04.01.04 — Record Types as Behavioral Switches

Lesson goal

This lesson explains why Record Types must be treated as logic drivers, not just UI selectors.

After completing this lesson, you should be able to:

• identify where Record Types influence system behavior
• design test cases that validate both execution and exclusion paths
• avoid common QA mistakes related to Record Type–based logic

This lesson closes the Data Model Testing section by showing how configuration turns structure into behavior.

The problem: Record Types are logic drivers

In Salesforce, Record Types are often introduced as a way to:

• split user experience
• assign different page layouts
• restrict picklist values

From a QA perspective, this explanation is incomplete.

Record Types are not cosmetic configuration.
They act as behavioral switches that decide:

• which validation rules apply
• which automation paths execute
• which business rules are enforced

If Record Types are tested only visually, critical logic defects will pass unnoticed until production.

How Record Types change system behavior

When testing Record Types, QA must focus on three areas where they actively change how the system behaves:

• UI behavior
• validation logic
• automation execution

Testing only one of these areas gives a false sense of safety.

UI segmentation and user experience

The most visible impact of Record Types is UI segmentation.

Record Types control:

• page layouts
• field visibility and ordering
• restricted picklist values
• Path and guidance components

QA focus at this level:

• verify the correct layout is applied
• confirm required fields appear only where intended
• ensure picklists contain only allowed values

Typical checks include:

• a Commercial Account showing business-specific fields
• an Individual Account hiding irrelevant fields
• different Opportunity Record Types displaying different sales stages

UI testing is necessary, but never sufficient on its own.

Validation rules and required fields

Record Types are frequently used as conditions in:

• Validation Rules
• conditional required fields
• constraint logic

QA must verify both sides of each condition.

Positive path example:

• on an Individual Account Record Type, Annual Revenue is optional
• saving the record without the field succeeds

Negative path example:

• on a Commercial Account Record Type, Annual Revenue is mandatory
• saving the record without the field fails with the expected validation error

Key QA principle:

If a rule applies to one Record Type, you must explicitly verify that it does not apply to others.

Automation and decision logic

This is the highest-risk area of Record Type testing.

Record Types are commonly used as:

• Flow entry conditions
• decision splits inside Flows
• conditional logic in Apex triggers

QA focus:

• verify automation executes for the intended Record Type
• verify it is skipped for all other Record Types

Example:

• creating a Commercial Account triggers a welcome email
• creating an Individual Account does not

Automation defects related to Record Types often appear only after release, when real data, permissions, and volumes are involved.

Practical QA strategies

Always test two Record Types

Whenever Record Types are involved, tests must cover:

• the execution path (where logic should run)
• the exclusion path (where logic must not run)

This prevents:

• accidental automation leakage
• unintended validation errors
• cross-segment regressions

Use Record Type names in test documentation

Automation often relies on internal Record Type IDs, which differ across environments.

QA best practice:

• describe Record Types by name, not ID
• define them explicitly in Preconditions

Example:

Precondition: Create an Account using the “Commercial” Record Type.

This keeps test cases readable, portable, and environment-independent.

Summary

Record Types are not just a way to organize data.
They define which business rules apply to which records.

As QA, you must test Record Types as:

• logic switches
• automation drivers
• validation scopes

Effective Record Type testing ensures that:

• rules apply where they should
• rules do not apply where they shouldn’t
• business segments remain isolated and predictable

In Salesforce, Record Types do not just organize data.
They decide how the system behaves.

What’s next

In the next lesson, we move from data structure to security:

04.02.01 — Profiles vs Permission Sets: QA Perspective