Role: A role is a set of predefined permissions related to specific tasks or responsibilities within an organization. Roles group users based on their job functions, simplifying the management of permissions.

Permission: Permissions authorize users to perform specific actions within the system, such as viewing data, modifying records, or executing commands.

Types of Users in Salesforce

Salesforce end users are individuals who utilize Salesforce in their daily work. For instance:

• Sales Reps: Use Sales Cloud to manage leads and opportunities.
• Customer Service Reps: Use Service Cloud to manage cases.

User Permissions in Salesforce

A permission set is a collection of settings and permissions that grant users access to various tools and functions. Permission sets extend users’ functional access without altering their profiles and are the recommended method for managing user permissions.

User permissions determine the tasks users can perform and the features they can access. For example:

• Users with the “View Setup and Configuration” permission can view Setup pages.
• Users with the “API Enabled” permission can access any Salesforce API.

Multiple Permission Sets

While users can only have one profile, they can have multiple permission sets, depending on the Salesforce edition.

Number of Permissions in Salesforce

According to Salesforce documentation, an organization can have up to 1,000 Permission Sets.

Roles and Permissions in Salesforce

In Salesforce:

• Profiles and Permission Sets: Define what a user can do.
• Roles: Define what a user can see.

Managing User Permissions

• Permission Sets: Use these to manage and extend user permissions without changing profiles.
• Permission Set Groups: Combine multiple permission sets into a single group for streamlined management.

Viewing and Managing Permissions

To view and manage permissions:

1. Go to Setup.
2. In the Quick Find box, enter “Permission Sets”.
3. Select “Permission Sets”.
4. Choose or create a permission set.
5. From the Permission Set Overview page, click “App Permissions” or “System Permissions” to view permissions and their descriptions.

Recommended Practices

• Use permission sets and permission set groups to manage user permissions efficiently.
• Avoid creating numerous profiles by reusing smaller permission set building blocks.

Editions and Permissions

User permissions vary according to the Salesforce edition. Permissions can be enabled in permission sets and custom profiles, with descriptions available in the App Permissions or System Permissions pages.

By understanding and effectively managing roles, permissions, and user types, organizations can ensure that users have the appropriate access to perform their duties efficiently within Salesforce.