The new-record window
What it is
The form somebody fills in when they click New. It is configured separately from the record page, and that separation is deliberate.
Why it is separate
A record page is for reading — it can afford fifty fields. A creation form is for getting a record into the system quickly, and every extra field is friction at the exact moment somebody is trying to capture something.
A form with forty fields produces records with thirty-five blanks and users who avoid creating records at all.
Setting it
Where: the layout editor → New Record Window Fields
- Open the layout editor from any record.
- Find the New Record Window Fields area.
- Move fields in and out, exactly as for the record page.
- Click Save Layout.
What belongs on it
| Include | Why |
|---|---|
| Required fields | It cannot be saved without them |
| Identity | Name, and whose it is |
| Anything genuinely only known at creation | The source of a lead, say |
| Leave off | Why |
|---|---|
| Anything filled in later | It can be added on the record |
| Anything usually unknown at creation | A blank field invites a guess |
| System fields | They fill themselves in |
Aim for five to eight fields. If it does not fit on one screen without scrolling, it is too long.
A warning about required fields
A required field that is not on this form makes creation impossible — the save is refused for a field nobody can see.
If people report they cannot create records and the error names a field, this is where to look.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Cause |
|---|---|
| Save refused for an invisible field | A required field missing from this form. |
| Records are created mostly empty | The form asks for too much; people skip. |
| New does not appear | Create permission, not layout. See Permissions. |
Where this fits
The last of the four things a layout controls, with fields, sections and related lists.