This Salesforce tutorial walks you through building a working app in a free Salesforce org, without code. In ten steps you create a custom object and fields, a Lightning app, a record page with a Path, a validation rule, a record-triggered flow, a Kanban view, a permission set, and a report and dashboard. Plan for a few hours.
The first version of this tutorial appeared on our blog in 2021 as a general overview. In November 2026 we rewrote it as a hands-on build in Lightning Experience. If you want a learning plan, trails and certifications rather than a build, read our beginner's guide to learning Salesforce.
What you will build
You will build an Equipment Request app: employees ask for a laptop, monitor or headset, the request moves through approval and delivery, and a manager sees the open requests and their cost on a dashboard. It is small, but it uses the same building blocks as real Salesforce projects.
| Step | You build | Salesforce skill |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A free org | Choosing an environment |
| 2 | Equipment Request object | Data modeling in Object Manager |
| 3 | Fields | Field types and picklists |
| 4 | Equipment app | App Manager and navigation |
| 5 | Record page and Path | Lightning App Builder |
| 6 | Validation rule | Data quality with formulas |
| 7 | Record-triggered flow | Automation in Flow Builder |
| 8 | Kanban list view | List views |
| 9 | Permission set | Security and access |
| 10 | Report and dashboard | Reporting |
Step 1: Get a free Salesforce org
You need an org where you are the administrator. Two free options work:
- Trailhead Playground: created from your Trailhead account and used for Trailhead challenges.
- Developer Edition: a free org for your own projects, signed up for at developer.salesforce.com. Since March 2025 it includes Agentforce and Data 360 (formerly Data Cloud), according to the Salesforce Developers blog.
Our Developer Edition sign-up guide covers the sign-up, limits and expiry rule. Never practice in your company's production org.
Step 2: Create a custom object
An object is a table for one kind of record. Salesforce has standard objects such as Account and Contact; you add custom objects for your own data (see what Salesforce objects are).
- Click the gear icon and select Setup, then open the Object Manager tab.
- Click Create and choose Custom Object.
- Enter the label Equipment Request and the plural label Equipment Requests. Salesforce fills in the object name
Equipment_Request; its API name will end in__c. - For Record Name, choose the Auto Number data type with the display format
ER-{0000}, starting at 1. - Select Allow Reports and Track Field History, and select Launch New Custom Tab Wizard after saving this custom object.
- Click Save, pick a tab style in the wizard, and finish it with the default settings.
Step 3: Add fields
In Object Manager, open Equipment Request, go to Fields & Relationships and click New for each field below.
| Field label | Data type | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Item | Picklist | Values: Laptop, Monitor, Headset, Keyboard, Other |
| Quantity | Number | Length 3, 0 decimal places, required, default 1 |
| Estimated Cost | Currency | Length 7, 2 decimal places |
| Needed By | Date | Required |
| Status | Picklist | Values in order: Submitted, Approved, Ordered, Delivered, Rejected; default Submitted |
| Requested For | Lookup Relationship | Related to User |
| Business Reason | Long Text Area | Default size |
Accept the default field-level security and page layout options for now; you tighten access in step 9.
Step 4: Create a Lightning app
An app groups the tabs a team uses into one navigation bar.
- In Setup, enter App Manager in the Quick Find box and open it.
- Click New Lightning App and name it Equipment.
- Keep standard navigation, then add the Equipment Requests, Reports and Dashboards items.
- Assign the app to the System Administrator profile and click Save & Finish.
- Open the App Launcher (the grid of dots), find Equipment and create two or three requests.
Step 5: Build the record page and add a Path
A Path shows where a record is in a process, with guidance at each stage.
- In Setup, enter Path Settings in Quick Find, enable Path if it is off, and click New Path.
- Choose the Equipment Request object and the Status field.
- Add key fields for each stage, such as Needed By and Estimated Cost for Submitted, and short guidance such as "Check the budget before approving." Activate the Path.
- Open any equipment request, click the gear icon and select Edit Page. Lightning App Builder opens.
- Drag the Path component to the top of the page, then click Save and Activate the page as the org default.
Trailhead's Path and Kanban unit explains the same feature on opportunities.
Step 6: Add a validation rule
Validation rules stop bad data at the point of entry. This one blocks new requests with a date in the past.
- In Object Manager, open Equipment Request, go to Validation Rules and click New.
- Name it Needed_By_Not_In_Past.
- Enter this formula:
AND(ISNEW(), Needed_By__c < TODAY()) - Enter the error message "Needed By can't be in the past." and show it next to the Needed By field.
- Save, then try to create a request dated yesterday to see the rule work.
Our validation rules guide has more formula patterns.
Step 7: Automate with a record-triggered flow
Flow Builder is Salesforce's automation tool. Salesforce ended support for Workflow Rules and Process Builder on December 31, 2025, according to its end-of-support notice, so learn Flow from the start. This flow creates a follow-up task whenever an expensive request is submitted.
- In Setup, enter Flows in Quick Find, click New Flow and choose a Record-Triggered Flow (start from scratch).
- Select the Equipment Request object, trigger the flow when a record is created, and add the entry condition Estimated Cost is greater than 1000.
- Choose to optimize the flow for Actions and Related Records.
- Add a Create Records element that creates one Task: subject "Review high-value equipment request", Related To ID set to the triggering record's ID, Assigned To ID set to the record's owner, and a due date of today.
- Save the flow as High Value Request Task, click Debug to test it, then click Activate.
- Create a request with an estimated cost of 1,500 and check the new task in the record's Activity panel.
Trailhead's triggered flows module goes further, and our Salesforce Flow guide explains the flow types.
Step 8: Create a Kanban list view
A Kanban board lets the team move requests between stages by dragging cards.
- Open the Equipment Requests tab and use the list view controls to create a new list view called All Open Requests, visible to all users.
- Add the filter Status not equal to Delivered, Rejected.
- Switch the display to Kanban and group by Status.
- Drag a card from Submitted to Approved; the Status field updates.
Step 9: Give users access with a permission set
In real orgs you grant access to new objects with permission sets, not by editing profiles.
- In Setup, enter Permission Sets in Quick Find and click New. Name it Equipment Request User.
- Open Object Settings, select Equipment Requests, and grant Read, Create and Edit access and visibility for all its fields. Set the tab to Visible.
- Under Assigned Apps, add the Equipment app.
- Assign the permission set to a test user and log in as that user to check what they see.
Our guides to profiles and sharing rules explain how record access works beyond object permissions.
Step 10: Build a report and a dashboard
Reports turn records into answers; dashboards put several reports on one screen.
- Open the Reports tab, click New Report and choose the Equipment Requests report type, which exists because you selected Allow Reports in step 2.
- Group rows by Status, add the Estimated Cost column and summarize it as a sum.
- Add a bar chart, then save the report as Requests by Status in a public folder.
- Open the Dashboards tab, click New Dashboard, name it Equipment Overview, and add a component that uses the report.
- Save the dashboard and refresh it after you change a few records.
Our guide to creating reports in Salesforce covers report formats, filters and joined reports.
Where to go next
You have now used the core admin tools: Object Manager, App Manager, Lightning App Builder, validation rules, Flow Builder, list views, permission sets, reports and dashboards. Good next steps:
- Extend the app: add an approval step before Ordered (see our approval process guide) or a record type for hardware and software requests (see record types).
- Track a project: our guide to managing projects on Salesforce applies the same tools to delivery work.
- Load data: import a spreadsheet of past requests with the Data Loader.
- Translate the app: move user-facing text into custom labels.
- Try Agentforce: Developer Edition includes it, so once the basics are clear you can explore how an AI agent could answer questions about equipment requests. Trailhead's Agentblazer learning paths start from the beginning.
- Choose a path: admin, developer or consultant. Our beginner's guide lists the trails and the first certification for each, and our admin vs consultant guide explains how the two roles differ.
Common beginner mistakes
- Practicing in production. Use a Playground, a Developer Edition org or a sandbox.
- Using text fields for everything. Picklists, dates and currency fields make reports and automation possible.
- Learning retired tools. Older videos show Workflow Rules, Process Builder and Salesforce Classic; build in Flow and Lightning Experience.
- Granting access through profiles. Use permission sets for each feature.
- Skipping the test as another user. What works for an admin often fails for a normal user.
Getting help
Techila is a Salesforce Summit Partner, and we regularly hire Salesforce admins, developers and consultants; see our open roles. If your company needs a real app like this built, our Salesforce development services team can help. Talk to us. We reply within 1 business day.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Salesforce tutorial?
Yes. You can follow this tutorial in a free Trailhead Playground or a free Salesforce Developer Edition org, and Trailhead itself offers free guided modules and trails with hands-on challenges. You do not need a paid license or a company org to learn the platform.
Should I use a Trailhead Playground or a Developer Edition org?
Use a Trailhead Playground when you want to complete Trailhead challenges, because Trailhead checks your work there. Use a Developer Edition org for your own projects and experiments that you want to keep separate. Both are free, and either one works for this tutorial.
Do I need to know how to code to follow a Salesforce tutorial?
No. Everything in this tutorial uses clicks, not code: Object Manager, Lightning App Builder, Flow Builder and the report builder. Code, such as Apex and Lightning web components, comes later if you choose the developer path.
Should I learn Process Builder or Workflow Rules?
No. Salesforce ended support for Workflow Rules and Process Builder on December 31, 2025. Learn Flow Builder instead: record-triggered flows replace both, and they are what employers and current Trailhead content expect you to know.
What should I learn after this tutorial?
Take the Admin Beginner trail on Trailhead, then learn sharing and security in more depth, more Flow patterns and data import. If you want a credential, the Platform Administrator certification is the usual first step. Our beginner's guide to learning Salesforce sets out the full path.