Quick guide: add visual cues and icons to fields on Lightning record pages using Conditional Formatting and the Dynamic Highlight Panel to help agents triage records faster.
Overview
Conditional formatting in Salesforce lets you assign icons and color highlights to field values so users can quickly scan records and spot important conditions (for example: Admission = green, Discharge = red). You create the formatting rules at the object level and apply them to fields on Lightning Record Pages — commonly via the Dynamic Highlight Panel or directly on record page components that support conditional formatting.
Business use case
Service agents need an at-a-glance indicator on Case records. Based on the Case “Census Type” and the value of a related field (NOMNC), the Case Number field should display different colored icons so agents can prioritize work faster.
Step-by-step — Configure conditional formatting rules
- Go to Setup > Object Manager > [Your Object] (for example: Case) and open Conditional Formatting for the object to create rules and assign icons and colors.
- Create rules and define one or more conditions per rule (for example: Census Type = “Discharge” → Red icon; Census Type = “Admission” → Green icon; Continued Stay + NOMNC = Yes → Blue icon; Continued Stay + NOMNC = No → Purple icon).
- Save the rules. Each rule can include multiple conditions and you can reuse icons and colors as needed.
- Open the Lightning Record Page where you want the visual cue (Lightning App Builder > open the record page for Case).
- Select the field component (e.g., Case Number) you want to highlight. In the right-hand panel you’ll see the Conditional Formatting dropdown — it lists rules defined for the object. If there are no rules you can add one from here.
- If you want the highlight to appear in the top area of the record page, use the Dynamic Highlight Panel component and choose the field + conditional formatting rule there.
- Preview and activate the page. Test records that meet each rule to verify icons and colors render as expected.
Best practices
- Keep the number of icons and colors limited and consistent across the org to avoid confusing users.
- Use meaningful icons (e.g., warning, check, info) paired with accessible color contrasts.
- Document rules centrally (object manager) so admins understand where formatting is defined and can reuse rules across pages.
- Test with real records and across profiles to ensure visibility and performance.
Considerations and limitations
Conditional formatting is configured per object and can be applied to any compatible field on that object’s record pages. Not every Lightning component supports conditional formatting — the Dynamic Highlight Panel and some record page field components do. See Salesforce help for details and known considerations.
Useful links
Salesforce Help: Conditional Formatting considerations
Why this matters for admins, developers, and business users
For admins and developers, conditional formatting reduces cognitive load for users and improves workflow efficiency by surfacing the most important data visually. Business users and agents spend less time opening records to triage status and more time resolving high-priority items. Implementing clear rules and consistent iconography improves change management and user adoption.