---
schema_version: "1"
id: 3ae4ec50ae902cfbe2aeeb31ec5d8a83ecb14abad5dae2a498b80bbca05017c0
title: Use a Shared Person Account Role for Site Users
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/networks_partners_shared_person_role.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_partners_shared_person_role.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 63ab65c871692f086ef5ba6247a7e878f8307d1963b755c9a289fdabb83e42d3
description: Convert single-user accounts associated with sites to use a shared person account role. A shared person account role is one role that the platform creates and assigns to all external role-based users that are in a single-user account.
products:
  - Security
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Use a Shared Person Account Role for Site Users

Convert single-user accounts associated with sites to use a shared person account role. A shared person account role is one role that the platform creates and assigns to all external role-based users that are in a single-user account.

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

Important If you have a large number of business accounts that have a single Experience Cloud site user, we recommend enabling account role optimization (ARO). With ARO enabled for an external role-based user who is the only external role-based user on the account, only one role is created and assigned to the user. Without ARO, the default number of account roles (1 to 3) is created and assigned to the user. The fewer number of roles, the better the performance of your site.

The PortalRole field in the User object is used to specify user roles.

1. To use shared person account roles, enable [account role optimization](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_partners_optimize_roles.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "If you expect a large volume of business accounts with a single Experience Cloud user, we recommend enabling Account Role Optimization (ARO) to ensure the best performance possible. ARO minimizes the number of roles created for users with licenses that require external user records to be associated with roles. The fewer the roles, the better the performance of your Experience Cloud site.").
2. To update an Experience Cloud site user role and convert the user to the shared person account role, use code as shown in this sample Apex code.
    
    ```
    
    User u = new User();
    u.Id = '<user id>';
    u.PortalRole = 'PersonAccount';
    update u;
    ```

#### See Also

- [Optimize Account Roles to Improve Performance and Scale](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_partners_optimize_roles.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "If you expect a large volume of business accounts with a single Experience Cloud user, we recommend enabling Account Role Optimization (ARO) to ensure the best performance possible. ARO minimizes the number of roles created for users with licenses that require external user records to be associated with roles. The fewer the roles, the better the performance of your Experience Cloud site.")