User Management Settings
User Management Settings is a Setup page where administrators configure global settings for user account management, including enabling enhanced profile management, scrambling user data for deactivated users, and controlling the user self-deactivation feature.
Definition
User Management Settings is a Setup page where administrators configure global settings for user account management, including enabling enhanced profile management, scrambling user data for deactivated users, and controlling the user self-deactivation feature.
In plain English
“Here's a simple way to think about it: User Management Settings shapes what admins can do when users come and go. Enhanced profile management, scrambling user data on deactivation, self-deactivation feature - the toggles for user lifecycle.”
Worked example
The admin at TechNova opens User Management Settings and enables the "Scramble specific user data when users are deactivated" option to comply with GDPR data minimization requirements. When employees leave the company and their accounts are deactivated, their personal details like phone number and mobile number are automatically obfuscated.
Why User Management Settings shape what admins can do when users come and go
Onboarding, offboarding, and the handful of edge cases in between (user reactivation, data scrambling, self-deactivation) all rely on settings configured here. User Management Settings turns specific capabilities on or off - enhanced profile editor, scrambling user data when a record is deactivated, the user self-deactivation feature that lets users disable their own account. The page is small; each toggle changes what the org's user-management workflow looks like.
The reason it's worth knowing is that the right configuration depends on your privacy posture. Scrambling deactivated user data is best practice in regulated industries (PII shouldn't linger on inactive records); self-deactivation is convenient for users but requires careful handling of orphaned ownership. Match the configuration to the policies your privacy and security teams have set, and revisit it whenever those policies change.
How to set up User Management Settings
User Management Settings configure org-wide policies for User accounts — username format, lockout durations, MFA enforcement defaults. The page is small but the toggles affect every User in the org.
- Open Setup → User Management Settings
Setup gear → Quick Find: User Management → User Management Settings.
- Configure Username Format
Optional org-wide convention. Most orgs use email-based usernames; some use shorter formats.
- Set Default Locking and Lockout Duration
How many failed login attempts trigger lockout. How long the lockout lasts before auto-unlock.
- Configure MFA enforcement
Whether MFA is required org-wide or per-profile. Salesforce contractually requires MFA for admin profiles since 2022.
- Save
Settings apply to all User accounts.
Number of failed login attempts before lockout. Default 10.
How long the lockout lasts. Default 15 minutes; configurable up to 24 hours.
Org-wide vs per-profile. Per-profile is more flexible.
Format guidance for new Users.
- Username format is a convention, not enforcement. Salesforce doesn't validate format on User creation — admins can create non-conforming usernames.
- Lockout Duration above 24 hours requires admin intervention to unlock. Plan a lockout-help process before going strict.
- MFA enforcement is contractually required for admins. Don't disable on admin profiles — non-compliance can affect your contract.
How organizations use User Management Settings
Enabled scrambling on deactivation for HIPAA posture; PII doesn't linger on inactive records.
Self-deactivation enabled for contractor profiles; access ends automatically when contractors complete engagements.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on User Management Settings.
- Manage UsersSalesforce Help
Test your knowledge
Q1. In which area of Salesforce would you typically find User Management Settings?
Q2. Can a Salesforce admin configure User Management Settings without writing code?
Q3. What is the primary benefit of User Management Settings for Salesforce administrators?
Discussion
Loading discussion…