Salesforce ArchitectureBeginnersharingrolessecurity
What is role hierarchy and sharing in Salesforce?
Real World Scenario
Sales rep cannot see a peer's Opportunity but manager should. You explain basics of record access.
Expected Answer
• Organization-wide defaults (OWD) set baseline public read/write or private per object
• Role hierarchy grants upward access to records owned by subordinates
• Sharing rules grant exceptions for peers or public groups
• Manual sharing and teams add case-by-case access
• Most restrictive wins when multiple rules apply—test with real users
Follow-Up Questions & Answers
Click to expand — each follow-up includes a direct, interview-ready answer
Profiles control object and field permissions (can user access Opportunities at all). Sharing controls which records within that access.
Architect Perspective
Profile = can access object; sharing = which rows. Junior security distinction interviewers love.