Work with the Quick Action and Publisher APIs

The Lightning Quick Action JavaScript API and the Salesforce Classic Publisher JavaScript API both let you interact with actions. If you’re building out Aura components in Lightning Experience, use the Quick Action API. This API can interact with all quick actions on a record page. If you’re writing Visualforce pages in Salesforce Classic, use the Publisher API. This API can interact with any quick actions on record pages in Salesforce Classic apps for objects that are feed-enabled.

Quick Action APIs in Lightning Experience

A lightning:quickActionAPI component allows you to access methods for programmatically controlling quick actions on record pages. This component is supported in Lightning Experience and supports utility pop-out. This component requires API version 43.0 and later.
Publisher APIs in Salesforce Classic

The Salesforce Classic Publisher JavaScript API lets your Visualforce pages and components interact with actions you’ve added to a record page in a Salesforce Classic app for objects that are feed-enabled. The Publisher API works in Salesforce Classic apps with standard navigation and console navigation. For example, you could develop a component that generates customized, pre-written text, adds that text to a new post in the Case Feed portal action, and submits the post to the portal, all with one click.