---
schema_version: "1"
id: 047e6266dc93114ed59257fc43aaf67202894f8a6df8f1584a10299e866d0b23
title: Field Update Actions
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/workflow_managing_field_updates.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.workflow_managing_field_updates.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 7cf76ae2dda26908ca4f5afaf67526cc72aeae9426f95f4fa8d10839e1862838
description: Field update actions let you automatically update a field value. You can associate field updates with workflow rules, approval processes, or entitlement processes.
products:
  - Flow Builder
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Field Update Actions

Field update actions let you automatically update a field value. You can associate field updates with workflow rules, approval processes, or entitlement processes.

### Required Editions

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_important.png)

Important Where possible, we changed noninclusive terms to align with our company value of Equality. We maintained certain terms to avoid any effect on customer implementations.

<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: Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</td></tr></tbody></table>

From Setup, enter Field Updates in the Update box, and select **Field Updates**. Then use these settings to configure your field update.

Before you begin, check the type of the field you want to update. Read-only fields like formula or auto-number fields aren’t available for field updates.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
          <colgroup>
            <col style="width:17.543859649122805%">
            <col style="width:82.45614035087719%">
          </colgroup>
          <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
            <tr class="">
              <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d232646e94">Field</th>
              <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d232646e97">Description</th>
            </tr>
          </thead>
          <tbody>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e94 ">Name</td>

              <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e97 ">Enter a name for this field update. </td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e94 ">Unique Name</td>

              <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e97 ">Enter a unique name to refer to this component in the API. The requirement for
                uniqueness is only within the selected object type. You can have field updates of the same
                type with the same unique name, provided they’re defined in different objects. The
                <strong class="uicontrol">Unique Name</strong> field can contain only underscores and alphanumeric
                characters. It must be unique within the selected object type, begin with a letter, not
                include spaces, not end with an underscore, and not contain two consecutive
                underscores.
              </td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e94 ">Description</td>

              <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e97 ">Enter a description for the field update. </td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e94 ">Object</td>

              <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e97 ">Select the object whose field you want to update. </td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e94 ">Field to Update</td>

              <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e97 ">
                <p>Select the field to update. Fields are shown only for the object that you selected. You
                  can select a field on a related object in a master-detail relationship. </p>
                <p>You can use field
                  updates on encrypted custom fields, but the encrypted field isn't available in the formula
                  editor.</p>
                <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Avoid associating more than one field update with a rule or approval process
                  that applies different values to the same field.</p>
              </td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e94 ">Re-evaluate Workflow Rules After Field Change</td>

              <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e97 ">Select if you want workflow rules on this object to be reevaluated after the field
                value is updated. If you select this option, Salesforce reevaluates all workflow rules on the
                object if the field update results in a change to the value of the field, triggering any
                workflow rules whose criteria are met. For more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.workflow_field_updates_reevalute_wf.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="If Re-evaluate Workflow Rules After Field Change is enabled for a field update action, and a field update results in a change to the value of the field, Salesforce reevaluates all workflow rules on the object.">Field Updates That Reevaluate Workflow Rules</a>. </td>

            </tr>
            <tr class="">
              <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e94 ">Specify New Field Value</td>

              <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d232646e97 ">The value that the field can be updated with. The available options depend on the type
                of field you’re updating. For more information, see <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.workflow_managing_field_updates.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="When you create a field update action, specify the new value of the field.">Value Options for Field Update Actions</a>
                .</td>

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

#### See Also

- [Associate Actions with Workflow Rules or Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.workflow_select_action.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Associate actions that have already been created in your organization with a workflow rule and approval processes.")
- [Cross-Object Field Updates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.workflow_cross_object_field_updates.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "For all custom objects and some standard objects, you can create actions where a change to a detail record updates a field on the related main record. Cross-object field updates work for custom-to-custom master-detail relationships, custom-to-standard master-detail relationships, and a few standard-to-standard master-detail relationships.")
- [Considerations for Field Update Actions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.workflow_field_update_considerations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Learn how to use field update actions to their full potential in workflow.")

## Value Options for Field Update Actions

When you create a field update action, specify the new value of the field.

Available field update options depend on the type of field you’re updating.

- Choose **A specific value**, and enter the value in the space provided.
- Choose **A blank value (null)** if you want Salesforce to remove any existing value and leave the field blank. This option isn't available for required fields, checkboxes, and some other types of fields.
- For record owners, choose a user to assign to the record. For case, lead, and custom object records, you can also choose a queue for this field. To send an email to the new record owner, select Notify Assignee. (This option is unavailable when user control over task assignment notifications is enabled.)
- For checkboxes, choose True to select the checkbox and False to deselect it.
- For picklists, select a specific value from the dropdown list, or select the value above or below the current value based on the sorting specified in the picklist definition. If you sort values alphabetically, the values above or below the current value can be different for users in other languages.
- To calculate the value based on an expression, merge fields, or other values, select **Use a formula to set the new value**. For more information about using formulas in Salesforce, see [Calculate Field Values with Formulas](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.customize_formuladef.htm&language=en_US).