How to Set Up Salesforce Integration Users

Introduction

In March 2023, Salesforce granted 5 free integration user licenses to all companies using Enterprise edition or above. These licenses are a fantastic addition because they:

• Segment API Access
• Allow Integration Specific Permissions to increase security

In today’s blog post, I will walk you through:

1. Best Practices on creating a Salesforce integration user.
2. How to reset the security token.
3. How to assign standard and custom object permissions.

Creating a Salesforce Integration User

Creating a Salesforce integration user is similar to creating a standard user. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Steps to Create a Salesforce Integration User

1. Navigate to Setup:
   • Inside of Setup, go to Users and then Create a User.
2. Enter User Information:
   • Enter a name for the user.
   • Provide an email address. Using email aliases is a best practice, e.g., email+integration@domain.com.
3. Assign License:
   • Assign the license Salesforce Integration.
4. Assign Profile:
   • Assign a profile to the user.
5. Save the User:
   • Save the new user.

Now, additional configuration is required to make the integration user functional.

Salesforce Integration User Security Token

Many integrations require the standard username, password, and security token. To retrieve the security token, follow these steps:

Steps to Retrieve the Security Token

1. Enable Administrator Login Access:
   • Ensure Administrators Can Log in as Any User is enabled under the Login Access Policy.
2. Login as the User:
   • Log in as the integration user.
3. Reset Security Token:
   • Navigate to My Settings -> Reset My Security Token.
   • Click on Reset Security Token.

The security token will be sent to the email provided when the user was created.

Salesforce Integration Object Permissions

With Salesforce retiring profiles in Spring ‘26, it is best practice to create permission sets to grant necessary permissions. Here’s how to set up object permissions for your integration user:

Steps to Create a Permission Set for Integration User For Standard Objects

To add permissions to standard objects, you must:

1. Create a New Permission Set:
   • Create a new permission set with the license type Salesforce API Integration.
2. Grant Permissions:
   • Grant object and field permissions as needed.
3. Assign Permission Set:
   • Assign the permission set to the integration user.

Salesforce Integration User License Limitations

It’s essential to understand the limitations of the Salesforce Integration User License:

Best Practices

• Use Email Aliases: When creating integration users, use email aliases to keep track of different integrations.
• Create Permission Sets: Instead of relying on profiles, create permission sets to manage permissions effectively.

Conclusion

Integration users are a great way to segment API access and increase security for third-party integrations with Salesforce. By following the best practices and steps outlined in this guide, you can efficiently set up and manage Salesforce integration users.