Default automation user versus running user
Key Takeaway
The running user is the user who launched the flow. The Default Workflow User is the user Salesforce falls back on when the user who triggered delayed automation is no longer active, and it always runs schedule-triggered flows.
Every flow has a running user: the user who launched it. In user context, that user's permissions and sharing control what the flow can do with data. The Default Workflow User is a separate setting: a user you pick in Process Automation Settings.
The running user in user context
In user context, the running user's profile and permission sets set the flow's object permissions and field-level access.
For example, imagine a flow running in user context that tries to update the Rating field on an Account record. The flow fails if the running user can't edit the Account object or can't edit the Rating field.
Sharing also limits a flow running in user context. All of these apply:
- Org-wide defaults
- Role hierarchies
- Sharing rules
- Manual sharing
- Teams
- Territories
For example, imagine that the Opportunity org-wide default is Private and no opportunities are shared with the running user. A flow running in user context can't read or edit any opportunity records.