Internal versus external organization-wide defaults
Key Takeaway
Each supported object has one OWD for internal users and a separate OWD for external authenticated users. The external level must be equal to or more restrictive than the internal level.
Organization-wide defaults (OWDs) set the baseline access that users have to records they don't own. On each supported object, you can set one default for internal users and a separate default for external authenticated users, such as partner and customer site users. This lets you keep data open inside the company and locked down for outsiders, then open up only the external access you need.
Two OWD settings on each supported object
Each supported object has two OWD settings: Default Internal Access for internal users and Default External Access (the external OWD) for external authenticated users.
A separate Default External Access setting simplifies sharing rule setup and improves sharing recalculation performance. The setting also speeds up these operations:
- Reports
- List views
- Searches
- API queries