Definition
Sharing Settings is a Setup page where administrators define the organization-wide default (OWD) access levels for each object and create sharing rules to extend access beyond the defaults. OWD settings control the baseline visibility (Private, Public Read Only, Public Read/Write) for records across the org.
Real-World Example
The admin at Apex Dynamics sets the OWD for Opportunities to "Private" in Sharing Settings so reps can only see their own deals. She then creates a sharing rule that grants read access to all Opportunities in the same territory, and another rule that shares Closed Won deals with the entire finance team for invoicing purposes.
Why Sharing Settings Matters
Sharing Settings is the central Setup page where administrators define the Organization-Wide Defaults (OWDs) for every standard and custom object in Salesforce. OWDs establish the baseline level of record access: Private (only the owner and those above in the role hierarchy can see the record), Public Read Only (everyone can see but not edit), or Public Read/Write (everyone can see and edit). From this same page, administrators create Sharing Rules to extend access beyond the baseline for specific groups of users. Together, OWDs and Sharing Rules form the foundation of Salesforce's record-level security model.
The Sharing Settings page is where the most consequential security decisions in a Salesforce org are made, because OWDs affect every single record of an object. Changing an OWD from Public Read/Write to Private can break existing workflows, reports, and integrations that assumed universal access. Conversely, changing from Private to Public Read Only opens up data visibility that may violate compliance requirements. Administrators should approach OWD changes with extreme caution, always testing in a full-copy sandbox and communicating with stakeholders well in advance. The page also displays the sharing model calculation status, alerting admins when recalculation is in progress after a sharing rule change.
How Organizations Use Sharing Settings
- Apex Dynamics — Apex Dynamics set the Opportunity OWD to Private so reps can only see their own deals. The admin then created two sharing rules on the Sharing Settings page: one granting read access to all Opportunities in the same territory, and another sharing Closed Won deals with the finance team for invoicing. This three-layer approach protects deal confidentiality while enabling collaboration.
- Silverstone Legal — Silverstone set the Case OWD to Private for client confidentiality, then created criteria-based sharing rules that share cases with the assigned legal team's public group. When a case is transferred between teams, the sharing rule automatically adjusts access because it is criteria-based (matching the team assignment field), ensuring seamless handoffs without manual sharing.
- FrontLine Retail — FrontLine changed their Account OWD from Public Read/Write to Public Read Only after discovering that junior reps were accidentally modifying accounts owned by other regions. The change required updating 12 Flows that assumed write access and retraining 200 users, but eliminated the 50+ accidental modifications that were occurring monthly.