---
schema_version: "1"
id: e8dbe7ee2fbac3932146089c1f7b612d3911c9f1ae91ff3a4c192a1845ca6e6d
title: Set the Org-Wide Sharing Defaults for User Records
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/security_sharing_owd_users.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.security_sharing_owd_users.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 5966565c84b3309e2459cd2cd04f908d76e5c68dc02ec6f0bfc2db5e17320504
description: Set the org-wide sharing defaults for the user object before opening up access.
products:
  - Security
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Set the Org-Wide Sharing Defaults for User Records

Set the org-wide sharing defaults for the user object before opening up access.

### Required Editions

<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: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Professional</strong>, <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</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="d42156e75">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42156e75 ">To set default sharing access:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42156e75 ">Manage Sharing</td>

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

For user records, you can set the organization-wide sharing default to Private or Public Read Only. The default must be set to Private if there is at least one user who shouldn’t see a record.

Let’s say that your organization has internal users (employees and sales agents) and external users (site or portal users) under different sales agents or accounts, with these requirements:

- Employees can see everyone.
- Sales agents can see employees, other agents, and their own customer user records only.
- External customers can see other customers only if they are under the same agent or account.

To meet these requirements, set the default external access to Private, and extend access using sharing rules, manual sharing, or user permissions.

When the feature is first turned on, the default access setting is Private for external users. The default for internal users is Public Read Only. To change the organization-wide defaults for external access to the user object:

1. From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Sharing Settings, then select **Sharing Settings**.
2. Click **Edit** in the Organization-Wide Defaults area.
3. Select the default internal and external access you want to use for user records.
    
    The default external access must be more restrictive or equal to the default internal access.
4. Click **Save**.
    
    Users have Read access to those below them in the role hierarchy and full access on their own user record.

#### See Also

- [Organization-Wide Sharing Defaults](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.security_sharing_owd_about.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Define the default access that users have to records they don't own with organization-wide sharing settings. Organization-wide sharing settings can be set separately for custom objects and many standard objects. You can set different levels of access for internal and external users.")
- [Control Which Users Experience Cloud Site Users Can See](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_user_sharing.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "With user sharing, you decide whether all users in an Experience Cloud site are visible to each other.")
- [User Sharing Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.security_sharing_users_concept.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Review these considerations before you implement user sharing.")