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Commonly confused · Business Platforms & EA

Salesforce Profile vs Permission Set: What's the Difference?

A profile is required for every user and defines baseline settings such as login hours, IP ranges, page layout assignments, and default permissions. A permission set grants additional permissions to specific users on top of their profile without changing the profile itself.

vs

Permission Set

Full definition
ProfilePermission Set
Required per user?Yes, exactly oneNo, zero or many
PurposeBaseline access and settingsExtend access for specific users
Can remove access?Defines the baseline onlyNo, permission sets only add access
Unique settingsLogin hours, login IP ranges, page layout assignmentsCan be grouped into permission set groups (with muting)
Salesforce best practiceMinimal access profilesGrant most permissions through permission sets and groups
Remember it

Everyone gets one profile; permission sets are the add-on keys.

Exam tip

When a few users with the same profile need extra access, the answer is a permission set, not a new profile. Record-level access is controlled by OWD, role hierarchy, and sharing, not profiles.

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