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Restriction rules

What it is. A rule that narrows what somebody can see, rather than widening it.

What it does. Of the records a person could otherwise see, it keeps only those matching your criteria.

Why it matters. This is the only thing in the portal that takes access away. Everything else — defaults, sharing rules, groups, hierarchy — only ever adds.

Opening it​

Where: Admin → Sharing → Restriction Rules

  1. Click Admin in the top menu.
  2. Click Sharing, then Restriction Rules.

Restriction rules

Creating one​

  1. Click New.
  2. Choose the Object — the kind of record.
  3. Choose who it Applies To — a person, a role, or a group.
  4. Set what records must match for them to keep seeing them.
  5. Click Save.

From then on, those people see only records that match.

Use it carefully​

A restriction rule can make records vanish for somebody who could see them a minute ago, and from their side it looks exactly like data loss.

Three habits worth keeping:

  1. Test with one person first, not a whole role.
  2. Tell people before you turn it on.
  3. Check with Record Access afterwards, on a record you expect them to keep and one you expect them to lose.

When it is the right tool​

When somebody needs broad permission for most of their job but must not see one slice of the data — a contractor who works on one company's records only, for example.

If you find yourself reaching for a restriction rule often, the default is probably too open. Tightening the floor is usually cleaner than cutting people back one rule at a time.

Turning one off​

Set it to Inactive. Access returns immediately to whatever the other rules allow.