Grant Access Using Hierarchies for custom objects
Key Takeaway
To keep a custom object's records private to their owners, even from users in higher roles, set the organization-wide default to Private and deselect Grant Access Using Hierarchies.
The role hierarchy automatically gives users in higher roles access to the records that users below them own or can see. Grant Access Using Hierarchies is a checkbox in the organization-wide defaults that controls whether this automatic upward access applies to an object. Deselecting it on a custom object lets you keep records private to their owners, even from users in higher roles.
How the role hierarchy opens up access
The role hierarchy opens up access vertically. Users in higher roles get access to records owned by or shared with users in roles below them, including records shared through sharing rules, manual sharing, or other features.
For example, suppose the Sales Manager role sits above the Sales Rep role. Sales Managers automatically see every record that Sales Reps own or can access, and you don't need any sharing rules for this.
Access through the role hierarchy is how you open access back up when the organization-wide default is less than Public Read/Write.
| Organization-wide default | Who can view records | Who can edit records |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Only the owner and users above the owner's role | Only the owner and users above the owner's role |
| Public Read Only | All users | Only the owner and users above the owner's role |
The role hierarchy doesn't need to match your company's org chart. Each role should represent a level of data access that a group of users needs, so job titles with the same access can share one role.