User Creation and Management is a fundamental aspect of Salesforce administration that involves creating, configuring, and maintaining user accounts within your Salesforce organization. As a Platform Administrator, understanding this process is essential for ensuring proper system access and securi…User Creation and Management is a fundamental aspect of Salesforce administration that involves creating, configuring, and maintaining user accounts within your Salesforce organization. As a Platform Administrator, understanding this process is essential for ensuring proper system access and security.
To create a new user, navigate to Setup > Users > Users > New User. Required fields include Username (must be unique across all Salesforce organizations and formatted like an email), Email, Last Name, Alias, Nickname, Role, Profile, and User License. The username serves as the login credential, while the email address receives login information and notifications.
Profiles are critical components that determine baseline permissions, controlling what users can see and do within Salesforce. Each user must be assigned exactly one profile, which defines object permissions, field-level security, app access, and system permissions.
User Licenses determine which features and functionality users can access. Common license types include Salesforce (full CRM access), Salesforce Platform (custom app access), and Chatter licenses for collaboration features.
Roles establish the record visibility hierarchy, determining which records users can view based on the organization's reporting structure. Roles work with sharing settings to extend access beyond ownership.
Key management tasks include resetting passwords, freezing or deactivating users, unlocking accounts after failed login attempts, and modifying user details. Deactivating users is preferred over deleting them to maintain data integrity and audit trails.
Administrators can also manage users through features like delegated administration, allowing designated users to perform specific administrative tasks for defined groups. Permission Sets provide additional permissions beyond the profile, offering flexibility in granting access.
Best practices include regularly auditing user accounts, promptly deactivating departed employees, using descriptive usernames, and documenting your user management processes. Proper user management ensures security compliance and optimal system performance while providing appropriate access levels for all organizational members.
User Creation and Management in Salesforce
Why User Creation and Management is Important
User Creation and Management is a fundamental aspect of Salesforce administration that directly impacts security, productivity, and data integrity within your organization. Proper user management ensures that the right people have access to the right information at the right time, while maintaining compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements. This topic typically accounts for a significant portion of the Salesforce Administrator certification exam.
What is User Creation and Management?
User Creation and Management refers to the administrative processes of adding new users to Salesforce, configuring their access levels, maintaining their records, and deactivating users when they leave the organization. It encompasses:
• User Records: Individual accounts containing personal information, login credentials, and system preferences • Profiles: Collections of settings and permissions that determine what users can see and do • Roles: Position in the hierarchy that controls record-level access • Permission Sets: Additional permissions granted on top of profile permissions • License Types: Determines which Salesforce features users can access
How User Creation Works
Creating a New User: 1. Navigate to Setup → Users → Users 2. Click the New User button 3. Complete required fields including: Username (must be unique across all Salesforce orgs), Email, Last Name, Alias, Nickname 4. Select the appropriate User License (e.g., Salesforce, Salesforce Platform) 5. Assign a Profile 6. Optionally assign a Role 7. Set locale, time zone, and language settings 8. Save the record
Key Fields to Understand: • Username: Must be in email format and globally unique across all Salesforce organizations • Email: Can be the same across multiple users; used for password resets and notifications • Profile: Required field that controls base permissions • Role: Optional field that determines record access through the role hierarchy • Active Checkbox: Controls whether a user can log in
Managing Existing Users
Deactivating Users: When employees leave, administrators should deactivate rather than delete users. Deactivation preserves data integrity and audit trails while preventing access. To deactivate, simply uncheck the Active checkbox on the user record.
Freezing Users: For urgent situations, administrators can freeze a user account, which prevents login while allowing time to reassign records and complete deactivation properly.
Password Management: Administrators can reset passwords for users and set password policies at the organization level through Setup → Security → Password Policies.
License Considerations
Understanding license types is crucial: • Salesforce License: Full CRM functionality • Salesforce Platform License: Access to custom apps but limited standard CRM objects • Chatter Free License: Collaboration features only • Identity License: Single sign-on capabilities
Each license type restricts which profiles can be assigned to users.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on User Creation and Management
Focus Areas: • Memorize the required fields when creating users: Username, Last Name, Alias, Email, Profile, User License • Remember that usernames must be globally unique but emails do not need to be • Understand the difference between deactivating and freezing users • Know that you cannot delete users who own records • Profiles are required; roles are optional
Common Exam Scenarios: • When asked about removing access quickly, think about freezing first, then deactivation • Questions about new employees joining will focus on the user creation process and required fields • License-related questions test your knowledge of what each license type allows
Watch for Trick Questions: • A user leaving the company should be deactivated, not deleted • Username format must be email-like but does not need to be an actual email address • The user who creates a record becomes the owner by default unless otherwise specified
Best Practices to Remember: • Always verify license availability before creating users • Use permission sets for exceptions rather than creating multiple profiles • Implement naming conventions for consistency • Document user provisioning procedures for compliance