Salesforce Admin Tip: Updating an Auto-Number Field

Utilizing Salesforce’s auto-numbering field can help save your team manual work – like when generating an account number. Many people are skeptical of using auto-numbering fields because there are rare times where you need to change that auto-assigned number. When a number is assigned using auto-assignment, it cannot be changed by an end user without some configuration.

If you are a Salesforce Admin, follow these steps to edit your field. In our example, the customer auto-assigns a number to every Account created but the number should end in 46 instead of 47.

Note: You will want to make this change when users are not in the system.

1. Navigate to Setup
2. Navigate to the field you want to modify. In my example, this auto-number field is on the Opportunity Page. Build > Customize > Opportunities > Fields
   
3. In the list of fields, find your auto-number field and click Edit
   
4. Select Change Field Type
5. Change the Data Type to Text
6. Save the changes
7. Navigate to the record you need to modify the Account Number
8. The Account Number field is now a Text Field and editable
   
9. Save your edits
10. Navigate to Setup
11. Navigate to the Account Number field [Build > Customize > Opportunities > Field]
12. Select Change Field Type
13. Change the Data Type to Auto Number
14. Enter the Starting Number the system should use for all records created in the future
15. Save the changes

Just like that, the number has been updated and you are all done. Find more of these time-saving and hero-like Salesforce tips in our Salesforce Blog Tip Archive.

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