Manage Sync Links

A sync link is the association between a sync profile and the object layout it uses to determine what mobile users see and receive during sync.

Every sync profile in the Sync Profile Manager Admin Tool is built from these links: one for each Transaction Object (Jobs, Quotes, etc.) and one for each Lookup object (Accounts, Equipment, Price Books, etc.) that the profile supports. This topic explains how those links work, how they differ between global and profile-specific layouts, and how to manage them.

The layout links described in this topic are not the same as SyncLink records (FX5SyncLinkc).

Sync Profile Manager links connect layouts to sync profiles.

SyncLink records associate users with Jobs, Work Orders, Quotes, and other records for synchronization.

For information about SyncLink records, see SyncLink Records.

The Sync Profile Manager Admin Tool works only with the new FieldFX Mobile app. It isn’t supported in the legacy/web FieldFX Mobile app.

A sync profile doesn’t store field lists or UI arrangements directly. Instead, it links to one layout per object:

Link type What it controls

Transaction Object Layout link

Connects the profile to a layout for an operational object users create, edit, or view daily on mobile (Job, Ticket, Job Log, Quote, Crew Planning, Equipment Planning, Ticket Item, JSA, Form Data, and similar objects). The layout defines the Details, Tile, Table, and Hidden field arrangement for that object.

Lookup Layout link

Connects the profile to a layout for a reference/lookup object (Account, Contact, Equipment, Price Book, Catalog Item, Well, Warehouse, and similar objects). The layout defines up to 10 visible fields plus any Hidden fields needed for rules or filters.

Each linked layout carries its own Field Properties, Synced Fields, and (for Transaction Objects) Cross Object Formula Fields and Mobile Lookup Filter settings. Those settings travel with the link - whichever layout a profile is linked to is the layout the mobile app renders for that object.

Prerequisites

Before an admin can create or edit sync links, confirm the following:

Sync Profile Manager displays a warning when a lookup or transaction object configuration is expected to sync more than 200,000 records. The warning is informational only and does not prevent the profile from being saved. Large sync volumes can affect mobile performance and increase sync times. When this warning appears, review object filters to reduce the number of records being synchronized. Consider reducing the scope of the profile or dividing large data sets across multiple profiles when appropriate to improve performance.

Permissions

Before an admin can create or edit sync links, confirm the following access:

Requirement Detail

Full object/field access

Full CRUD access to all Salesforce objects and fields assigned through Sync Profile Manager, including transactional objects (Jobs, Tickets, Quotes) and lookup objects (Accounts, Contacts, Equipment, Price Books). Missing permissions can leave a linked profile incomplete or cause records not to sync even when included.

Permission sets

The FieldFX Admin permission set, plus access to FX5__Job__c, FX5__Ticket__c, FX5__Price_Book__c, FX5__Job_Log__c and related objects, FieldFX_StageDataPermissionSet, and the AdminServices class.

Custom object access

Read/Create access to the Staged Data object (FX5__Staged_Data__c) and the Mobile Object Layout object (FX5__ffxMobile_Object_Layout__c). Without access to the Mobile Object Layout object, the Sync Profile Manager Admin Tool doesn’t appear in the Admin Portal at all.

Profile assignment & global layouts

Ability to assign sync profiles to users and to create and propagate global layouts across multiple profiles.

A sync profile can link to an object layout in one of two ways:

Global layout link

The profile links to a layout that is shared across multiple sync profiles. Editing the global layout — rearranging fields on Details, adding fields to Hidden, and so on — propagates the change automatically to every profile linked to it. There is no need to repeat the edit per profile.

Profile-specific layout link

The profile links to a layout that exists only for that profile. Use this when one profile genuinely needs a different field set or arrangement than the shared standard.

Precedence follows the link, not the object. If a profile is linked to a global layout, updates to that global layout take effect immediately for that profile. If a profile is instead linked to a profile-specific layout, that layout takes precedence for that profile even if a global layout for the same object also exists.

Best practice: link core, widely shared objects (Accounts, Equipment, Price Books) to global layouts to minimize maintenance, and reserve profile-specific links for the cases where a team truly needs a different mobile experience.

Linking a sync profile to a Transaction Object layout automatically synchronizes all lookup objects referenced by that layout, including lookup fields added later. New lookups are picked up during the next staged data sync with no administrator action required.

The Sync Profile Manager automatically includes related lookup objects referenced by the layout.

Fields referenced by mobile filters or rules may be added automatically to support sync filtering and evaluation.

If fields are from…​ Then…​

FX_Mobile_Filters

Fields referenced directly by a Mobile Filter are automatically added as sync fields and included in mobile sync. Automatic inclusion applies only when the lookup field is editable and the associated transaction object can be created and edited. Administrators do not need to add eligible filter criteria fields manually.

FX_Mobile_Rules

Added as tranactional layouts, typically in a hidden section, when needed.

Linked layouts can display Mobile Lookup Filter information for lookup fields. Mobile Lookup Filters control which records are available in the lookup dialog on FieldFX Mobile; they do not determine which records are synchronized to the device.

Admins can configure lookup filters directly from the layout configuration. Changes to a linked layout immediately affect all sync profiles using that layout.

To create or modify Mobile Lookup Filters, use the Mobile Filters administration tool. After updating a filter, refresh or regenerate the affected sync profile so the change is included in mobile metadata. Record synchronization is controlled separately by the sync profile’s object filter configuration.

Cross-Object Formula Dependencies

When a formula field references fields on another object, Sync Profile Manager evaluates the dependency and may require related objects or fields to be included in the profile.

A sync link controls which layout a profile uses — it doesn’t guarantee that a record syncs.

The FieldFX Sync Engine always checks the Job record’s Sync field. If that field is false, the job doesn’t sync to mobile even though it’s included through the profile’s links.

Links are managed from the Transaction Object Layouts tab or the Lookup Layouts tab in the Sync Profile Manager Admin Tool.

For sync links to work, there must be a section on the Job Layout object in Back Office.

Create a New Layout

  1. On the Transaction Object Layouts tab or the Lookup Layouts tab, click + Add Layout.

  2. Enter a name in the Layout name field.

  3. Select the object type the layout links to. Use the Find box if the object list is long.

    All fields from the object’s Default layout are added to the new layout automatically.

  4. Click Save. The new layout appears in the layout list and is available to link to a profile.

The layout list is blank until a layout exists for that object type. An object only appears as a selectable Object Type once it is used by at least one sync profile.

  1. In Sync Profile Manager, open the sync profile to which you want to link the layout.

  2. Go to the Transaction Object Layouts tab or the Lookup Layouts tab.

    Ensure that the layout you want to link is already created and available in the layout list. The layouts must exist before they can be linked to a sync profile. The layouts are assigned within the sync profile’s object configuration section.

  3. Select the layout you want to link.

  4. Click Link to Profile or the equivalent action to associate the layout with the sync profile.

  5. Confirm the link and save the changes.

Deleting a layout removes the layout itself. If the layout is used by multiple sync profiles, those profiles are affected.

To remove a layout from only one sync profile, edit that profile and select a different layout or clear the layout assignment instead of deleting the layout.

  1. On the tab containing the layout, select it.

  2. Click X Remove Selected.

The default layout for an object can’t be deleted — only layouts added on top of the default can be removed.

Opening a linked layout (see Edit a Layout) lets an admin change what syncs to mobile without changing the link itself:

Tab Purpose

Details

Drag-and-drop canvas for the landscape view of a Transaction Object Layout.

Tile

Up to 5 fields shown when the device is in portrait orientation.

Table

Up to 20 fields shown in list/grid views.

Hidden

Fields that never appear in the UI but still sync — required for rules, filters, or automation.

Lookup layouts are simpler: a Layout tab (up to 10 visible fields) and a Hidden tab for non-UI fields.

Known limitation

After a field is deleted from a sync profile layout, the scheduled Stage Data job might not refresh the description metadata used by FieldFX Mobile.

If the deleted field remains visible on mobile, open each affected layout in Sync Profile Manager and save it again. Then have the mobile user sync and verify that the field no longer appears

For more information, see Refresh the Description File After Field Deletions.

This section provides guidance for troubleshooting common issues with Sync Links in FieldFX. SyncLinks are used to assign records to mobile users. For more information about assignment behavior and troubleshooting missing assignments, see Sync Assignments.

If transactional object layouts are missing or unavailable for mobile when importing, confirm the admin has access to the AdminServices Apex class and Read/Create access to both the Staged Data object and the Mobile Object Layout object, then re-run the import.

{#sync-links-linked-object-issues} == A linked object still isn’t syncing

Work through this order:

  1. Does the record match the profile’s filters (business unit, region, date, status)?

  2. Is a required parent record (such as the Account or Location) also in scope?

  3. Does the user have read/create access to the object and fields? Was the change made after the last successful sync?

  4. Did the record fall out of scope due to pruning?

  5. After correcting the profile configuration, have the user sync the device and verify the result.

For more information, see:

FieldFX Documentation Salesforce Documentation

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