View and sort products on Opportunities with ease in Salesforce Lightning. Discover how to reorder Opportunity Products for cleaner quotes and accurate sales data.
Introduction: Why Product Order Matters More Than You Think
In the intricate world of B2B sales, clarity and control over product presentation can be the linchpin for operational accuracy and client confidence. Whether you’re bundling services, packaging physical goods, or quoting multiple SKUs, the way products appear on an Opportunity record isn’t just cosmetic—it’s critical.
Salesforce Lightning Experience introduces a modern, flexible way to sort and reorder Opportunity Products (also known as OpportunityLineItems), empowering sales reps, operations teams, and finance stakeholders with precision and polish.
Understanding OpportunityLineItems in Salesforce
What Are Opportunity Products?
Opportunity Products are line items tied to a specific Opportunity. Each record includes product name, quantity, price, discount, and more. These items collectively define the value of a sales deal.
Where Order Impacts Business
From invoice formatting to quoting sequences, the way products appear can affect downstream systems and client perception.
Challenges with Default Product Sorting
The Default Sorting Problem
Historically, Salesforce displayed Opportunity Products in the order they were added, which isn’t always useful.
Lack of Control for Sales Reps
Sales reps couldn’t easily adjust the display order without editing and re-adding products.
Friction for Finance Teams
Improper ordering can result in messy invoices or unclear pricing documentation.
Introducing Custom Sorting for Opportunity Products
A Game-Changer in Lightning
Salesforce now allows manual sorting of Opportunity Products via a drag-and-drop UI.
Where to Find It
Accessible directly within the Opportunity record in Lightning Experience, this feature is now standard across many orgs.
Enabling Product Sorting in Your Org
Verify Lightning Experience is Enabled
Go to Setup → Lightning Experience Transition Assistant to confirm.
Use Standard Page Layouts or Dynamic Forms
Sorting is supported in standard page layouts and Dynamic Forms configurations.
Check User Permissions
Ensure users have edit access to Opportunities and related Products.
How to Sort Opportunity Products in Lightning
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Navigate to an Opportunity
- Scroll to the Products related list
- Click “Sort Products”
- Drag-and-drop the items in your desired order
- Click “Save”
Real-Time UI Preview
Changes reflect immediately for all viewers of the Opportunity record.
Use Cases for Custom Sorting
Bundled Offerings
Present your solution in a narrative sequence (e.g., software → setup → training).
Highlight High-Value Products
Put flagship items first for visibility and emphasis.
Segment Add-Ons and Services
Group optional or post-sale items toward the bottom.
Best Practices for Sales Ops Teams
Standardize Product Sequences by Business Unit
Create templates or guidelines for product order based on deal type.
Train Sales Teams on Sorting Benefits
Demonstrate how sorted line items lead to better customer communication.
Automate Checks for Incomplete Orders
Build flows or validation rules to catch out-of-sequence product lists.
Integration with CPQ and External Systems
Compatibility with Salesforce CPQ
Custom sorting complements CPQ-configured bundles but doesn’t override CPQ rules.
Data Consistency Across Systems
Ensure sorted order is retained in integrated invoice or ERP platforms via API mapping.
Sorting Limitations to Keep in Mind
Applies to Lightning Only
Classic users won’t see the custom order.
Sorting Persists per Opportunity
Each Opportunity maintains its own product sequence—not global.
No Auto-Sorting Rules (Yet)
Sorting is manual unless customized via Apex or Flow.
Tips for Admins: Behind-the-Scenes Enhancements
Audit Trail for Product Reordering
Enable Field History Tracking on OpportunityLineItem if custom fields are used for sorting metadata.
Create a Custom Field for Sequence
Use a numeric field for API-driven sorting or reporting.
Flow Example: Auto-Assign Default Order
Build a screen flow or auto-flow that assigns sequence numbers when products are added.
Reporting Implications
Create Reports by Custom Sort Order
Use your sequence field to report on consistent product patterns.
Improve Forecast and Quoting Accuracy
Sorted products help stakeholders analyze deal structure more intuitively.
What It Means for End Users
A Cleaner, Faster UI Experience
Sales reps enjoy the power of reordering without technical intervention.
Customer-Facing Consistency
Sales collateral and quotes now reflect a thought-out, professional order.
Why It Matters to Executives
Boosted Sales Efficiency
Less time fiddling with product order means more time selling.
Strategic Selling Support
Executives get cleaner data to understand how deals are built.
Empowering Control Over Deals
Sorting Opportunity Products in Salesforce Lightning isn’t just a cosmetic feature. It’s a tangible upgrade to your sales process that enhances precision, professionalism, and productivity. It puts more power in the hands of your reps and cleaner data into the hands of your leaders.
Need Expert Setup?
Want to configure product sorting workflows and automation across your org? Contact CloudVandana for tailored Salesforce customization and implementation.
FAQs
1. Can I sort Opportunity Products using automation instead of manual drag-and-drop?
Yes. While Salesforce Lightning Experience supports manual sorting via drag-and-drop, admins can create automation using Flows or Apex to assign sort order values to a custom field (e.g., a sequence number). This can be useful when dealing with templated product bundles or automating based on business logic.
2. Does custom product sorting affect how quotes are generated in Salesforce CPQ?
Not directly. Salesforce CPQ uses its own configuration logic and product rules to determine line item order. However, if you’re syncing Opportunity Products with CPQ quotes, ensure both systems use consistent sort fields or custom logic to align outputs.
3. Is the custom sort order visible in Salesforce Classic or on mobile?
No. The custom sort order for Opportunity Products is a Lightning Experience feature and does not apply to Salesforce Classic. On mobile, visibility may vary depending on your page layout and component configurations.
Digital Marketing Manager at Cloudvandana Solutions
