How to Make Record Types Available in the Record Type Picklist

When users create new records in Magentrix, they can select from different record types through a picklist dropdown. However, record types don't automatically appear in this picklist - you must first create or import the record type, ensure it's active, and then assign it to the appropriate security roles. This article walks you through the complete process.

What Are Record Types?

Record types let you categorize records within the same entity based on their purpose or characteristics. For example, you might categorize Account records as Distributor, Reseller, Referral Partner, or Customer. Each record type can have different picklist values, page layouts, and business processes, allowing you to tailor the user experience for different types of records.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Administrator System Role permissions
• The entity for which you want to add record types already exists
• For Salesforce objects: Record types must already be configured in Salesforce

Complete Workflow Overview

Making a record type available to users involves three main steps:

1. Create or import the record type for your entity
2. Activate the record type (if not already active)
3. Assign the record type to security roles

Once all three steps are complete, users with the appropriate security roles will see the record type in the picklist when creating new records.

Step 1: Create or Import the Record Type

For Magentrix Entities

If you're working with a native Magentrix entity, you'll create the record type directly in Magentrix.

To create a new record type:

1. Navigate to Setup Home page
2. Click Create > Entities
3. Use the Search Bar to locate the Entity for which you want to add a record type
4. Click on the Entity
5. Click the Record Types tab at the bottom
6. Click New
7. Configure the record type details:
   • Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Distributor", "Reseller", "Referral Partner", "Customer")
   • Active: Check this box to make the record type available for use
   • Description: Add details about when this record type should be used (optional but recommended)
8. Click Save

Example: For an Account entity managing different partner relationships, you might create record types like:

• Distributor - For wholesale distribution partners
• Reseller - For retail resale partners
• Referral Partner - For partners who refer business
• Customer - For direct customers

For Salesforce Objects

If you're working with a Salesforce object that already has record types configured in Salesforce, you'll import them into Magentrix.

To import Salesforce record types:

1. Navigate to Setup Home page
2. Click Extend > Salesforce
3. Use the Search Bar to locate the Salesforce object
4. Click on the object
5. Click the Record Types tab at the bottom
6. Click Import
7. The system retrieves all record types from Salesforce for this object
8. Select the record type(s) you want to import
9. Click Import

The selected record types are now available in Magentrix with their External ID automatically populated to maintain the Salesforce mapping.

Step 2: Verify the Record Type is Active

Record types must be marked as Active to appear in the picklist. Inactive record types are hidden from users when creating new records, though existing records retain their record type.

To verify or activate a record type:

1. Navigate to Setup Home page
2. Click Create > Entities (or Extend > Salesforce for Salesforce objects)
3. Click the Entity/Object
4. Click the Record Types tab
5. Click on the record type you want to verify
6. Check that the Active checkbox is checked
7. If not checked, click Edit, check the Active box, and click Save

Step 3: Assign the Record Type to Security Roles

This is the critical step that makes record types visible in the picklist. Even if a record type exists and is active, users won't see it unless it's assigned to their security role.

To assign record types to security roles:

1. Navigate to Setup Home page
2. Click Security > Security Roles
3. Click on the Security Role you want to configure
4. Select the Record Types tab at the bottom
5. For the target Entity, click Edit
6. In the configuration window:
   • Assigned Record Types: Check each record type this role should have access to
   • Default Record Type: Select one record type to be pre-selected when users create records (optional)
7. Click Save

Important: Users can only create records using record types that are assigned to their security role. If a record type isn't assigned, it won't appear in the picklist for those users.

Example Configuration:

For an Account entity with Distributor, Reseller, Referral Partner, and Customer record types:

• Partner Manager Role: Assign Distributor, Reseller, and Referral Partner (set Distributor as default)
• Sales Team Role: Assign Customer and Referral Partner (set Customer as default)
• Executive Role: Assign all four record types (set Customer as default)

What Users See

After completing all three steps, when users create a new record:

1. They see a Record Type picklist dropdown
2. The dropdown contains only the record types assigned to their security role
3. If a default record type is configured, it's pre-selected
4. Users can change the selection if multiple record types are assigned to their role

If no record types are assigned to the user's security role, they can still create records but won't see a record type picklist.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Record type doesn't appear in the picklist

Solution: Check the following:

• Verify the record type is marked as Active
• Confirm the record type is assigned to the user's security role
• Ensure the user has Create permissions for the entity
• For Salesforce objects, verify the record type was successfully imported

Issue: Users see record types they shouldn't have access to

Solution: Review record type assignments for the user's security role. Remove access to any record types they shouldn't see.

Issue: Cannot import record types from Salesforce

Solution:

• Verify that record types exist in Salesforce for this object
• Check that you have appropriate permissions in Salesforce
• Ensure the Salesforce connection is active
• Try refreshing the entity schema

Issue: Wrong record type is pre-selected

Solution: Edit the security role's record type assignments and change the default record type setting.

Issue: Record type appears for some users but not others

Solution: Different users have different security roles. Check the record type assignments for each security role - the record type needs to be assigned to every role that should have access to it.

Best Practices

• Use descriptive names: Choose clear, intuitive names like "Distributor" or "Enterprise Customer" rather than generic names like "Type A"
• Plan before creating: Think through your business processes before creating record types - they're difficult to change once records exist
• Start with fewer types: Begin with 2-4 record types and add more only if needed to avoid unnecessary complexity
• Document your strategy: Maintain documentation explaining which record type should be used for which business scenario
• Test before deployment: Create test records with each record type to ensure the user experience is appropriate
• Set appropriate defaults: Choose default record types that match the most common workflows for each security role

Related Topics

For more information about record types and security roles, see:

• Configuring Record Types
• Assigning Record Types to Security Roles
• About Security Roles
• Creating and Cloning Security Roles