Salesforce feature licences are add-on permissions that grant access to specific tools, features, or functionalities not included in the standard user licence. Understanding how they work and how to manage them is essential for optimising Salesforce capabilities while controlling costs.
Part of the Salesforce Knowledge Hub. See also: Salesforce Licence Types: A Comprehensive Guide | Salesforce Licence Optimisation Service | Salesforce Contract Negotiation Service.
Feature licences are add-on permissions that grant access to specific tools, features, or functionalities not included in the standard user licence. They enable users to perform specialised tasks without upgrading their entire user licence type.
| Characteristic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Granular access | Apply to specific functionalities. Grant access only to users who require them |
| Independent of user licences | Layered on top of user licences. For example, a Sales Cloud user can add a Marketing Cloud feature licence without changing their base licence |
| Cost-effective | Allocate advanced tools only where needed rather than upgrading licences for all users. Enable specific functionalities for only the users who need them |
| Flexibility | Scale Salesforce capabilities without overcommitting to additional user licences. Tailor the platform to suit different roles: each team gets the tools they need, nothing more |
| Reassignable | Feature licences can be reassigned to another user if the original user no longer needs access. This helps optimise costs as roles change |
| Feature Licence | Primary Use Case | Key Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing Cloud | Marketing teams: customer engagement, email campaigns, analytics | Marketing Cloud Connect, Journey Builder, campaign performance analytics |
| Salesforce Inbox | Sales and support teams relying on email communication | Email tracking and templates, calendar scheduling, automatic email logging to Salesforce records |
| Salesforce CPQ | Sales teams handling complex pricing and quoting | Quote creation and customisation, pricing rules and discount management, billing integration |
| Einstein Analytics | Data analysts and decision-makers needing deep insights | AI-driven insights and predictions, advanced data visualisation, external data source integration |
| Knowledge | Support teams managing self-service portals and knowledge bases | Article creation, categorisation and publishing, case integration, article performance analytics |
| Service Cloud Voice | Call centre and support teams needing integrated telephony | Real-time call transcription, AI sentiment analysis, call logging and case management |
| External Identity | Organisations managing customer or partner portal logins | SSO authentication, identity provider integration (Okta, Google), role-based access control |
| Live Agent | Customer support teams managing real-time chat interactions | Embedded chat windows, chat routing and queue management, Service Cloud case tracking |
| Salesforce Shield | Regulated industries needing robust data protection | Field-level encryption, event monitoring for user activity, audit trail for compliance reporting |
| Step | Action | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navigate to User Management | Go to Setup in Salesforce. Select Users under the Administration tab |
| 2 | Edit User Details | Click on the user's name. Click the Edit button to modify their user record |
| 3 | Assign Feature Licences | Scroll down to the Permission Set Assignments or Feature Licences section. Select the desired feature licence from the available list |
| 4 | Save Changes | Click Save to update the user's profile with the assigned feature licence |
| Consideration | Risk | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Over-assignment | Increased costs and potential compliance issues | Assign only to users with a demonstrated need for the feature |
| Usage monitoring | Paying for underutilised licences (e.g. Einstein Analytics assigned but not used) | Regularly review usage reports and reallocate unused licences |
| Compatibility | Feature licence may not work with the user's base licence type | Verify base licence compatibility before assigning feature licences |
| Licence expiry | Feature licences may have different renewal terms than user licences | Track expiration dates separately to avoid service disruptions |
| # | Best Practice | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audit regularly | Conduct periodic audits to review assigned feature licences, ensuring they align with current user roles and organisational needs |
| 2 | Plan for growth | Evaluate future business requirements and allocate feature licences accordingly. If expanding your marketing team, ensure you have enough Marketing Cloud licences |
| 3 | Utilise permission sets | Use permission sets and profiles to manage feature licences effectively and avoid assigning unnecessary permissions |
| 4 | Leverage reporting tools | Use Salesforce's built-in reporting tools to track feature licence usage and optimise allocations |
| 5 | Engage Salesforce experts | Consult independent licensing experts to understand the best combination of user and feature licences for your organisation |
Feature licences enable specific functionalities such as Marketing Cloud, CPQ, or Einstein Analytics. They are add-ons assigned to users in addition to their base user licences. User licences determine general access levels, while feature licences provide access to specialised tools and features for specific tasks or roles.
Feature licences must match the user's base licence. Not all feature licences are compatible with every user licence type. Compatibility should be verified before assignment to avoid functionality issues or compliance problems.
Yes. Feature licences can be reassigned to another user if the original user no longer needs access to the feature. This makes them flexible and helps optimise costs as roles change within the organisation.
Typically, feature licences follow the same contract terms as the associated user licences, but this should be confirmed during agreement review. Some feature licences may have different renewal terms, so track expiration dates separately to avoid service disruptions.
If many users require frequent access to advanced features, upgrading user licences may be more practical and cost-effective than purchasing feature licences for each individual. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis comparing the two approaches based on your specific user counts and feature requirements.
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Salesforce Licence OptimisationIndependent Salesforce advisory. Licence optimisation. Contract negotiation. Feature licence assessment. 100% vendor-independent, fixed-fee engagement.