---
schema_version: "1"
id: 2cc6c3c8df2fdd47de0cfa22ae09c2a132a88be19d10ff7a73296fac527db370
title: Configure an External Account Hierarchy
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/networks_external_account_hierarchies.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_external_account_hierarchies.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 4cfc0f6b1651e3f02f60dc68c80d1154a23d945b8e65f9f9df5c5ad8b7271baf
description: Set up an external account hierarchy to share data seamlessly with other external users.
products:
  - Security
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Configure an External Account Hierarchy

Set up an external account hierarchy to share data seamlessly with other external users.

### Required Editions

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-access-264-0-0-production-enus/a92be132-3cbc-412a-9262-130636120c14/images/icon_note.png)

Note This feature is available in orgs with Partner or Customer Community Plus licenses.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Applies to: <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.exp_cloud_basics_glossary.htm&amp;type=5&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">LWR, Aura, and Visualforce sites</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d37915e84">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37915e84 ">To manage external users:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37915e84 ">Manage External Users</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37915e84 ">To create, edit, and delete profiles:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37915e84 ">Manage Profiles and Permission Sets</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![Tip](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-access-264-0-0-production-enus/a92be132-3cbc-412a-9262-130636120c14/images/icon_tip.png)

Tip Check out this feature in Salesforce Go! Find a guided setup experience, explore more content, discover related features, and monitor feature usage. See [Discover and Set Up Features With Salesforce Go](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.setup_salesforce_go.htm&type=5&language=en_US).

External account hierarchies work like Salesforce role hierarchies. You can share data without creating sharing rules. For example, if you have a child record and a parent record in the same external account hierarchy, the record data owned by users associated with child accounts is shared with users in parent accounts.

![External account hierarchy](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-access-264-0-0-production-enus/a92be132-3cbc-412a-9262-130636120c14/access/images/external_account_hierarchy.png)

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-access-264-0-0-production-enus/a92be132-3cbc-412a-9262-130636120c14/images/icon_note.png)

Note Sharing rules can work along with external account hierarchies. Data shared by sharing sets doesn’t roll up in role hierarchies.

Learn more about external account hierarchies in this video.

1. [Enable external account hierarchies.](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.exp_cloud_settings.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
2. To create a hierarchy, enter External Account Hierarchies in the App Launcher and then select **External Account Hierarchies**.
3. Click **New**.
4. Enter a name for the external account hierarchy, and select the account that it’s associated with.
5. Check the **Is Hierarchy Active** box.
6. For the Hierarchy Type, select **Partner**.
7. Save your changes.
8. To create a level within your hierarchy, click the dropdown arrow on the External Account Hierarchy tab, and select **New External Account Hierarchy**.
9. Specify a name for the new hierarchy and the account that it’s associated with.
10. Select the external account hierarchy that you created in Step 4 as the Parent for this hierarchy.
11. Repeat steps 5 through 7.
12. You can continue to build your hierarchy up to five levels deep. If you need a hierarchy that’s more than five levels deep, contact your Salesforce account executive.

- **[External Account Hierarchies Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.exp_cloud_setup_ext_acc_hierarchy_settings.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Account records owned by users with roles in child accounts that are part of an external account hierarchy share data with the parent accounts in that hierarchy.

#### See Also

- [Configure Digital Experiences Settings](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.exp_cloud_settings.htm&type=5&language=en_US)