Custom Tab Considerations

When working with custom tabs, keep these considerations in mind.

Required Editions

Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience

Custom Object Tabs and Web Tabs available in: Contact Manager, Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions

Visualforce Tabs available in: Contact Manager, Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions

Lightning Page Tabs available in: All Editions except Database.com

  • The custom tabs limit is a fixed number based on edition and can’t be increased. For more information, contact Salesforce.
  • If you choose Default On or Default Off when setting custom object tab visibility, an option is added to the Create New dropdown list in the Salesforce Classic sidebar so that users with the Create permission can quickly create a record. For example, if the custom object displayed in the custom tab is named Expenses, an Expense option appears in this list.
  • A custom object that’s associated with a custom tab is searchable by default, even if users don’t add the tab for display.
  • A Web tab or custom link could display a blank page if the embedded site:
    • Has been set to deny the loading of its content in a frame.
    • Has been set to allow the loading of its content in a frame only if the same site is delivering the content.
    • Contains a mix of secure and unsecure content, and the user’s browser has been configured to block mixed active content.
    To resolve this issue, try these workarounds.
    • Set your custom link to either open in a new window or display in the existing window without the sidebar or header.
    • Move the URL from a Web tab into a custom link instead, and set the URL to either open in a new window or display in the existing window without the sidebar or header.
    • If the site you’re embedding has an HTTP prefix and mixed active content, try changing the prefix to HTTPS. If the embedded site has a valid security certificate and it hasn’t blocked itself from being displayed in frames, using HTTPS as the prefix allows the site to display.
  • In Salesforce Classic, Lightning page tabs don’t display on the All Tabs page when you click tab plus icon. Lightning page tabs also don’t appear in the Available Tabs list when you customize the tabs for your apps.
  • In Salesforce Classic, the Default On and Default Off options for Lightning page tabs don’t work the same way as for other custom tabs. The Lightning page menu item appears for the selected profiles in Salesforce for Android and Salesforce for iOS whether you choose Default On or Default Off. Select the Tab Hidden option to hide the Lightning page for the selected profiles.
  • If the Home page tab isn't visible for a user in Salesforce Classic or Lightning Experience even after the user profile's tab setting is set to Default On, disable the Enhanced Profile User Interface option in the User Management Settings. If the issue persists, enable the Overwrite users' personal tab customizations in the tab settings for the user profile.