# Sharing sets, share groups and partner roles

*Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect Study Guide · Access to Records · Last updated October 26, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-sharing-and-visibility-architect/access-to-records/sharing-sets-share-groups-and-partner-roles*

How customers, partners and guests reach records: sharing sets and share groups for high-volume users, account roles and super users for role-based users, sharing rules aimed at external roles, account relationship data sharing rules, and the guest user rules that are the only way to share with unauthenticated visitors.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect
- Exam section: Access to Records
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-sharing-and-visibility-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a set of conditions, determine what sharing mechanism is appropriate to share records with External Users.

## What the exam expects

- Tell high-volume users (no roles) from role-based external users and pick the mechanism each can use.
- Design sharing sets and share groups, including what a share group exposes and who it can't reach.
- Predict access through partner and customer account roles, owner changes and super user access.
- Target external roles in sharing rules, and share between peer accounts with account relationship data sharing rules.
- Give unauthenticated guests the only access they can have: Read Only through guest user sharing rules.

Key terms: **high-volume user** (external user without a role); **sharing set** (maps the user's account or contact to records); **share group** (opens high-volume users' records to others); **account roles** (1-3 roles per external account); **super user** (sees peers' records); **account relationship data sharing rule** (shares one account's records with another).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| High-volume licences | External Apps, Customer Community, High Volume Customer Portal, Authenticated Website | [High-Volume Site Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_about_hvpu.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Sharing sets per profile | One | [Create a Sharing Set](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_setting_light_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Sharing set exclusions | Public Read/Write objects; custom objects without account or contact lookup | [Create a Sharing Set](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_setting_light_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Share groups | Not with guests; not for Customer Community Plus or Partner Community | [Share Groups](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_sharing_light_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Roles per account | 1-3, set in Digital Experiences Settings | [Roles Created for Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005167124&language=en_US&type=1) |
| Account owner change | Partner roles move to the new owner's position | [Partner User Roles](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_partner_roles_overview.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Partner super user objects | Cases, leads, custom objects, opportunities | [Super User Access](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_customer_super_user_access.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Portal role limit | 50,000 by default, all sites | [Experience Cloud Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Account Relationships | Can't be disabled once enabled; Read or Write | [Configure Data Sharing Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.networks_configure_account_relationship_data_sharing_rules.htm&type=5) |
| Guest access | Read Only via guest user sharing rules only | [Secure Guest Users’ Sharing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_secure_guest_user_sharing.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why can't a Partner Community user be given access through a share group?
- When a partner account gets a new owner, what happens to its partner roles?
- Why does a sharing set on Case not show customers the case's account?
- What does Salesforce recommend instead of three partner roles per account?

## Sources

- [About High-Volume Community or Site Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_about_hvpu.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Create a Sharing Set for Experience Cloud Site Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_setting_light_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Use Share Groups to Share Records Owned by High-Volume Experience Cloud Site Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_sharing_light_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Partner User Roles](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_partner_roles_overview.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Experience Cloud: Roles automatically created for accounts when enabling external users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005167124&language=en_US&type=1)
- [Grant Portal Super User Access to Partner and Customer Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_customer_super_user_access.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Sharing Rule Categories](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=networks_partners_sharing_rules.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Sharing Rule Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.security_sharing_rule_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Account Relationships and Account Relationship Data Sharing Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_partner_account_relationships_and_sharing.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Configure Account Relationship Data Sharing Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.networks_configure_account_relationship_data_sharing_rules.htm&type=5)
- [Secure Guest Users’ Sharing Settings and Record Access](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_secure_guest_user_sharing.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [External Organization-Wide Defaults Overview](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.security_owd_external.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Troubleshoot Missing Object or Record Access for Customer or Partner Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.admin_troubleshoot_external_missing.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 13 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams