Migrating from Profiles to Permission Sets
Summary
Salesforce is moving to deprecate Profiles in favor of a more modular security model using Permission Sets and Permission Set Groups. This shift allows for more granular, flexible, and scalable permission management, reducing reliance on static Profiles. Admins will also need to transition from classic Page Layouts to dynamic Lightning Record Pages, which provide personalized and flexible user experiences. Planning the migration carefully—including auditing Profiles, grouping permissions, enabling Dynamic Forms, and sandbox testing—is key to a smooth transition.
Takeaways
- Break down Profiles into modular Permission Sets for granular access control.
- Use Permission Set Groups to simplify permission assignments for larger teams.
- Shift from classic Page Layouts to dynamic Lightning Record Pages using Lightning App Builder.
- Enable Dynamic Forms to manage field-level visibility and fully retire classic Page Layouts.
- Pilot all permission and page layout changes in a sandbox to ensure smooth migration.
Initially announced in 2023, Salesforce said they would deprecate Profiles in Spring 2026. After much pushback from the community, Salesforce understood the system couldn’t fully handle this change. They focus on improving the admin experience and migrating what is left of the controls from classic style to lightning style setup. However, with that being said, taking a jump on the actions required to eventually migrate fully from the Profile security structure will be of benefit when the time finally comes. As Salesforce moves towards deprecating Profiles in favor of Permission Sets and Permission Set Groups, the way to consider the security model changes to a more modular one. The transition brings a more flexible security model that brings significant benefits. Still, it also requires admins and architects to rethink how they handle user access, page layouts, and Lightning adoption.