How to Create Field Dependencies

Picklists and dependent picklists are used in Salesforce to create a connection between fields in a record. This connection ensures that users enter accurate and consistent data. A dependent picklist in Salesforce is a type of picklist field whose available values are dynamically filtered based on the selection in another field, known as the controlling field.

Pre-requisite:

1. The “Customize Application” permission is needed to define and edit dependent picklists.

Steps:

1. Prepare Your Fields
   1. Ensure you have two fields:
      • Controlling Field: This can be a standard or custom picklist, checkbox, or Boolean field.
      • Dependent Field: Must be a custom picklist or multi-select picklist.
2. Navigate to Object Manager
   1. Go to Setup.
   2. Under Object Manager, select the object (e.g., Account, Contact, etc.).
3. Set Up Your Picklists
   1. In the object, go to Fields & Relationships.
   2. Create or identify the controlling and dependent picklist fields.
      • Add appropriate values to each picklist.
4. Define the Dependency
   1. In Fields & Relationships, click Field Dependencies (usually on the top-right).
   2. Click ‘New’.
   3. Select the ‘Controlling Field’ and ‘Dependent Field’.
   4. Click ‘Continue’.

5. Map Values
   1. Use the dependency matrix to map values:
      • The top row represents controlling field values.
      • Columns represent dependent field values.
   2. Select the values (they turn blue) below each Controlling value, then click ‘Include Values’. To remove previously added values, click ‘Exclude Values’. Note: instructions are included on this page to help guide you.

6. Save and Test
   1. ‘Save’ your changes.
   2. Test the dependency:
      • Go to a record for the object and check that the dependent picklist displays appropriate options based on the controlling field.

For Dependent Picklist Considerations, reference this Salesforce help article.