Our next step in the Learn Lightning series is to learn how to create and edit profiles. Profiles are how we enable users to access objects within our Salesforce application. We can allow users to create, read, edit, or delete records within each standard or custom object per profile, in addition to some other accessibility settings. This helps keep our app data clean and safe, preventing users from viewing and changing data they aren’t supposed to. As we’ll see, profiles in Lightning are nearly the same as in Classic. The only slight difference is how we access profiles through the Setup home in Lightning.
In Learn Lightning: Create an App, I created a custom app to help me stay organized for my wedding. I have custom objects to track guest and vendor data, and I would love to enable my parents to see that data so I don’t have to keep answering one-off questions about RSVPs and what’s on the catering menu. I’m going to set up a profile specifically for my parents to get access to this data, but limit their ability to create, edit, or delete records. No sneaky guest-adding, mom!
From Setup home, I find the Profiles option under the Users menu.
Instead of creating a new profile completely from scratch, I can select an existing standard profile to clone, like Standard User. I name this profile Parent since it will be for my parents to access my Wedding app.
Now, I need to edit the profile to make sure my parents get the right levels of accessibility. I want my parents to be able to have my Wedding app set as their default so they don’t get confused when they login.
Next, I want to set the object accessibility to make sure they can see the data in my custom Guest and Vendor objects, but I don’t want them to be able to create, edit, or delete the data in them.
I could also set specific settings for passwords and sessions, like making their password be at least 20 characters, but I won’t do that because then my dad will definitely never remember his password.
As you can see, creating and editing profiles in Lightning isn’t different than in Classic beyond the setup menu. Profiles are just one level of accessibility in Salesforce. We will tackle the next level, permission sets, next week. One of my favorite resources for explaining accessibility levels in Salesforce is the Who Sees What video series. I actually credit that video series for helping me pass my ADM 201 certification exam, so check it out!
Check out the rest of the Learn Lightning series:
Part 1: Setup
Part 2: Create an App
Part 3: Create & Clone Users
Part 4: Create Groups
Part 5: Create & Edit Objects
Part 6: Create Reports
At TDX 2026, the Agentblazer community demonstrated what happens when creativity meets the power of the Agentforce 360 Platform. From coordinating life-saving food rescues to streamlining complex medical research, these builders used tools like Data 360, Slack, and Tableau to solve real-world challenges. Here are the most impactful, creative, and technically impressive solutions that came […]
Security in Salesforce doesn’t usually come down to one big decision. It’s shaped over time by a lot of smaller ones—how access is set up, how permissions are assigned, and how users are managed as your org grows. Individually, those choices often make sense in the moment. But over time, they can create gaps that […]
Salesforce Administrators have always been at the center of how organizations run their most critical systems. But as AI, automation, and agents reshape the way work gets done, the admin role is evolving faster than ever. “The Next Gen Admin: Conversations Shaping the Role in the AI Era” is a series exploring how Salesforce Admins […]
