When creating fields, it’s best practice to always add a description. Sometimes it’s also a good idea to add helptext. The question becomes, when should you add helptext and what should you write?
To start, here are some samples of what not to write. These are actual examples for fields included in a managed package.
- Field: “Acknowledgment Date”. Helptext: “Date of acknowledgment”
- Field: “Deceased”. Helptext: “When selected, this option marks the contact as deceased, and excludes them from household naming, emails, and phone calls.”
In the 1st example, the text doesn’t actually offer any additional information. In the 2nd example, the text has poor grammar and is too long.
So let’s define some guidelines for writing helpful helptext:
- Make sure it adds value. Don’t simply change the order of the words or add a few words that don’t explain the field’s purpose.
- Keep it relatively short. If it’s more than 12 words, make it more concise.
- Keep the tone and language consistent. For example, decide between “When selected”, “Checking this box”, or “When true”, and then use this wording for all checkboxes.
- Don’t make it technical, as these details should be in the description.
- Make sure it can be understood by users outside of the organization. This is helpful when the field is published on Experience Cloud.
The takeaway
When writing helptext, remember the intended audience and make sure it’s actually helpful.
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Salesforce