# Utility bar, navigation and app-wide settings

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

The app-wide settings that shape how users move through Salesforce: utility bar items and their limits, App Menu ordering, navigation bar landing pages, personalization and temporary tabs, global search Top Results, favorites, global publisher layouts, custom notifications from flows, and Lightning Experience keyboard shortcuts.

- 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, determine which global Salesforce configuration to use for optimized user flow.

## What the exam expects

- Put always-available tools in the utility bar and know its limits (no Visualforce, one app per wizard-built bar, History in console apps only).
- Order and hide apps in the App Launcher, and set an app's landing page and search defaults through its navigation items.
- Explain navigation bar personalization, temporary tabs and favorites, and which of them an admin controls.
- Vary global actions by profile with global publisher layouts, and alert users with custom notifications sent from a flow.
- Describe Lightning Experience keyboard shortcuts for keyboard and screen reader users.

Key terms: **utility bar** (a fixed footer that opens Lightning component utilities in docked panels); **App Menu** (the Setup page that orders and hides apps in the App Launcher); **temporary tab** (an asterisked navigation item for a record whose object isn't in the nav bar); **global publisher layout** (the layout that holds global actions for the Global Actions menu); **custom notification** (a desktop or mobile alert in the notification bell, sent by a flow action).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Utility bar content | Lightning components only, no Visualforce | [Add a Utility Bar to Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_utilities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Utility bar sharing | Wizard or App Builder bars: one app; API bars: many | [Add a Utility Bar to Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_utilities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| History utility | Lightning console apps only | [Customize Your Lightning Console App with Utilities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.console_lex_custom_utilities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| App landing page | Top navigation item, desktop and mobile | [Create Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_create.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Top Results defaults | Nav item order, then most-used objects after 15 days | [Create Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_create.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Navigation bar cap | 50 items including admin defaults | [Personalized Navigation Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.user_userdisplay_tabs_lex_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Favorites | Up to 200; users only, admins can't share | [Favorites Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.user_userdisplay_favorites_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Global publisher layout | Global actions only; assignable per profile | [Global Publisher Layouts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.working_with_global_publisher_layouts.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Shortcut menu | Ctrl+/ or Cmd+/; not customizable | [Keyboard Shortcuts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.accessibility_keyboard_shortcuts.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why can't an admin make the Retail app's utility bar appear in two other apps from the App Builder?
- When does a record open as a temporary tab?
- Where does an admin hide legacy apps from everyone's App Launcher?
- Why would a screen reader user switch off keyboard shortcuts?

## Sources

- [Add a Utility Bar to Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_utilities.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Customize Your Lightning Console App with Utilities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.console_lex_custom_utilities.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Create Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_create.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [App Launcher](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.identity_app_launcher.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Optimize Salesforce Navigation & Setup](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lex_migration_whatsnew/lex_migration_whatsnew_nav_setup)
- [Personalized Navigation Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.user_userdisplay_tabs_lex_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Personalize the Navigation Bar in Lightning Experience](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.user_userdisplay_tabs_lex.htm&type=5)
- [Favorites Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.user_userdisplay_favorites_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Global Publisher Layouts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.working_with_global_publisher_layouts.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Global Quick Actions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.actions_overview_global.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Send Custom Notification Action](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_ref_elements_actions_sendcustomnotification.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Create a Desktop or Mobile Notification](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.notif_builder_custom_type.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Keyboard Shortcuts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.accessibility_keyboard_shortcuts.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 14 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