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A lookup field links one record to another instead of storing plain text. For example, a lookup field on an account can point to a project, so the account shows that project as a clickable link you can open directly.
A lookup field stores a reference to the linked record, not a copy of it. The field always shows the linked record’s current name — rename the project, document, or person and the lookup updates to match automatically.

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Supported lookup types

When you create a lookup field, you choose what it points at. Each lookup field links to exactly one record of its chosen type:
  • For User and Owner lookups, you search for a person by name and select them.
  • For Document and Project lookups, you search for the document or project by name and link it; the linked record then appears as a clickable link that opens it directly.
Looking for a Contact lookup? Linking to a contact (person record) isn’t available yet — use a User or Owner lookup for team members.

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Where lookup fields appear

Once a lookup field has a value, the linked record shows up — as the record’s name, and as a clickable link for Document and Project lookups — everywhere the field is displayed:
  • On the account, contact, or opportunity detail page, when viewing or editing the field.
  • In list views — the Accounts, People, and Opportunities tables, both when viewing and when editing them directly in the table.
  • In bulk edit, when you set the field across multiple records at once.

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Create a lookup field

Step 1: Go to Settings → Object Manager, or use Create Fields from an account, contact, or opportunity. Step 2: Enter a name for the field, and choose one of the lookup types above (for example, Lookup – Project) as the field type. Step 3: Save the field. It’s now available on those records, ready for users to search for and link a record.

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Set or clear a value

Open the field, search for the record by name, and select it to create the link. To remove the link, clear the selection and the field returns to empty.
You can set a lookup field in bulk: select multiple records, choose the lookup field, and link them all to a single record at once.

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The Onboarding Project field

Every account includes a built-in Onboarding Project field — a Lookup – Project field that designates which project is the account’s onboarding project. Set it the same way as any other lookup field: it shows the linked project as a clickable link and stays empty until you choose a project. This field isn’t only a label. If you publish a customer portal that shows a project, the portal reads this field on the signed-in customer’s account to decide which project to show them — so an empty field means the portal’s project area renders with nothing in it. The value is read live at sign-in, so correcting the field takes effect immediately, with no republish. See Setting Up Portals. To have this field filled in automatically rather than by hand, see Project Template Automations.