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Full Running User entry
How-to guide

How to set the running user on a dashboard

Set or change the running user on an existing dashboard in Lightning Experience. This decides whose data access the dashboard uses when it refreshes, so plan the choice before you publish it to an audience.

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

Set or change the running user on an existing dashboard in Lightning Experience. This decides whose data access the dashboard uses when it refreshes, so plan the choice before you publish it to an audience.

  1. Open the dashboard and edit it

    From the Dashboards tab, open the dashboard you want to configure and click Edit to enter the dashboard builder.

  2. Open the properties panel

    Click the gear or Properties control to open the dashboard properties, then find the "View Dashboard As" section.

  3. Pick the running-user mode

    Choose Me to run as yourself, choose another person to run as a specified user, or choose The dashboard viewer to make it a dynamic dashboard.

  4. Decide on viewer switching

    Optionally enable "Let dashboard viewers choose whom they view the dashboard as" so authorized viewers can re-run the dashboard from a different perspective.

  5. Save and confirm the data

    Save the dashboard, refresh it, and verify the totals match the access level you intended before sharing the folder with viewers.

Key options
Me (creator)remember

Viewers see data according to your own access; simplest option for a personal or small-team dashboard.

Another specified userremember

Everyone sees data at the named user's access level; requires View My Team's Dashboards or View All Data.

The dashboard viewer (dynamic)remember

Each viewer sees only their own records; counts against the per-edition dynamic dashboard limit.

Let viewers chooseremember

Authorized viewers switch the running user themselves, scoped by their View My Team's Dashboards or View All Data permission.

Gotchas
  • A high-access running user (View All Data) can expose the whole org's numbers to any viewer who opens the dashboard.
  • Dynamic dashboards cannot live in private folders, cannot be scheduled, and cannot be subscribed to.
  • Dynamic dashboards count against a per-edition cap, and ones sitting in the Recycle Bin still count until permanently deleted.
  • If the running user is deactivated or leaves, the dashboard can break or keep showing that person's stale access.

See the full Running User entry

Running User includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.