If you are just getting started with Salesforce, one of the first concepts you will encounter is apps and tabs in Salesforce. These two elements form the backbone of the Salesforce user interface — they control what users see, what they can access, and how efficiently they can do their work.
Think of it this way: Apps are like departments in a company, and Tabs are the desks within each department. Each app groups together a set of related tabs, giving users a focused, role-specific workspace.
Understanding how to configure apps and tabs in Salesforce is one of the most important skills for any Salesforce Administrator. When set up correctly, they reduce navigation time, improve data security, and create a cleaner experience for every user on your org.
What Are Apps in Salesforce?
In Salesforce, an app (application) is a collection of related tabs, objects, and features bundled together to support a specific business function or workflow.
Every app in Salesforce has:
- A unique name that identifies it
- A logo or icon for quick visual recognition
- An organized set of tabs relevant to the app’s purpose
For example, the built-in Sales app includes tabs for Leads, Opportunities, Accounts, and Contacts — everything a sales representative needs in one place. A Service app, on the other hand, might surface Cases, Knowledge Articles, and Entitlements.
Why Apps Matter in Salesforce
Apps in Salesforce serve two critical purposes:
1. Streamlining Workflows
By organizing related tabs and objects under a single app, you simplify navigation for users. A sales team doesn’t need to see the same tabs as a customer service team — apps let each group work within a tailored, distraction-free environment.
2. Enhancing Security
Apps also play a role in data access control. You can assign different apps to different user profiles, ensuring that each user only sees the data and features relevant to their role. This principle of least privilege keeps your org secure and your data clean.
Types of Apps in Salesforce
Salesforce offers two primary types of apps:
1. Standard Apps
Standard apps are pre-built by Salesforce for common business functions. Examples include:
- Sales — for managing leads, opportunities, and forecasts
- Service — for handling cases, support queues, and knowledge
- Marketing — for campaigns and email tracking
- Platform — a default app with core platform features
Standard apps come ready-to-use with pre-configured objects, layouts, and tabs. They are ideal for organizations that follow conventional business processes and want to get up and running quickly without custom configuration.
2. Custom Apps
Custom apps are built by Salesforce Admins or developers to meet unique organizational needs. Unlike standard apps, custom apps give you complete control over:
- Which objects and tabs appear
- The order of tabs
- The logo or icon used
- Which user profiles can access the app
A great example of a custom app is a “Recruitment” app that bundles together custom objects for Job Listings, Candidates, Interviews, and Offer Letters — all in one place, accessible only to the HR team.
Custom apps can be built using a combination of standard and custom objects, making them incredibly flexible.
Standard App vs Custom App: Key Differences
| Feature | Standard App | Custom App |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | Salesforce (out of the box) | Salesforce Admin or Developer |
| Customization | Limited | Fully customizable |
| Use case | Common business functions | Organization-specific workflows |
| Logo | Default Salesforce logo | Uploadable custom image |
| Profile assignment | Pre-assigned | Manually assigned |
| Navigation | Standard page layout | Can include console navigation |
| Speed | Optimized for common tasks | Dependent on configuration |
Both types can coexist in the same Salesforce org. Most organizations use a combination of standard apps for general users and custom apps for specialized teams.
How to Create a Custom App in Salesforce
Creating a custom app in Salesforce is a straightforward process that any Admin can accomplish through Setup. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Go to Setup
Log in to Salesforce and click the gear icon in the top-right corner, then select Setup.
Step 2: Navigate to App Manager
In the Quick Find box, type App Manager and select it from the results.
Step 3: Create a New App
Click the New Lightning App button (or New Classic App if your org uses Classic).
Step 4: Configure App Details
Fill in the following details:
- App Name — Give your app a meaningful name
- Developer Name — Auto-populated from the app name
- Description — Optional but recommended for documentation
- App Logo — Upload a custom image from your documents
Step 5: Add Tabs
In the navigation items section, select tabs from the Available Tabs list and move them to Selected Tabs using the Add button. Use the Up/Down buttons to control the display order.
Step 6: Assign User Profiles
Select which profiles should have access to this app by checking the appropriate profile checkboxes. This is where you enforce role-based access.
Step 7: Save
Click Save and Finish. Your new custom app will now appear in the App Launcher (the nine-dot grid icon at the top-left of Salesforce).
Pro Tip: If you want to update the app’s image later, go back into App Manager, click the dropdown next to your app, and select Edit. From there, you can insert a new image from Documents.
What Are Tabs in Salesforce?
Tabs in Salesforce are the individual menu items that appear at the top of your screen when you open an app. Each tab gives you direct access to a specific object, record type, Visualforce page, or external URL.
Think of tabs as the doorways into your Salesforce data. Click the Accounts tab and you see all your account records. Click the Cases tab and you see support cases. Tabs make navigation fast, intuitive, and role-appropriate.
As described in Salesforce’s own platform documentation, custom tabs let you include data and services in your Salesforce organization beyond the standard objects. This means you can surface everything from custom objects to external web applications as a tab — giving users a seamless, unified experience.
Types of Tabs in Salesforce
Salesforce supports several types of tabs, each serving a different purpose:
1. Standard Tabs
These are tabs associated with Salesforce’s standard objects — such as Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Opportunities, and Cases. Standard tabs come pre-configured with standard apps and require no additional setup.
2. Custom Object Tabs
If you create a custom object (for example, a “Projects” object to track internal projects), you can create a custom tab to give users direct access to that object’s records. Custom object tabs behave just like standard tabs once created.
3. Visualforce Tabs
Visualforce tabs are a more advanced feature. They allow you to embed a Visualforce page directly as a tab. Visualforce is Salesforce’s front-end development framework, and these tabs let developers create custom interfaces, calculators, dashboards, and more — surfaced directly within the Salesforce navigation.
4. Lightning Component Tabs
Similar to Visualforce tabs but built using Lightning Web Components (LWC) or Aura components. These tabs render modern, responsive UI within the Salesforce Lightning Experience.
5. Web Tabs
Web tabs allow you to embed any external URL as a tab within Salesforce. For example, you could create a tab that opens your company’s internal wiki or a third-party tool — keeping it accessible within the Salesforce interface.
6. Nested / Sub-Tabs
Within certain apps (especially Console apps used in Service Cloud), Salesforce supports nested tabs — sometimes called sub-tabs — that organize related records under a parent tab for multitasking.
Tab Visibility Settings Explained
One powerful aspect of tabs in Salesforce is the ability to control visibility at the profile level. For each profile, you can set one of three visibility states for every tab:
| Visibility Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Default On | The tab is visible in the navigation bar by default. Users can see and click it immediately. |
| Default Off | The tab is hidden by default. Users must click the “+” icon next to the navigation bar to find and add it. |
| Tab Hidden | The tab is completely hidden. Users cannot see or access it — even via the “+” icon. |
Important Notes on Tab Visibility:
- Users can override Default On/Off settings according to their own preferences, but they cannot override Tab Hidden.
- Deleting a custom tab does not delete the associated custom object or its data.
- Deleting a custom object, however, will delete the associated custom tab along with it.
This distinction is important for Admins to keep in mind during org cleanup exercises.
Tabs vs Objects in Salesforce
This is a common point of confusion for Salesforce beginners, so let’s clarify:
| Tab | Object | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A UI element in the navigation bar | A data structure (like a database table) |
| Purpose | Provides front-end access to records | Stores and organizes data on the back end |
| Example | The “Accounts” tab at the top of the screen | The Account object that stores company records |
| Can exist without the other? | No tab needed to access an object via code or related lists | An object can exist without a tab |
In short: Objects hold the data, Tabs provide the navigation. You can have an object without a tab (accessed via related lists or APIs), but a tab must point to something — an object, a page, or a URL.
How to Add, Remove, and Customize Tabs
Salesforce gives users and admins a great deal of flexibility when it comes to personalizing tab display.
Viewing All Available Tabs
Click the “+” icon next to your visible tabs in the navigation bar. Salesforce will display all tabs you have access to, whether or not they are currently showing.
Adding a Tab to Your View
- Click the “+” tab in the navigation bar
- Click Customize My Tabs
- (Optional) Choose which app you want to add the tab to
- Select the tab from the Available Tabs list
- Click the Add button
- Use Up/Down arrows to change the display order
- Click Save
Salesforce immediately adds the tab to the selected app’s navigation.
Removing a Tab
Follow the same steps above, but instead of clicking Add, select the tab from the Selected Tabs list and click Remove.
Reordering Tabs
During the Customize My Tabs process, use the Up and Down buttons to rearrange the order in which tabs appear — this helps prioritize the most frequently used tabs.
Best Practices for Managing Apps and Tabs in Salesforce
Here are some Admin best practices that will help you keep your Salesforce org clean, user-friendly, and secure:
1. Design Apps Around User Roles, Not Objects
Rather than building one giant app with all objects, create focused apps per role or team (e.g., a Sales app, a Support app, an HR app). Users will navigate faster and make fewer errors.
2. Use Descriptive App Names and Logos
Logos help users identify their app quickly in the App Launcher. Use clear, role-appropriate names that non-technical users will understand.
3. Set Tab Visibility Thoughtfully
Avoid making tabs visible that are irrelevant to a profile. Cluttered navigation leads to confusion and slows down adoption. Use “Default Off” for secondary tabs users might occasionally need, and “Tab Hidden” for sensitive areas.
5. Leverage Console Apps for High-Volume Users
For service reps and agents who work many records simultaneously, Console-style apps (with nested tabs) dramatically improve productivity over Classic multi-tab navigation.
6. Document Your Custom Apps
Always add a description when creating a custom app. This makes it easier for future admins to understand the intended purpose without guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a user have access to multiple apps in Salesforce?
Yes. A user’s profile can be assigned to multiple apps. The user switches between them using the App Launcher (the nine-dot grid icon). Different apps simply show different sets of tabs.
Q: What happens to data when I delete a custom tab?
Deleting a custom tab does not delete the underlying object or its data. The data remains intact and is still accessible via related lists, reports, or API queries.
Q: Can I add a standard tab to a custom app?
Absolutely. Custom apps can include any combination of standard tabs and custom tabs. You are not restricted to custom objects in a custom app.
Q: What is the difference between a Lightning App and a Classic App?
Lightning Apps are designed for Salesforce Lightning Experience and support modern navigation, utility bars, and console layouts. Classic Apps are for the legacy Salesforce Classic interface. Most organizations should be building Lightning Apps.
Q: Can external users (like portal users) see custom apps and tabs?
External users (community/portal users) have their own navigation settings managed through Experience Cloud. Standard internal apps and tabs are not visible to external users by default.
Q: How many custom apps can I create in Salesforce?
The number of custom apps you can create depends on your Salesforce edition. Developer and Enterprise editions support a generous number of custom apps. Refer to your edition’s limits in Salesforce Help for the exact figure.
Master Salesforce Admin with Our Certification Course
Understanding apps and tabs in Salesforce is just the beginning. As a Salesforce Administrator, you are responsible for configuring the entire platform — from data models and security settings to automation, reports, and user management.
If you are serious about building a career as a Salesforce Admin or preparing for the Salesforce Certified Administrator exam, hands-on, structured learning makes all the difference.
Our Salesforce Admin Certification Course at MyTutorialRack is designed to take you from beginner to exam-ready with:
- Comprehensive curriculum covering all Salesforce Admin exam topics
- Hands-on exercises with real Salesforce org practice
- Step-by-step guidance on apps, tabs, objects, security, automation, and more
- Practice exams aligned with the official Salesforce Certified Administrator exam format
- Expert instruction from certified Salesforce professionals
- Flexible, self-paced learning you can complete on your schedule
Whether you are a complete beginner or an IT professional looking to pivot into the Salesforce ecosystem, this course gives you the skills and confidence to pass your certification exam and land your first Salesforce Admin role.
Final Thoughts
Apps and tabs in Salesforce are foundational concepts every admin must master. Apps organize your Salesforce environment around business roles and functions, while tabs provide the fast, intuitive navigation that makes the platform productive.
With the right combination of standard apps, custom apps, and thoughtfully configured tabs, you can transform Salesforce from a generic CRM into a purpose-built tool that your entire organization loves to use.
Ready to take your Salesforce knowledge to the next level? Start with our Salesforce Admin Certification Course and build the skills that employers are actively looking for.
