Territory user access levels and parent-child inheritance
Key Takeaway
On a child territory's records, users in the parent territory get the child's own access level, not the parent's. A child set to view access keeps parent users from editing its opportunities, even when the parent allows view and edit.
Sales Territories controls access to accounts, leads, and opportunities by assigning users to territories that match where they sell. You set default access levels for territory records. You can override those defaults on a single territory. Territories form a parent-child hierarchy, so a child territory's access level also decides what users in the territories above it can do with the child's records.
Territories, models, and users
A top-level territory sits directly under the territory model. A child territory sits under an existing territory, the way a city territory might sit under a regional territory.
Assigning users or roles to a territory gives them access to the records in that territory. Access follows where reps sell, not only who owns a record. Assigned users get access to records only after the territory model's state changes from "Planning" to "Active".