---
schema_version: "1"
id: 7d72c7f106d91159579b50ee00e6bf224cd20ae496b9a0c03ee768d254a70466
title: Building Cross-Object Formulas in the Simple Formula Tab
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/fields_creating_cross_object_simple.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_creating_cross_object_simple.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 71761476b3dbe615b5406b7404cb2d909c7a3cd8a0fc008bbb07ac8a4b5228c7
description: To create a cross-object formula when building a formula in the Simple Formula tab, enter the relationship names of the objects to which you are spanning followed by the field you want to reference. Separate the relationship names of each object and the field with periods.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
  - Security
release: "264"
---
# Building Cross-Object Formulas in the Simple Formula Tab

To create a cross-object formula when building a formula in the Simple Formula tab, enter the relationship names of the objects to which you are spanning followed by the field you want to reference. Separate the relationship names of each object and the field with periods.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>All</strong> Editions</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d85996e63">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d85996e63 ">To create or change cross-object formulas:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d85996e63 ">Customize Application</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_click-264-0-0-production-enus/5f7d9219-b7b1-4552-8891-f1aba9b289fc/images/icon_example.png)

Example

For example, enter `Contact.Account.Name` to reference the Account Name for a contact associated with a case in a formula field on the Case object. Be sure to use the relationship names of the objects, not the labels. Although the relationship name is often the same as the object name, it is technically the field name of the relationship field.

To reference the parent account name from Account object, the syntax is `Parent.Name`, not `Account.Name`. When referencing a custom object, add two underscores and the letter _r_ to its name. For example, `Position__r.title__c` references the Job Title field (`title__c`) on a Position custom object.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-extend_click-264-0-0-production-enus/5f7d9219-b7b1-4552-8891-f1aba9b289fc/images/icon_note.png)

Note If you create a formula that references a field on another object and display that formula in your page layout, users can see the field on the object even if they don’t have access to that object record. For example, if you create a formula field on the Case object that references an account field, and display that formula field in the case page layout, users can see this field even if they don’t have access to the account record.

#### See Also

- [Build Cross-Object Formulas in the Advanced Formula Tab](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_creating_cross_object_advanced.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Create a cross-object formula when building a formula in the Advanced Formula tab or for approvals or rules, such as workflow, validation, assignment, auto-response, or escalation rules.")
- [What Is a Cross-Object Formula?](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.customize_cross_object.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A Cross-object formula is a formula that spans two related objects and references merge fields on those objects. A cross-object formula can reference merge fields from a master (“parent”) object if an object is on the detail side of a master-detail relationship. A cross-object formula also works with lookup relationships.")