While working on projects, being a Salesforce Administrator, it’s a challenging task to deal with profile and permission sets. Sometimes you may want to convert a profile to a permission set for better maintainability or handle a business requirement.

For example, you’re working on a project, and you have a requirement to create a permission set that contains the same permissions (and access) as the Solution Manager standard profile. 

Now you can imagine how tedious it is. It may take a few hours to finish the above work. In this article, I will try to answer the above question and explain how you can solve it within a few minutes.

Introducing Permission Helper

Permission Helper is an astounding tool that allows you to convert the profiles and their related permissions into a permission set. This app is being developed by Salesforce Lab and it is free to use.

Converting a profile’s and related permissions directly into a permission set is helpful and time-saving rather than creating it manually from scratch.

Advantages of Using Permission Helper

• Quickly convert a profile (Standard or Custom) to a permission set.
• This app also has a feature that will help you analyze permissions assigned to users on one page.
• Creating a Permission Report is just a click away which will help you to understand your permissions structure.
• It reduces the overhead in profile and permission sets management when switching user licenses.

Pre-requisite to Install Permission Helper

To install the Permission Helper app, make sure the user has Manage Billing Permission assigned. It is a best practice to create a new permission set and assign it to system administrators.

Follow the steps to create a new permission set (to grant Manage Billing permission) and assign it to the users:

1. Navigate to Setup | ADMINISTRATION | Permission Sets | New.
2. Fill in the required values, as shown below:

3. Navigate to System Permissions and click on the Edit button.
4. Select Manage Billing check box

5. Once you’re ready, click on the Save button.
6. Click on Manage Assignment and Assign the permission set to your user’s account.

Now have done with the assignment of Manage Billing Permission set to the user, let’s start the base setup.

Base Configuration for Permission Helper

1. Use this link to install Permission Helper app from the Salesforce AppExchange.

2. Click on Install in Production button ( as we’re going to Install the app in our Trailhead Playground). If you don’t see your Account listed, click on the More Info.

3. Once you’re ready, click on the Confirm and Install button.

4. Enter your Salesforce credentials, after successful login you will be redirect to App installation configuration page, as shown below:
   1. Select Install for Admins Only radio button.
   2. Click on the Install button.

We have done with the base configuration!

Convert Solution Manager Profile to a Permission Set

Now let’s explorer together and learn to how use permission helper to convert Solution Manager profile to a Permission Set.

1. Navigate to the App Launcher and click on the Permission Helper.

2. Click on the Coverter tab. Now select Standard User Profile | Convert to Permission Set option.

3. Name the Permission Set: Standard User Limited and enter the meaningful description. Once you’re ready click on the Convert button.

4. To view the newly created permission set navigate to Setup |ADMINISTRATION | Users| Permission Sets.
5. Feel free to assign the permission set to the users.

You are Done!!!

I would love to hear about your experience with the Permission Helper app, How do you use it?