Permission Sets in Salesforce: The Ultimate Guide

Given the vast amount of data Salesforce handles, it is crucial to configure data access properly to prevent unauthorized access. But what if you need to grant additional access? That is where permission sets come in: empowering you, the Salesforce administrator, with a secure and efficient solution to granting “extra” access.
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Think of profiles as the standard uniforms all your users wear in Salesforce. They define the basic access and settings for each user. Now, imagine permission sets as versatile tools in a toolbox that some users can use on top of their uniform, giving them extra powers and making them more efficient without changing their basic profile. Still unclear?

Here is a Little Scenario for Further Insight

Imagine a group of five men dressed in the same attire: a shirt and a pair of trousers. However, two of them want to go to a nearby casino but can't enter without shoes. Luckily, you have an extra pair of shoes you lend them, allowing them to access the casino. The shirt and pants represent their basic profile, but the boots grant them additional qualities and offer them extra access, which would be permission sets in Salesforce lingo.

How to Access Permission Sets in Salesforce

1. Navigate to the set-up feature of your Salesforce org.
2. Type “Permission” on the Quick Find box and click “Permission Sets”.
3. To create your new permission set, all you need to do is click the “New” button.

Name Your Permission Set

Naming permission sets is a common practice in Salesforce. When creating a new permission set, it is important to give it a descriptive name and specify which licenses the set will be transferred to.

To fully understand the next step, consider the initial stage of creating the permission as creating a “bag.” The next step, where you get to select the special permission you want for these users, will be the values in the “bag.”

You can set as many as you want from an array of permissions on the list. This interface is similar to the one you see when editing an object’s permission directly from the profile. Remember, permission sets are just like profiles. While profiles are the default permissions, permission sets are custom permissions that give additional permissions to a user.

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Add Assignment

To complete your permission set, you need to assign it to one or more users. To assign users to a permission set, follow these steps:

1. Click the “Manage Assignment” button next to the “Edit Properties” option, as the screenshot displays.
2. On the next page, click “Add Assignment”.
3. Select the user to whom you want to assign the permission set.
4. Finally, click on “Next” and then “Assign”  to complete the process.

Best Practices

• Before assigning a permission set to a user, ensure that the user has a profile that allows the permission set to be assigned to them. Not every profile permits the assignment of permission sets (for example, Chatter Free User).
• When giving object permission, be careful not to provide “view all” and “modify all” permissions by mistake. Such a mistake can be a grave one for the org, as these two give general access to every object, even those that do not concern certain users.

Conclusion

Permission sets are crucial in securing data in your organization; spend enough time as an administrator practicing the permission set assignment, and you will become a “Permission Set Specialist.”