As with most wish-granting Eternal Dragons, Shenron is a neutral figure who grants any wish within his power regardless of the intent of the wish itself or the nature of his summoner, including evil beings such as King Piccolo (who ended up killing him afterwards), Garlic Jr., and so on. Shenron is normally very courteous, polite, and does his best to grant a wish in a way that will bring the most joy to the summoner, including advising against what he considers impractical wishes and proposing alternatives unless the summoner absolutely insists. The exacting wording of a wish is still important, however, as seen in the unintented interpretation of the Pilaf Gang's desire for 'youth' resulting in them becoming children.

He will also preemptively inform his summoner if a wish cannot be fulfilled for whatever reason. A frequently mentioned limit is the inability to eliminate a threat more individually powerful than the wish dragon or their creator is, as was the case with the Vegeta and Nappa and their power compared to Kami. Shenron has also expressed doubt at unusually complex or demanding wishes he has never attempted, such reviving an enormous number of victims of the Frieza Army within a year of a wish. During the Black Dragon Ball arc, it is implied these complex wishes generate the largest amounts of negative energy.

While kind at heart, he has a strong personality (Porunga is specifically called out as more laid-back) and can be impatient or aggressive when dealing with supposedly frivolous wishes, such as Yamcha's idea of wishing for a necklace. He is annoyed by indecisiveness or interruptions during summons and perceives them as wasting his time; he once attempted to physically rebuke Gohan's friendly dragon Icarus (who had misunderstood the situation and attempted to defend Gohan) for its impertinence.

Like most mortals and deities, Shenron is terrified and fearfully respectful towards Beerus, the God of Destruction of Universe 7. If summoned within Beerus's vicinity for whatever reason, even for simple information, Shenron will leave as quickly as is polite or feasible.