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Full Library Permission entry
How-to guide

Set up a library and its members

Setting up a library and its permissions is a focused task. The steps below cover library creation, member assignment, and ongoing management.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated May 19, 2026

Setting up a library and its permissions is a focused task. The steps below cover library creation, member assignment, and ongoing management.

  1. Create the library

    Files tab > Libraries > New Library. Name it, describe its purpose, and save.

  2. Configure Content Type

    Setup > Files > Content Types. Define metadata fields for the library (Asset Type, Brand, Region).

  3. Assign Content Type to library

    Edit the library; assign the Content Type. Authors now fill in those fields when uploading.

  4. Add members

    From the library detail, click Manage Members. Add individual users or public groups with the appropriate permission (Viewer, Author, Library Administrator).

  5. Upload initial content

    Add the starting set of files. Use the Content Type fields to tag consistently from day one.

  6. Communicate to users

    Tell members the library exists and where to find it. Without communication, libraries become invisible to the people they were built for.

  7. Audit membership quarterly

    Review the member list. Remove users no longer needing access; promote or demote permissions as roles change.

Key options
Viewer permissionremember

Read-only access. The default for general users.

Author permissionremember

Read plus contribute new files and edit metadata.

Library Administrator permissionremember

Full control including membership and library deletion.

Individual memberremember

Single user added by ID.

Public group memberremember

Group added; all members inherit the permission.

Gotchas
  • Library Permission is per library. There is no global files admin permission below Modify All Data.
  • Library Administrator can delete the library. Assign sparingly; deletion is destructive.
  • Membership changes propagate immediately. Removing a user from a group with library access cuts off their access without further action.
  • Content Type fields are set per library, not per file. Switching Content Type later does not retroactively populate the new fields on existing files.
  • Library files appear in global search for members. Confidential content in a library with broad membership becomes broadly visible; restrict membership accordingly.

See the full Library Permission entry

Library Permission includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.