only on that screen |
Both levels force users to enter a value. A universally required field gives a higher level of data quality, because the requirement goes beyond the presentation level of page layouts.