Create custom objects

Overview

• Manual creation: Suitable for building an object from scratch by adding fields and relationships one by one.
• Import from Excel: Suitable for scenarios where you already have a clear field list or need to migrate data from a legacy system and want to batch-generate objects with dozens of fields.

Before you begin

• You have the Object Management permissions in Setup.
• You have prepared the business definition, API name, required-field rules, and relationship mapping for the object.
• The remaining custom object quota for the current system edition is sufficient.

Method 1: Create an object directly in Setup

Step 1: Open custom object management

1. Log in to the enterprise admin console.
2. Go to Setup > Object Management > Custom Object Management.
3. Click Create in the upper-right corner of the page.

Step 2: Configure basic object information

• Must start with an English letter.
• Only English letters, digits, and underscores are allowed.
• Custom object API names must end with __c.
• Underscores must not appear consecutively except for the trailing __c.
• Maximum length is 38 characters.

[!TIP] The API name is primarily used for development and system integration. Changing it after the object goes live affects functions, APIs, and external integration references. Do not modify it manually unless you have specific development requirements.

Step 3: Configure optional features

• A Related Team Data Permission tab is added.
• The Related Team component becomes available on the details page.
• The standard buttons Add Related Team Member, Edit Related Team Member, and Delete Related Team Member take effect.
• The standard scenarios I Participate In and My Subordinates Participate In become available for this object.
• Import templates and export capabilities can include related-team fields.

[!WARNING] You cannot disable Related team after historical data exists. Before enabling it, confirm that the object truly requires multi-user collaboration and team-based authorization.

Step 4: Configure the primary attribute field

1. In Primary Attribute Field Settings, select Auto Number.
2. Set the number prefix, suffix, or date field insertion.
3. Set the starting value.
4. Set the number of digits.
5. Choose whether to recount by year.

[!NOTE] The number of digits does not cap the number. When the number exceeds the configured digit count, the system continues to increment.

Step 5: Save the object

1. Review the basic object information, optional features, and primary attribute configuration.
2. Click OK at the bottom of the page.
3. Return to the Custom Object Management list.
4. Search for the new object and confirm that it has been created.

• Add business fields.
• Configure the details page, form page (create and edit page), and list page layouts.
• Assign object permissions and field permissions.
• Configure record types, rules, and object relationships.

Step 6: Configure the object display field (optional)

1. In the Custom Object Management list, open the target object.
2. Go to Basic Information.
3. Click Edit.
4. At the bottom of the page, open Object Display Field Settings.
5. Select the fields that should replace the primary attribute display.
6. Save the configuration.

[!WARNING] You cannot disable the object display field after enabling it. This setting replaces the primary attribute in all fixed display positions across the system, including lookup relationship field display and details page titles. When historical data exists, consider using a formula as the display field.

Method 2: Import a new object from an Excel file (gradual rollout feature)

Step 1: Open the import entry and download the template

1. Go to Setup > Object Management > Custom Object Management.
2. Click Create from Spreadsheet in the upper-right corner.

1. In the import dialog box, download the official Excel template.

Step 2: Fill in the template data

1. Row 1 (Object name): Enter the object name in Chinese. To create multiple objects at once, create multiple sheets and fill in one object per sheet.
2. Row 2 (Object API name): Enter the custom object API name following the API name naming rules.
3. Row 4, column 2 onward (Field name): Enter the name of each field to create, one per row.
4. Row 4, column 3 (Field API name): Enter the custom field API name. If you omit the __c suffix, the system auto-appends it during import.
5. Row 4, column 4 (Field type): Enter the field type name. The template supports dropdown selection. The system performs smart mapping for common aliases. See the table below for the mapping details.
6. Row 4, column 5 (Required): Select “Yes” or “No” from the dropdown.
7. Row 4, column 6 (Option values): Valid only when the field type is Single Select or Multi-Select. Enter the candidate values separated by semicolons ;.
8. Row 4, column 7 (Related object API name): If the field type is Lookup Relationship or Master-Detail Field, enter the API name of the target related object.
9. Row 4, column 8 (Help text): Enter the guidance text shown to front-end users when they fill in this field.

[!WARNING] Import limitations and notes: - Do not modify the column order or header names in the import template. Otherwise, parsing fails. - The uploaded Excel file must be smaller than 5 MB. - The total number of fields created in a single import must not exceed the per-object custom field limit of the current system edition.

Step 3: Field smart mapping reference

Step 4: System-level duplicate name and relationship field logic

1. Duplicate name ignored: If a field API name in the Excel file matches a standard system field API name, the system skips that row and does not create a duplicate. Standard system field API names include:
   • record_type (Record type)
   • created_by (Created by)
   • create_time (Create time)
   • last_modified_by (Last modified by)
   • last_modified_time (Last modified time)
   • life_status (Life status)
   • owner (Owner)
   • owner_department (Owner primary department)
2. Relationship field auto-rules:
   • Lookup relationship: During import, the system auto-generates the related list API name. The related list title defaults to the display name of the current object, and the selectable data scope defaults to “All”.
   • Master-detail relationship: The details page related list title defaults to the display name of the current object. The system auto-generates the related list API name. “Whether the child object is required when creating the parent object” defaults to “No”.

Step 5: Upload and confirm data

1. On the Create from Spreadsheet page, select and upload the completed Excel file.
2. After upload, the system opens the Object Layout Designer preview.
3. In this interface, you can review the parsed fields, types, and required attributes. You can also edit or delete incorrect fields.
4. After confirming that all fields are parsed correctly, click Import at the bottom of the page.

Expected results and verification

• Creation status verification: After import or manual creation, search for the object in the custom object management list. The status should display as “Enabled” or “Disabled”.
• Field list verification: Open the object management details page and review the Fields and Relationships list. Confirm that all imported fields are generated correctly and that the API names and field types match the template design.

Related topics

• Manage custom objects
• Field overview
• Field type reference