# Themes, app branding and Experience Cloud branding

*Platform User Experience Designer Study Guide · Declarative Design · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer/declarative-design/themes-app-branding-and-experience-cloud-branding*

Where each brand setting lives and what it reaches: the one active org theme in Themes and Branding (and the accessible brand color), per-app branding that overrides it, My Domain login page branding, and Experience Cloud branding with the Theme panel, branding sets, audiences and Login & Registration.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform User Experience Designer
- Exam section: Declarative Design
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, describe how to apply branding to a solution.

## What the exam expects

- Pick the branding tool from the surface the brand must reach.
- Explain theme rules: one active theme, what a custom theme holds, where it doesn't apply, and the accessible brand color and its override.
- Predict when app branding overrides the org theme.
- Apply My Domain login branding limits and Experience Cloud branding sets, audiences, Generate Palette from Image and theme switching.

Key terms: **theme** (a collection of visual styles for Lightning Experience; one is active per org); **SLDS 1 / SLDS 2 theme** (themes built on the classic design system or on SLDS 2, whose default theme is Salesforce Cosmos); **app branding** (a Lightning app's primary color and logo set in App Manager); **branding set** (a bundle of images, fonts and colors in Experience Builder's Theme panel); **right frame URL** (an https page shown beside a login form).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Active themes per org | One, applied to the entire org | [Considerations for Themes and Branding](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.lex_themes_and_branding_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Exact brand color (SLDS 1) | Override accessibility brand color checkbox | [Considerations for Themes and Branding](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.lex_themes_and_branding_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| New orgs since Winter '26 | SLDS 2 and Salesforce Cosmos on by default | [Salesforce Cosmos Theme and SLDS 2 Availability](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.customize_ui_enhancedlex.htm&type=5) |
| App branding vs built-in theme | App always overrides Lightning Blue and Lightning Lite | [Considerations for Themes and Branding](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.lex_themes_and_branding_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| My Domain logo | .jpg, .gif or .png, up to 100 KB, max 250 × 125 px | [Customize Your My Domain Login Page with Your Brand](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.domain_name_login_branding.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Right frame URL | https:// with SSL; fills about 50% of the page | [Customize Your My Domain Login Page with Your Brand](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.domain_name_login_branding.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Branding set audience | No record-based criteria; default assignment not editable | [Assign an Audience to a Branding Set](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.networks_audiences_branding_sets.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Reset or Replace and start fresh | Deletes branding sets and CSS overrides permanently | [Change the Theme of Your Experience Builder Site](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.community_builder_theme_change.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why can't a theme give the sales team a different logo from the service team?
- When does the App Manager override option change what users see?
- Why use Login & Registration instead of My Domain for a partner portal's reset-password page?

## Sources

- [Considerations for Themes and Branding](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.lex_themes_and_branding_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Create a Custom Theme](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.brand_create_custom_theme.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Personalize Your Org with Themes and Branding](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.brand_your_org_in_lightning_experience.htm&type=5)
- [Salesforce Cosmos Theme and SLDS 2 Availability](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.customize_ui_enhancedlex.htm&type=5)
- [Create Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_create.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Customize Your My Domain Login Page with Your Brand](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.domain_name_login_branding.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Use Branding Sets in Experience Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.community_designer_brandsets.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Assign an Audience to a Branding Set](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.networks_audiences_branding_sets.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Change the Theme of Your Experience Builder Site](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.community_builder_theme_change.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Brand Your Pages from the Administration Workspace](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.external_identity_customize_community.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Boost Workflow with Lightning Experience](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lex_migration_whatsnew/lex_migration_whatsnew_more)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 12 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform User Experience Designer pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams