Enable Users to Learn in the Flow of Work

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

Explain the benefits of customizing the Guidance Center with Learning Paths.
Customize Learning Paths for your org.

Bring guidance and enablement resources into Salesforce to ensure that users can easily access content that's relevant to their work. If you already have an internal wiki or shared folders, you can link to those resources from inside the app so that your users spend less time digging around for answers. Let’s explore how Guidance Center, Learning Paths, and Learning Home provide an easy way to make help and guidance information available in the flow of work.

Guidance Center and Learning Paths

The Guidance Center () is a panel in Lightning Experience that provides a convenient location for showing content that's assigned to the current user or recommended on the app, page, or object the user is working with. The Guidance Center includes not only suggested content that's authored by Salesforce but also custom content that you manage.

With Learning Paths enabled, you can add learning items—custom links, videos, and Trailhead modules—to the Guidance Center and assign those items to specific users with optional due dates.

Learning items in the Guidance Center can be general and apply to a range of purposes or jobs to be done. Or learning items can be specific to an app, page, or object. For example, on any page or app, show a link to a general onboarding video. Or, from the Opportunities page in the Sales app, show a link to a PDF or slide deck that describes opportunity management processes specific to your company.

If your company uses an enablement site (formerly myTrailhead), a learning item can also link to a module published on your enablement site. If your company uses Enablement for sales reps, the Guidance Center also shows a user’s assigned Enablement programs.

You can choose to hide Salesforce-suggested content from users (suggested content still appears for admins). Or you can turn off Learning Paths entirely.

Learning Home

The Guidance Center is limited to a side panel in Lightning Experience. Depending on how many learning items you assign with Learning Paths, the Guidance Center can sometimes show only a subset of assigned items. Learning Home to the rescue! Learning Home is a separate page in Salesforce. The My Learning Content tab in Learning Home organizes all assigned learning items.

The Required tab shows a user’s assigned learning items with specific due dates.
The Suggested tab shows a user’s assigned learning items without due dates.
The In Progress tab shows Trailhead or enablement site modules that a user has started, but not yet completed. (Links and videos are considered complete when a user first clicks them.)
The Completed tab shows learning items that a user has finished.

If you're an admin or a user with the Manage Learning permission, the Learning Home page also includes a Manage Learning Assignments tab, where you create, edit, or delete learning items for other users.

Together, the Guidance Center, Learning Paths, and Learning Home give companies a lightweight, customizable way to skill up teams where they work in Salesforce. Companies of any size and industry can equip their employees with just-in-time, personalized content in the flow of work. Employees of all experience levels can enhance their skills and increase their productivity.

Try It Out

Add learning items in the Guidance Center that link to Trailhead modules and open URLs.

To open the panel, click Guidance Center () in the global header. The Guidance Center panel opens.
At the bottom of the panel, click Assign Learning Content. (For business users, the button label is Go to Learning Home.)
Add a learning item that’s available from any app or page in Lightning Experience and that introduces Trailhead.

Click the Manage Learning Assignments tab.
Click New.
For Content Type, select Trailhead Module.
For Module Details, enter Trailhead and select Your Guide to Trailhead.
For Location App, select All.
For Location Objects and Records, select All.
For Assignments, select Assign to all users.
For Due Date, select Due in 30 days.
Save your changes.

Add another learning item that’s available only on account records and that links to a Trailhead module about account list views

Click New.
For Content Type, select Trailhead Module.
For Module Details, enter Accounts List View and select Accounts List View: Step-by-Step.
For Location App, select All.
For Location Objects and Records, select Accounts.
For Assignments, select Assign to all users.
For Due Date, select Due in 30 days.
Save your changes.

Add a learning item that’s available only on contact records and that links to a blog post about managing contacts.

Click New.
For Content Type, enter Link.
For Link URL, enter: https://admin.salesforce.com/blog/2023/how-i-solved-it-manage-contacts-who-have-changed-jobs.
For Link Title, enter Manage Contacts Who Have Changed Jobs.
For Link Description, enter An episode in the How I Solved It series.
For Location App, select All.
For Location Objects and Records, select Contacts.
For Assignments, select Assign to all users.
For Due Date, select No due date.
Save your changes.

Choosing the Right Content

The possibilities for in-app learning moments are endless. Here are just a few ideas from the Salesforce community.

Onboarding or training wiki
FAQ about using Salesforce or working with customers
Price sheet or product list
Company dictionary or glossary
Support guide
A Trailhead module or link to a trailmix

Think of all the time you save by proactively guiding users instead of responding to emails asking similar, easy-to-answer questions. The time spent up front customizing the Guidance Center with Learning Paths can go a long way to empowering your users to find the information they need.

Here are some tips for selecting learning items for users so they find helpful, relevant content, when they need it.

Choose content that users can complete in 30 minutes or less. Assign only one or two contextual learning items per page to avoid overwhelming the user when they open the panel.
Use due dates to give users an idea of when to complete the content and to ensure the learning item appears on the Required tab in Learning Home.
Choose help and troubleshooting content that’s accessible, clear, and empathetic. A good help experience acknowledges that a user may feel lost or frustrated, but always offers options for solutions while maintaining a confident and optimistic tone.

Now you’re familiar with the most common user engagement components. In the next unit you use what you’ve learned to craft a user engagement journey.