What is the difference between a profile and a permission set?

Direct Answer

A profile gives a user a baseline access shape, while a permission set adds extra access without changing the user’s base profile.

Detailed Explanation

A stronger answer explains that profiles should define the primary user type, while permission sets scale exceptions and temporary access more cleanly. This matters because profile sprawl quickly becomes hard to manage.

Why the Interviewer Asks This

The interviewer is checking whether you understand access-layer separation and scalable admin design.

Weak Answer Warning

A weak answer says both are just used for permissions and stops there.

Stronger Answer Direction

Explain baseline access versus additive access, then mention long-term maintainability.

Follow-up Question

When would permission set groups be a better answer than individual permission sets?