Manual Sharing in Salesforce

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, teamwork and information sharing are vital keys to success. Ensuring relevant information reaches the correct personnel at the right moment can dramatically boost a team’s productivity and effectiveness. But, how do we strike this intricate balance without compromising our data’s safety and integrity? It is Salesforce and its game-changing feature – Manual Sharing.

Salesforce, a worldwide trailblazer in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), provides a versatile and sturdy platform for businesses to cultivate profound relationships with their clientele. One of its many versatile features is Manual Sharing, a functionality that allows users to share specific records with designated individuals or groups, promoting collaboration while maintaining a firm grip on data security.

Through this comprehensive guide you will learn:

• The meaning and features of manual sharing in Salesforce,
• Steps and process of Salesforce manual sharing, and
• Types Of Groups, Users, Roles & Territories In Manual Sharing. 

So, what exactly is Manual Sharing in Salesforce?

Simply put, it is a feature that allows the owner of a record to share it with other users, groups, or roles manually. This feature is specifically designed to accommodate those unique situations where the standard sharing settings may not cover all your needs, providing the extra flexibility that sometimes becomes vital in a fast-paced business environment.

Imagine a situation where a sales representative needs to share a particular record with a customer service representative to handle a specific client issue. Standard sharing rules may not allow this. Still, with Manual Sharing, the sales rep can share that particular record with the customer service rep, enabling effective collaboration and swift resolution of the issue.

In essence, Manual Sharing in Salesforce is about leveraging the power of collaboration while maintaining strict control over your data, thus ensuring its security and confidentiality. It’s about providing the right access to the right people at the right time, a feat that can significantly enhance your organization’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Who can share a record manually in Salesforce?

In Salesforce, the ability to manually share a record is limited to four distinct categories of users:

1. Record Owner: The person who either created or was assigned the record.
2. Higher-Level Role Users: Users who are positioned above the record owner in the role hierarchy have permission to share the record manually.
3. Users with Full Access: Users who have been granted “Full Access” to a specific record also have the privilege to share it manually.
4. Administrator: As a key player with extensive access rights, an administrator can manually share any record, irrespective of its ownership.

Another key aspect to consider is that when you grant access to certain records, this may sometimes extend to related records as well. The manual sharing button becomes available when the sharing model for a specific record type or its related record is set to either “Private” or “Public Read-Only.”

Manual sharing extends the record accessibility to various entities, including public groups, roles, roles & subordinates, and individual users.

It’s also important to note that manual sharing in Salesforce is designed to extend access, not to restrict it. This is why the options available in manual sharing are “Read Only” and “Read/Write.” These parameters provide flexibility in choosing the level of access granted to the shared record but do not allow for the imposition of additional restrictions.

Related Read – Salesforce Sharing Model and Data Security

Granting Access to Records via Manual Sharing in Lightning Experience

Specific User Access to Designated Record Types

Process

1. Open the desired record and select “Sharing.”
2. Input desired groups, users, roles, or territories in the search bar.
3. Filter group types like Managers Groups, Public Groups, Users, Roles, and more.

Options Depending on Org Data

– Managers Groups: Direct and indirect managers of a user.

– Manager Subordinates Groups: Managers and their direct/indirect reports.

– Public Groups: Groups defined by administrators.

– Users: All org users except portal users.

– Roles: Users in each role, including subordinates.

– Roles and Subordinates: Users in a role and those below it.

– Salesforce Experiences enabled: Conversion of Roles and Subordinates shares.

– Secure External Access: Adjust share settings.

Access Levels for Records

– Full Access: View, edit, delete, transfer, and extend sharing.

– Read/Write: View, edit, add related records, notes, attachments.

– Read Only: View, add related records; no edits or notes/attachments.

– Private: No access.

Providing Record Access via Manual Sharing in Salesforce Classic

Granting Specific Users Access to Various Record Types

Procedure

1. Access the desired record and click “Sharing.”
2. Select “Add.”
3. Choose group, user, role, or territory from the Search dropdown.

Options Based on Org Data

– Managers Groups: Direct and indirect managers of a user.

– Manager Subordinates Groups: Managers and their direct/indirect reports.

– Public Groups: Groups defined by administrators.

– Personal Groups: Created by record owners; shared only by them.

– Users: All org users except portal users.

– Roles: Users within roles, including subordinates.

– Roles and Subordinates: Users in a role and those below.

– Salesforce Experiences enabled: Role and Subordinates conversion.

– Secure External Access: Adjust sharing settings.

Access Levels for Records

– Full Access: View, edit, delete, transfer, extend sharing.

– Read/Write: View, edit, add related records, notes, attachments.

– Read Only: View, add related records; no edits or notes/attachments.

– Private: No access.

Types Of Groups, Users, Roles & Territories In Manual Sharing

In Salesforce’s Manual Sharing, users can share records with specific entities to improve collaboration and efficiency. These entities include various types of groups, users, roles, and territories. Here’s a brief explanation of each:

1. Public Groups: Public Groups in Salesforce are sets of users defined for business purposes. A public group may include a mix of individual users, other public groups, and roles or roles with their subordinates. Sharing with a public group ensures that the shared records are accessible to all members of the group.
2. Roles: Roles within Salesforce mirror an organization’s hierarchical structure. Sharing a record with a role grants access to all the users in that role. Additionally, those above the role in the hierarchy also receive access to the shared records.
3. Roles & Subordinates: This represents a role and all the roles subordinate to it in the role hierarchy. Sharing a record with “Roles & Subordinates” grants access to the specified role and all its subordinate roles, enabling a broader reach within an organization.
4. Individual Users: You can also share records manually with individual users. This method provides direct and precise sharing, ideal for scenarios where only specific individuals need access to a record.
5. Territories: In Salesforce, territories represent the account market segments as part of the territory management feature. Records can be shared with territories, granting access to all members within that territory.

Each of these groups, users, roles, and territories offer different levels of record access, providing you with the flexibility to share records in the most efficient and secure way for your specific business needs.

Next, explore – Field Level Security in Salesforce

Conclusion

Salesforce’s Manual Sharing feature is an invaluable tool for enhancing collaboration and optimizing data accessibility within your organization. It offers flexibility through its various sharing options, be it public groups, roles, subordinates, individual users, or territories, thereby catering to unique business requirements. The robust and adaptable nature of this feature significantly contributes to making Salesforce a leading CRM platform.

If you’re keen to delve deeper into Salesforce and boost your professional credentials, consider enrolling in the Salesforce Admin Course by saasguru. Also, check out our comprehensive Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide; we’ll cover everything you need to know to prepare for the Salesforce Admin Exam and pass with flying colors.

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