Report Displays a Hidden Field to Unintended Users

This article explains three common scenarios in Salesforce where a field that is expected to be hidden still appears in reports, and how to correct each situation.

Scenario 1: The Field Is Hidden on the Page Layout, Not Through Field Level Security

If a field is hidden only on a page layout, users may still access it through reports, search results, list views, and the API. Page layout visibility does not restrict field access; only Field Level Security (FLS) controls access to the field itself.

To verify and correct this:

1. Review the field's Field Level Security settings.

2. Check whether the field is marked as Hidden for the affected profile.

3. Hover over Hidden to determine whether the field is hidden because of the page layout or because of Field Level Security.

4. If the field is hidden only by the page layout, click Hidden for the appropriate profile and clear the Visible checkbox to enforce Field Level Security restrictions.

Scenario 2: The Field Is Actually Another Field That Has Been Renamed

In some cases, the field displayed in the report may be a renamed version of a different field.

Review the following possibilities:

• If the report was created using a Custom Report Type, the field may have been renamed through the Edit Layout section.

• For organizations using Translation Workbench, review whether a translated label exists for the user's language on a field within the same object.

• For Managed Packages, verify whether the field label has been overridden through package translations or customization settings.

Scenario 3: Field Level Security Has Been Overridden by a Permission Set

A Permission Set can grant field visibility beyond the access provided through a user's profile.

To troubleshoot:

1. Review the affected user's assigned Permission Sets.

2. Check the field permissions granted by each Permission Set.

3. Confirm whether the field has been explicitly granted visibility through a Permission Set assignment.

4. Remove or modify the Permission Set permission if the field should remain hidden.