Using Field Accessibility is a diagnostic workflow, not a configuration one. The steps below cover the troubleshooting and audit patterns that turn the page from a curiosity into the canonical access-verification tool.
- Navigate to Field Accessibility
Setup > Field Accessibility, or open the object in Object Manager and click the Field Accessibility link in the fields list. The matrix loads with all profiles and record types.
- Filter to the relevant scope
Use the View by dropdown to filter by Field, Profile, or Record Type. For most troubleshooting, View by Field is the starting point.
- Identify the problematic cell
Find the cell showing unexpected access. Click it to drill into the components: FLS setting, page layout name, layout property.
- Trace the strictest layer
The bottleneck is whichever layer shows the more restrictive setting. FLS Hidden beats everything; page layout Read-Only beats FLS Edit; record type assignment selects the layout.
- Update the bottleneck
Navigate to the offending layer (Profile, Permission Set, or Page Layout) and update the setting. Return to Field Accessibility and refresh to confirm the matrix now shows the intended access.
- Test as the user
Use Login As to impersonate an affected user and verify the change. The matrix shows expected access; impersonation confirms actual access matches.
- Document the configuration
For complex orgs, capture the Field Accessibility matrix in a screenshot or export. Compliance audits expect a record of access for sensitive fields; the matrix is the canonical artifact.
Shows one field across all profiles and record types. The standard troubleshooting starting point.
Shows all fields for one profile. Useful for auditing what a profile can see on an object.
Shows all fields for one record type. Useful when launching a new record type to verify access.
Clicking a cell shows the contributing FLS, page layout, and layout property. The diagnostic detail layer.
Matrix is computed; after changing FLS or layout, refresh the page to see the updated effective access.
- The matrix is read-only. To change access, navigate to the profile, permission set, or page layout; Field Accessibility just reports the state.
- Permission sets are layered on profile FLS. A user with multiple permission sets may have access that the profile alone would not grant. Trace each contributing permission set.
- Adding a record type creates a default page layout assignment that may not match your intended FLS. Audit Field Accessibility after every record type change.
- Some fields (system audit fields like CreatedDate, formula fields) have permanent Read-Only properties that cannot be made Editable through FLS. Field Accessibility shows the cap, but the underlying constraint is the field type.
- The matrix display can become unwieldy for orgs with many profiles and record types. Filter aggressively; trying to see everything at once obscures the specific cell you care about.