Read Only
A Salesforce field or record access level that allows users to view data but not modify, create, or delete it, enforced through profiles, permission sets, field-level security, or sharing settings.
Definition
A Salesforce field or record access level that allows users to view data but not modify, create, or delete it, enforced through profiles, permission sets, field-level security, or sharing settings.
In plain English
“Read Only is a Salesforce access level that lets users view data but not modify, create, or delete it. You enforce it through profiles, permission sets, field-level security, or sharing settings, depending on what level of access you're controlling.”
Worked example
The admin at Vendome Capital creates a permission set called Read-Only Audit Access for the external auditors. The permission set grants Read access to every object in the org but not Edit, Create, or Delete on any. Field-level security is also Read-Only on a few sensitive fields. When the auditors log in, they can navigate the data, run reports, and inspect every record - but any attempt to modify a field returns a permission error. The Read-Only profile lets the auditors do their job without risking accidental edits to live data.
Why Read Only matters
Read Only is a Salesforce field or record access level that allows users to view data but not modify, create, or delete it, enforced through profiles, permission sets, field-level security, or sharing settings. Read-only access is common for audit and reference purposes: users need to see certain data but shouldn't change it. Read-only can apply at different levels of granularity: specific fields, specific objects, specific records, or the whole org.
Read-only access is part of the principle of least privilege. When users only need to view data, granting read-only access is safer than granting full access. Mature orgs use read-only liberally for view-only use cases while granting edit access only to users who need to make changes. Well-designed profiles and permission sets reflect this by layering access thoughtfully.
How organizations use Read Only
Grants read-only access to executive dashboards so leadership can view data without accidentally changing anything.
Uses read-only field-level security on sensitive fields that users need to see but shouldn't edit.
Treats read-only as the default for any data users view but don't need to modify.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is Read Only access?
Q2. Where can read-only be enforced?
Q3. What principle does read-only support?
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