Role hierarchy and subordinate access
Key Takeaway
Users in a role automatically get access to all records owned by or shared with users in roles below them. The role hierarchy only adds access, so you can't use it to restrict access further than your organization-wide defaults.
The role hierarchy is a tree of roles that controls how far record access reaches up an organization. It lets managers see their team's data.
How the role hierarchy opens up access
The role hierarchy opens up access vertically. Users at any role level can view, edit, and report on all records owned by or shared with users in roles below them. This upward access is automatic, so an admin doesn't need sharing rules or other features to give managers access to their subordinates' records.
For example, imagine that the Sales Manager role sits above the Sales Rep role. Sales Managers automatically get access to every record that Sales Reps own. They also get access to every record that Sales Reps can reach through sharing rules, manual sharing, or other features.
The role hierarchy only adds access. You can't use it to restrict access further than your organization-wide defaults.