Step-by-Step Guide to In-App Guidance in Salesforce

Are you tired of teaching your team new Salesforce features via lengthy emails or training sessions? Have you ever wished there was a way to provide contextual guidance to your team members as they work within Salesforce? If so, you’re in luck! Salesforce’s In-App Guidance feature is here to help.

In-App Guidance allows you to create prompts, flows, and walk-through to guide your team members as they use Salesforce. With this feature, you can provide targeted and effective guidance to users when they need it right within the Salesforce interface.

But where do you start with In-App Guidance? In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through setting up and using In-App Guidance in Salesforce. So, let’s get started!

What is Salesforce In-App Guidance?

Salesforce In-App Guidance is a tool that provides step-by-step guidance to users directly within the Salesforce platform. It allows you to create customized prompts, flows, and walk-throughs to help users navigate through the application and perform various tasks efficiently.

With In-App Guidance, you can create a personalized experience for your users by providing context-specific information, best practices, and tips to help them achieve their goals. You can use In-App Guidance to onboard new users, train your team on new features, and improve the adoption rates of new functionalities.

Guide to In-App Guidance in Salesforce

Salesforce’s In-App Guidance is a feature that can help you enhance the user experience in your app. With In-App Guidance, you can provide personalized help to your users directly within your app, increasing productivity and reducing frustration. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up and use In-App Guidance in Salesforce.

Setting up In-App Guidance in Salesforce

To use In-App Guidance in Salesforce, you need to have the appropriate permissions. If you don’t have the necessary permissions, contact your Salesforce administrator.

To enable In-App Guidance, navigate to Setup > user Engagement> In-App Guidance Settings and enable the In-App Guidance toggle.

Creating Prompts

Prompts are a simple yet effective way to guide your users within Salesforce. There are three types of prompts: floating prompts, docked prompts, and slide-out prompts. Each type of prompt has its own unique way of displaying information to users.

Creating a Prompt

To create a prompt, go to the App Manager tab in Salesforce and select the app where you want to add the prompt. From there, select In-App Guidance from the menu and select Create Prompt.

Adding Message and Customizing Appearance

After selecting Create Prompt, you can add your message and customize the appearance of the prompt. This includes selecting the size, color, and font of the prompt, as well as adding images or videos to provide additional context. You can also set the trigger for the prompt, such as when a user logs in or navigates to a specific page.

Types of Prompts

1. Floating Prompts: These prompts appear as a small pop-up window that floats over the app’s UI. They are best used for providing quick tips or reminders to users without interrupting their workflow.
2. Docked Prompts: These prompts appear as a tab at the bottom of the screen and can be expanded or collapsed by users. They are best used for providing more detailed information or step-by-step instructions that users can reference as they work.
3. Slide-Out Prompts: These prompts appear as a small panel that slides out from the edge of the screen. They are best used to provide context-sensitive information, such as when a user interacts with a specific feature or object within the app.

Creating Flows

Flows are more complex than prompts and allow you to guide your users through a series of steps or actions. There are two types of flows: screen flows and auto-launched flows.

Also Read – Introduction to Salesforce Flows

Accessing the Flow Builder in Salesforce

To start creating your flow, you first need to access the Flow Builder. You can do this by navigating the Setup menu and clicking on the Flow section. You can select “Create New Flow” from there to begin building your flow.

Creating Screen Flows

Screen Flows are best used to guide users through a series of screens containing questions, input fields, and other UI elements. To create a Screen Flow, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Flow Builder: To create a Screen Flow, navigate to the Flow Builder in Salesforce and select “Create New Flow.”
2. Choose a Flow Type: In the Flow Builder, choose ‘Screen Flow’ as the type of flow you want to create.
3. Add Screen Elements: In the Flow Builder, you can add screens, input fields, and other UI elements to guide users through a series of steps. You can also customize the appearance of each element to match your branding or preferences.
4. Add Logic and Actions: You can add logic and actions to your Screen Flow to automate tasks, validate user input, or display messages based on certain conditions.
5. Save and Activate Your Flow: Once you’re finished creating your Screen Flow, you can save and activate it to be ready for use.

Creating Auto-launched Flows

Auto-launched Flows are best used for automating tasks or performing actions in the background without user input. Here’s how to create an Auto-launched Flow:

1. Navigate to the Flow Builder: To create an Auto-launched Flow, navigate to the Flow Builder in Salesforce and select “Create New Flow.”
2. Select a Flow Type: Once you’re in the Flow Builder, select “Auto-launched Flow” as the type of flow you want to create.
3. Add Actions: In the Flow Builder, you can add actions that perform specific tasks or automate processes. For example, you can create a flow that automatically sends an email when a certain condition is met.
4. Define When the Flow is Triggered: You can define when the flow is triggered based on certain criteria, such as when a record is created or updated.
5. Save and Activate Your Flow: Once you’re finished creating your Auto-launched Flow, you can save and activate it to be ready for use.

Related read – An Ultimate Guide to Auto-launched Salesforce Flows

Creating Walk-Throughs

Walk-throughs are a tool for providing your users with a guided tour of your app’s key features and functions. They are particularly useful for onboarding new users and introducing them to complex workflows or processes.

Creating a walk-through is a straightforward process that involves defining a series of steps and customizing the appearance of the walk-through.

• Defining Steps: The first step in creating a walk-through is to define the steps to guide your users through the app. Each step can include a description, images, and instructions on how to complete a specific task or workflow. You can use the drag-and-drop interface to add new steps and arrange them in the order you want them to appear. You can also add branching logic to your walk-through to adapt to the user’s choices and responses.
• Customizing the Appearance: Once you have defined the steps of your walk-through, you can customize its appearance to match your brand and visual style. You can choose from various themes, colors, fonts, and other design elements to create a cohesive and engaging user experience. You can also add animations and effects to your walk-through, such as highlighting or zooming in on specific UI elements, to draw the user’s attention to key areas of the app.
• Defining Triggers: The final step in creating a walk-through is to define the triggers that will activate it. You can choose from a range of triggers, such as when a user logs in or navigates to a specific page or feature. You can also set conditions for your walk-through, such as only showing it to users who have not completed a specific task or are using the app for the first time.

Using In-App Guidance

Once you’ve created your prompts, flows, and walk-throughs, you can use them to guide your users through specific tasks or processes. Define the triggers that will activate each piece of guidance, such as when a user first logs in or navigates to a specific page.

You can also use In-App Guidance to provide ongoing support to your users by creating prompts or flows that appear regularly. Monitor the effectiveness of your guidance and make adjustments as needed to ensure that it continues to provide value to your users. Below are the steps to using In-App Guidance in Salesforce: 

Step 1: Access In-App Guidance in Salesforce: To access the In-App Guidance feature, you can also use the App Launcher by clicking the “In-App Guidance” icon. Additionally, you can customize the In-App Guidance tab to include relevant fields for your organization.

Step 2: Create a New Guidance Item: When creating a new guidance item, you can choose from different types of prompts, such as Floating, Docked, and Inline prompts. Floating prompts are movable and can be placed anywhere on the page, while Docked prompts are fixed in a specific location. Inline prompts are embedded within the page.

Step 3: Choose the Audience: When choosing the audience for your guidance item, you can also select “All Users” to make it visible to everyone. You can also use the “Preview” option to see how your guidance will appear to different user roles.

Step 4: Choose the Display Options: In addition to choosing where to display the guidance item, you can also set the duration of the guidance item. You can specify a start and end date or set it to display until the user dismisses it.

Step 5: Create Your Guidance Content: When creating your guidance content, you can use Salesforce’s Content Builder to easily create and edit your text, images, and videos. You can also add dynamic content, such as custom links and merge fields to personalize the guidance for each user.

Step 6: Preview and Activate Your Guidance Item: When previewing your guidance item, you can also test it on different devices and screen sizes to ensure it displays correctly. After activating your guidance item, you can also use the “Deactivate” option to temporarily disable it without deleting it.

Step 7: Monitor and Update Your Guidance Items: To monitor your guidance items, you can use the In-App Guidance metrics to track the usage and effectiveness of your guidance items. You can also update your guidance items by editing the content, changing the audience or display options, or deleting and creating a new one.

Summing Up

In conclusion, In-App Guidance is a tool for improving user adoption and engagement in Salesforce. Whether you are using prompts, flows, or walk-throughs, the ability to guide your users through the app can help them to understand its features and capabilities and make the most of their experience.

By following the step-by-step guide outlined in this article, you can easily create and customize In-App Guidance elements to meet the specific needs of your users and improve their overall satisfaction with the platform.

Remember to always monitor and update your guidance items to ensure their effectiveness and to make changes as needed to meet the evolving needs of your users. With In-App Guidance, you can empower your users and maximize the value of your Salesforce investment. 

If you need more clarification on the topic, feel free to join our saasguru community on Slack for FREE and interact with seasoned Salesforce professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do you activate In-App Guidance in Salesforce?

To enable In-App Guidance in Salesforce, navigate to the Setup menu. In the Quick Find box, type in “In-App Guidance”. Select “In-App Guidance Settings”, and then toggle the switch to turn on the feature.

2. What is the character limit for the body text in an In-App Guidance prompt in Salesforce?

In Salesforce, the body text of an In-App Guidance prompt has a character limit of 4,000. This allows for enough information to guide the user without becoming too overwhelming or dense.

3. What is the delay time between different In-App Guidance prompts in Salesforce?

The delay time between different In-App Guidance prompts in Salesforce is flexible and is determined by the settings you choose when setting up each prompt. Therefore, you can customize the delay to fit the unique needs and pace of your Salesforce users.

4. What are the benefits of In-App Guidance in Salesforce?

In-App Guidance in Salesforce provides numerous benefits. It can facilitate the onboarding process for new users, and promote feature adoption by providing timely assistance and guidance. Additionally, it can reduce the need for external training resources or support, enhance productivity by providing context-specific help, and ultimately, improve the overall user experience within Salesforce.

5. How do you enable In-App Guidance in Salesforce?

To enable In-App Guidance in Salesforce, first, go to the Setup. In the Quick Find box, enter ‘In-App Guidance’, and then select ‘In-App Guidance’. After that, on the ‘In-App Guidance Setup’ page, click the ‘Enable In-App Guidance’ button. Now, you can start creating In-App Guidance prompts and walkthroughs for your users.