Learning Objectives

• Explain what a Salesforce user account is and what details it holds.
• Add users one at a time or in bulk.
• Freeze or deactivate users.

What Is a User?

A user is anyone who logs in to Salesforce—employees or external users. Each person has a user account that controls access.

Common fields:

• Username
• Email address
• First and last name
• Alias
• Nickname
• License
• Profile
• Role (optional)

Manage users at Setup → Users: create, reset passwords, open details, edit, and (if allowed) log in as the user.

Key Terms

Username

Must look like an email address and be unique across all Salesforce orgs.

User Licenses

Define which features a user can access (e.g., full Salesforce vs. Chatter Free).

Profiles

Each user has one profile for defaults. Best practice: assign Minimum Access – Salesforce and grant extras with permission sets or permission set groups.

Roles

Control visibility through the role hierarchy. One role per user; optional.

Alias

Short identifier used in lists/reports (default = first initial + first four letters of last name).

Guidelines for Adding Users

• Username: unique across Salesforce.
• Format: must look like an email address.
• Email: can be the same across different orgs.
• Password: user must change it on first login.
• Login link: welcome email link works once; reset if unused.

Add Users

1. Go to Setup → type Users in Quick Find → select Users.
2. Click New User (one) or Add Multiple Users (up to 10).
3. Enter name, email, and a unique username (email format).
4. Select a User License.
5. Select a Profile.
6. (Optional) Send login email with a temporary password.
7. Click Save.

Freeze a User

Blocks login without freeing the license.

1. Setup → Users.
2. Open the user’s record.
3. Click Freeze.

Deactivate a User

Blocks login and frees the license for reuse.

1. Setup → Users.
2. Click Edit on the user.
3. Uncheck Active → Save.

See What a User Can Access

Use User Access Summary to view permissions, groups/queues, and “Access Granted By.”

1. Setup → Users.
2. Open the user’s record.
3. Click View Summary.
4. Use tabs and “Access Granted By” to trace sources (profile/permission sets/groups).

Resources

• Salesforce Help: Manage Users
• Salesforce Help: View and Manage Users
• Salesforce Help: Licenses Overview
• Salesforce Help: Best Practice Guide