Describe Calls
Lists supported describe calls in the API.
This table lists supported describe calls in the API in alphabetical order, and provides a brief description for each. Click a call name to see syntax, usage, and more information for that call.
For a list of Apex-related calls, see Apex-Related Calls, for a list of core calls, see Core Calls, and for a list of utility calls, see Utility Calls.
| Call | Description |
|---|---|
describeAllTabs() | Returns information about all the tabs—including Lightning page tabs—available to the logged-in user, regardless of whether the user has chosen to hide tabs in his own user interface via the All Tabs (+) tab customization feature. |
describeAppMenu() | Retrieves metadata about items either in the Salesforce mobile app navigation menu or the Salesforce dropdown app menu. |
describeApprovalLayout() | Retrieves metadata about approval layouts for the specified object type. |
describeAvailableQuickActions() | In API version 28.0, describes details about actions available for a specified parent. In API version 29.0 and greater, describes details about actions available for a specified context. |
describeCompactLayouts() | Retrieves metadata about compact layouts for the specified object type. |
describeDataCategoryGroups() | Retrieves available category groups for entities specified in the request. |
describeDataCategoryGroupStructures() | Retrieves available category groups along with their data category structure for entities specified in the request. |
describeGlobal() | Retrieves a list of available objects for your organization’s data. |
describeGlobalTheme() | Returns information about both objects and themes available to the current logged-in user. |
describeKnowledge() | Retrieves the Knowledge language settings in the organization. |
describeLayout() | Retrieves metadata about page layouts for the specified object type. |
describePrimaryCompactLayouts() | Retrieves metadata about the primary compact layout for each of the specified object types. |
describeQuickActions() | Retrieves details about specified actions. |
describeSearchScopeOrder() | Retrieves an ordered list of objects in the logged-in user’s default global search scope, including any pinned objects in the user’s search results page. |
describeSObject() | Retrieves metadata (field list and object properties) for the specified object type. Superseded by describeSObjects(). |
describeSObjects() | An array-based version of describeSObject. |
describeSoftphoneLayout() | Describes one or more softPhone layouts created for an organization. |
describeSoqlListViews() | Retrieves the SOQL query and other information about a list view. |
describeTabs() | Returns information about the standard and custom apps available to the logged-in user, as listed in the Lightning Platform app menu at the top of the page. |
describeTheme() | Returns information about themes available to the current logged-in user. |
The samples in this section are based on the enterprise WSDL file. They assume that you have already imported the WSDL file and created a connection. To learn how to do so, see the Quick Start tutorial.