Quick action types and use cases
Key Takeaway
Object-specific actions create records that are automatically related to the record the user is on. A record created with a global create action has no direct relationship with other records.
Quick actions are buttons that let users create or update records, log calls, send email, or run custom functionality such as a screen flow, all without leaving the page they're on. They come in two forms: object-specific actions, which work in the context of a particular object, and global actions, which you can put on almost any page that supports actions. Each type of action fits a different job, and some types work only in one of the two forms.
Object-specific actions and global actions
Object-specific actions and global actions differ in their context, in the records they create, and in where you can put them.
| Object-specific actions | Global actions | |
|---|---|---|
| Context | Work in the context of a particular object | Aren't context-aware, so their fields can't be filled in with information from the page the user is on |
| Records they create | Automatically related to the record the user is on | A record created with a global create action has no direct relationship with other records, even on an object page |
| Where you can put them | Only on page layouts for that object. For example, you can add the New Group Member action only to the group publisher layout. | Almost any page that supports actions, such as the Home page, the Chatter tab, object pages, and custom Lightning app pages |
For example, imagine you add an object-specific action on Account that creates contacts. When a user runs it on the Acme account page, the new contact is automatically related to Acme.
You create global actions in a different place in Setup than object-specific actions.