You have the option to create a Lightning Action to send a fax with predefined values if you would like rather than using another automation method in this article to create a sent fax record. The Lightning Action could be used to save some manual steps when sending a fax and would not be used for mass document generation as you still need to click the button from record. 

Here are a few example use cases you could use a Lightning Action for:

  1. Sending same PDF file to many customers: If you have the same PDF document that you need to fax to many customers and would like to save some manual steps in sending the fax recipient this document. For example this same existing PDF you need to send to your customers or prospects could be a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or W-9 form that you need to fax them.
  2. Re-sending a Non Delivered Fax: If you have a sent fax record that was “not delivered” due to ringing timing out or maybe fax machine off, you could create a Lightning actually to resend another fax to with the same details. It is important to note that you would only use this if the fax number was correct and no other changes need to be made with the sent fax record created. Make sure you have “detailed fax status” field on your sent fax page layout so in the case a fax fails and changes to “not delivered” the detailed fax status field will give you more information for why the fax was not delivered.

How to create a Lightning Action to send a fax:

  1. Go to Setup, and the object you want the button/action on.
  2. Go to buttons/actions from page layout related list. Then create New Lightning action.
  3. Add pre-defined field values for mapping fields to the sent fax record on the the Lightning Action. You will select the sent fax field from drop down list when adding a pre-defined value and then use formula editor/syntax to add the field. Some pre-defined fields are required to create the sent fax and some are optional.
  4. The required Pre-defined fields for sent fax record from related object are:
    1. Attachment ID (Text field type). This is related attachment ID you will use to send the same document in Lightning Action. For example, this can be an existing File or Document that is uploaded in your Salesforce. When looking at the Document record, there will be the unique document ID in the URL. For example URL of  could be: and the document ID you would paste into the pre-defined field value to send same PDF file each time would be:0151R000005BPYW.
      1. Another option for Attachment ID is that the attachment could be getting generated through a document generation tool like A5 Documents app. You can then have a field on your related object that stores that latest attachment ID on the record. Then you can merge this attachment ID field into the predefined field value on sent fax Lightning Action.
    2. Fax Number (Phone number field type). This is the fax number field that is the fax number you will be sending fax too.
    3. Organization Fax Number (Phone number field type). This is your assigned default organization fax number that you are sending fax from. The format for display of number should have no spaces or special characters. For example fax number format for this pre defined field should be: 8667779999.
    4. Send Date (Date/time field type). Important to use “Send Date” pre-defined field and not the Sent Date. Formula used is Now().
    5. Sent with Outbound Message (Checkbox field type marked True). You can detail a message that you want to display after the sent fax record is created.
    6. Status (Picklist with status of Sending). After sent fax record is created, it will start in status of Sending. After fax is delivered, it will change to “Delivered” status on sent fax record.
    7. Subject (Text field type) – this is the subject of the fax. You can add merge fields here from the related object using formula editor, for example, could be Account name merge field.