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Full Permission Set License entry
How-to guide

How to assign a Permission Set License to a user

Assigning a Permission Set License is how you license a single user for a gated feature. The cleanest path is to assign a permission set that is already linked to the PSL, but you can also assign the PSL directly on the user record. Both need the Manage Users permission.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated Jun 16, 2026

Assigning a Permission Set License is how you license a single user for a gated feature. The cleanest path is to assign a permission set that is already linked to the PSL, but you can also assign the PSL directly on the user record. Both need the Manage Users permission.

  1. Confirm seats in Company Information

    From Setup, open Company Information and scroll to the Permission Set Licenses related list. Check that Total Licenses minus Used Licenses leaves enough seats for the users you plan to assign.

  2. Check for an associated permission set

    Look at whether the PSL is already tied to a permission set via that set's License field. If it is, assigning the user to that permission set auto-assigns the license, so you can stop after this step.

  3. Open the user record

    From Setup, enter Users in Quick Find and select Users. Click the name of the user who needs the license to open their detail page.

  4. Edit Permission Set License Assignments

    In the Permission Set License Assignments related list, click Edit Assignments. Select the permission set license you want to grant, then save.

  5. Grant the matching permission set

    Assign a permission set that contains the feature permissions tied to this license. Without it, the license is in place but the feature stays off for the user.

Permission Set License Assignments (user record)remember

The related list on a user detail page where you add or remove individual PSLs for that one person.

License field (on a permission set)remember

Set to a specific PSL to auto-assign that license to anyone added to the permission set, or --None-- to require manual PSL assignment first.

Assign Users (license detail page)remember

A button on the PSL detail page that grants the license to several users at once instead of editing each user record.

Enable for Integrationsremember

An option on some PSL detail pages that lets integration features use the license; turn it on only when a feature requires it.

Gotchas
  • Assigning a permission set that needs a PSL to a user without that PSL throws an assignment error. Grant the license first, or use a permission set whose License field auto-assigns it.
  • Used Licenses can take up to 24 hours to refresh after you add or remove licenses or activate and deactivate users, so do not trust the count immediately after a change.
  • Removing a user from a linked permission set usually unassigns the license, but not always. User access policies, another set granting the same license, and bulk removals of 50+ sets are documented exceptions.

See the full Permission Set License entry

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