Account hierarchy and Parent Account
Key Takeaway
To build an account hierarchy, edit each child account and enter its parent account in the Parent Account field. You set the link on the child, not on the parent.
An account hierarchy shows how business accounts relate to each other, such as a parent company and its subsidiaries. The structure comes from the Parent Account field on each account. Users open the hierarchy from an account record to see the whole structure in one place.
How to build an account hierarchy
An account hierarchy displays accounts that are related through the Parent Account field. The hierarchy exists only as far as each account points to its parent, so you set the relationship on the child account (the subsidiary), not on the parent.
- Open the child account and edit it.
- In the Parent Account field, enter an existing account.
- Do the same on every other account except the one at the top of the hierarchy, so the hierarchy is complete.
In Salesforce Classic, you can also click the lookup icon to search for, or create, a parent account.
For example, imagine three business accounts: Northwind Group, Northwind Foods and Northwind Bakery. Northwind Group is at the top. You edit Northwind Foods and enter Northwind Group in its Parent Account field. Then you edit Northwind Bakery and enter Northwind Foods in its Parent Account field. You don't enter a Parent Account on Northwind Group, because it is at the top. When users view the hierarchy, they see Northwind Bakery under Northwind Foods, and Northwind Foods under Northwind Group.