# Experience Cloud and platform license sharing limits

*Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect Study Guide · Implications of Security Model Choice · Last updated October 26, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-sharing-and-visibility-architect/implications-of-security-model-choice/experience-cloud-and-platform-license-sharing-limits*

How the user licence caps what any sharing design can open: internal versus external licences, Platform licence object limits, which Experience Cloud licences get roles and sharing rules versus sharing sets, high-volume user restrictions, and what upgrades, downgrades and licence removal change.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect
- Exam section: Implications of Security Model Choice
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-sharing-and-visibility-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a set of conditions, determine the license limitations that will impact the intended sharing solution.

## What the exam expects

- Choose an internal or external licence from who the user is, and explain what each can log in to.
- Predict when a Platform licence caps access below what sharing grants.
- Pick Customer Community, Customer Community Plus, Partner Community or Channel Account (member- or login-based) from sharing, reporting, scale and cost needs.
- List what high-volume users can't do and which sharing tools still reach them.
- Plan the sharing consequences of licence upgrades, downgrades, profile changes and licence removal.

Key terms: **external licence** (site-only access for non-employees); **high-volume user** (role-less external user: External Apps, Customer Community, High Volume Customer Portal, Authenticated Website); **role-based licence** (Customer Community Plus, Partner Community, Channel Account); **login-based licence** (pays per daily unique login); **sharing set** (account or contact access mapping for site users).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| External licence access | Only member sites, never the internal org | [When to Use an Internal or External License](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_internal_external_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| One App licence | Read-only Accounts and Contacts; up to 10 custom objects | [Standard User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.users_license_types_available.htm&type=5) |
| Customer Community | Sharing sets; never a sharing rule target, but records they own can be a rule source | [Experience Cloud License Limitations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_licenses_limitations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Channel Account | Partner Community features; up to 40 pooled users per account | [Channel Account Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_partner_based.htm&language=en_US) |
| High-volume users | No groups, teams, owner-based rules, territories or manual shares | [About High-Volume Community or 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) |
| Upgrade | Irreversible; removes sharing sets and permission sets | [Licenses Eligible for Upgrades](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.networks_license_upgrade_eligible.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Licence removed | Members keep site access; deactivate the site | [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why can't a Customer Community user's claim records be shared manually?
- When does a custom object not appear in a sharing set's Available Objects?
- Why might upgraded users stop getting into the site?
- Which public group do users upgraded to Partner Community join?

## Sources

- [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [About High-Volume Community or Site Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_about_hvpu.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Experience Cloud Licenses Eligible for Upgrades](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.networks_license_upgrade_eligible.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)
- [Experience Cloud License Limitations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_licenses_limitations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [When to Use an Internal or External License](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_internal_external_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_understanding_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Standard User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.users_license_types_available.htm&type=5)
- [Channel Account Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_partner_based.htm&language=en_US)
- [Sharing Rule Categories](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=networks_partners_sharing_rules.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 18 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