Curriculum
Organization Wide Defaults (OWD) are the foundation of Salesforce record-level security. OWD determines the baseline level of access that users have to records they do not own. Before Salesforce evaluates Role Hierarchy, Sharing Rules, Teams, or Manual Sharing, it first checks the Organization Wide Defaults settings.
In Salesforce, data security follows a layered approach. OWD defines the most restrictive access level, and then additional sharing mechanisms can be used to open access where necessary. Understanding OWD is critical because every record-sharing strategy in Salesforce begins with Organization Wide Defaults.
For Salesforce Administrators, Developers, Consultants, and Architects, OWD is one of the most important concepts in Salesforce Security and User Management.
Organization Wide Defaults (OWD) are Salesforce settings that determine the default access users have to records they do not own.
In simple terms:
OWD answers the question:
“What access should users have to records owned by other users?”
Examples:
OWD establishes the baseline security model.
Organizations often need to protect sensitive data.
Examples:
Without OWD:
OWD ensures a secure foundation for record access.
Salesforce Security consists of multiple layers.
Controls login access.
Controls object permissions.
Controls field visibility.
Controls record access.
OWD belongs to:
It determines the baseline access for records.
Salesforce evaluates record access using the following process:
Check OWD settings.
Apply Role Hierarchy.
Apply Sharing Rules.
Apply Teams.
Apply Manual Sharing.
This layered approach provides flexible and secure access control.
Consider:
Owns Opportunity A
Owns Opportunity B
OWD Setting:
PrivateResult:
This is the most restrictive setting.
Salesforce provides several OWD access options.
Each option serves different business requirements.
Private is the most restrictive OWD setting.
Users can:
Users cannot:
Example:
Sales Representative A cannot access opportunities owned by Sales Representative B.
Private is commonly used for sensitive business data.
Users can:
Users cannot:
Example:
All sales representatives can view opportunities.
Only owners can modify them.
Public Read Only is frequently used in collaborative environments.
Users can:
Example:
All project team members can manage project records.
Administrators should use this setting carefully.
Child record access is inherited from the parent record.
Example:
Parent Object
Child Object
If a user can access the Account:
They automatically gain access to related Contacts.
Controlled by Parent is common in parent-child relationships.
Navigate to:
Setup
Search:
Sharing Settings
Open:
Sharing Settings
Locate:
Organization-Wide Defaults
Administrators can review all OWD configurations.
Open Sharing Settings.
Click:
Edit
Select access levels for objects.
Examples:
Save.
Salesforce recalculates sharing access automatically.
Examples of Standard Objects:
Each object can have different OWD settings based on business requirements.
Custom Objects also support OWD.
Example:
Administrators define access independently for each custom object.
This provides flexibility.
Role Hierarchy expands access beyond OWD.
Example:
OWD:
PrivateRole Structure:
Sales Manager
↓
Sales Representative
Result:
Manager can access subordinate records.
Role Hierarchy supplements OWD.
Sharing Rules further expand access.
Example:
OWD:
PrivateSharing Rule:
Share opportunities with Regional Sales Team.
Result:
Additional users gain access.
Sharing Rules help balance security and collaboration.
Salesforce supports:
Teams provide additional access beyond OWD settings.
This supports collaborative business processes.
Users can manually share records when permitted.
Example:
Opportunity Owner shares a record with a colleague.
This access is granted regardless of restrictive OWD settings.
Manual Sharing provides flexibility.
Record ownership plays a major role.
Record Owners always have access to their records.
OWD primarily affects:
This distinction is important.
Opportunities:
PrivateCases:
Public Read OnlyEmployee Records:
PrivateStudent Records:
PrivateThese configurations are commonly used.
Apply least privilege principles.
Use Sharing Rules and Roles as needed.
Use restrictive settings where appropriate.
Conduct periodic audits.
Support governance and compliance.
Verify access before deployment.
These practices improve security and maintainability.
| Feature | OWD | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Controls Record Access | Yes | Limited |
| Controls Object Permissions | No | Yes |
| Record-Level Security | Yes | No |
| Required for Security Model | Yes | Yes |
OWD and Profiles serve different security functions.
| Feature | OWD | Role Hierarchy |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline Record Access | Yes | No |
| Expands Access | No | Yes |
| Based on Ownership | Yes | Yes |
| Reflects Organization Structure | No | Yes |
Role Hierarchy builds upon OWD.
| Feature | OWD | Sharing Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline Security | Yes | No |
| Additional Access | No | Yes |
| Organization-Wide | Yes | No |
| Flexible Sharing | Limited | Yes |
Sharing Rules complement OWD settings.
OWD too open.
OWD too restrictive.
Difficult to maintain.
Require strict access controls.
Administrators must balance security and usability.
A software training company manages student records.
OWD:
PrivateResult:
Student Counselors only access their own students.
Role Hierarchy:
Training Managers gain access to counselor records.
Sharing Rules:
Finance Team receives access to payment information.
This layered model provides both security and collaboration.
Understanding OWD helps professionals:
OWD is the foundation of Salesforce record-level security.
Organization Wide Defaults (OWD) define the baseline level of record access in Salesforce. As the foundation of record-level security, OWD determines what users can access when they do not own a record. By using settings such as Private, Public Read Only, Public Read/Write, and Controlled by Parent, administrators establish secure data-sharing policies that can later be expanded through Role Hierarchy, Sharing Rules, Teams, and Manual Sharing. Mastering OWD is essential for building secure and scalable Salesforce security models.
OWD are settings that determine the default access users have to records they do not own.
Private is the most restrictive and secure OWD setting.
No. Object permissions are controlled through Profiles and Permission Sets.
Child records inherit access from their parent records.
Yes. Role Hierarchy, Sharing Rules, Teams, and Manual Sharing can provide additional access.
OWD provides the foundation of Salesforce record-level security.
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