Quick actions versus custom buttons
Key Takeaway
Quick actions let users get work done inside Salesforce, while custom buttons and links take users to other pages in or outside your org.
Quick actions and custom buttons both put one-click tools on a record page, but they solve different problems. A quick action lets users do work through a short form you design. For example, they can create or update a record, log a call, or run a screen flow. A custom button or link takes users to another page, such as an external website, a Visualforce page, or a company intranet, and it often passes record data in the URL.
The key difference: simplicity
Quick actions share qualities with custom buttons and links, but the key difference is simplicity. Quick actions give a more streamlined experience between mobile and desktop. You can also build them completely declaratively.
Custom buttons and links instead connect Salesforce data with:
- External URLs
- Applications
- Your company's intranet
- Back-end office systems