Save These Dates: Spring ’24 Sandbox Preview

Three times a year, we release new features and functionality, so you can take advantage of the latest and greatest that our platform has to offer. Let’s dig into the dates for this sandbox preview, so you can see what’s coming up for the Spring ’24 Salesforce release. Note the key dates for this release now so your organization is prepared for the upgrade.

We’ll upgrade your production instance to the Spring ’24 release according to the rolling 12-month release calendar. To check your upgrade date, enter your instance name or domain and click the maintenance tab.

The next thing you need to know is when your sandbox will be upgraded to Spring ’24, as this is the first opportunity you’ll get to test your configurations on the new release. Let’s look at the dates you’ll need to know.

Now: Join the Release Readiness Trailblazers Community

Stay in the know by joining the Release Readiness Trailblazers Community. That’s where we post available resources, and it’s a great place to ask questions as you implement new features. If you’re new to managing releases, there’s a Trailhead module to walk you through the process.

Now, let’s dig into this sandbox preview for Spring ‘24.

December 14: Sign up for a prerelease environment

Why do you need a prerelease org? It’s a test environment with new release features enabled, allowing you plenty of time to test and figure out which ones are right for your organization. If you already had a prerelease org for Winter ’24, you can log back into that one. 

If you’re uncertain what features you want to implement, join the Trailblazer Community Treasure Hunt to see what others in the community are excited about.

December 20: Preview release notes are available

This is the time to scan the release notes. Use filters to display only the sections that relate to the edition and clouds you currently use.

January 4: Sandbox cut-off date

Use your sandbox to get early access to new features and test configurations before the scheduled production upgrade. You must have an active sandbox on a preview instance before January 4, to get the Spring ’24 preview in your sandbox. 

In most cases, you don’t need to do anything because your sandbox is already on a preview instance. Get all the details you need in the sandbox preview instructions article on Salesforce Help.

January 5: Sandboxes upgraded

If you’ve decided to take advantage of sandbox preview, your chosen sandboxes are upgraded to Spring ’24 this weekend. Like the prerelease program, the sandbox preview allows you to test new features without impacting your live environment. However, the added benefit to the sandbox preview is the ability to test new features using a configuration that matches your production environment.

January 8: Spring ’24 release site is live

To help you get a better handle on the Spring ’24 release, you’ll be able to go through the Release Highlights module on Trailhead on this date. This is a quick and easy way to learn about features. We offer demo videos, Trailhead modules, community forums, and more to make the process as easy as possible.

January 12: First release weekend

The first release weekend is when we at Salesforce and a small number of customers get upgraded. At this stage, you probably already have your key features earmarked. If you’re ready for your upgrade, the Release Readiness Trailblazers group will have all the content you need to get your organization’s users up to speed on the new features you plan to rollout.

February 2: Second release weekend

Another set of instances during the February 2 weekend. If you have any questions, our Trust page has the latest info on the timing of the upgrade. And, since it only takes five minutes, the upgrade shouldn’t impact your operations or uptime.

February 6-8: Release Readiness Live

Hear from product managers across the company and across the clouds as they share the latest features and demos of their products. This is a three-day, live video streaming event available live and on-demand on Salesforce+. We’ll post full details on the agenda and schedule in the Release Readiness Trailblazers group. 

February 9: Final release weekend

All remaining Salesforce instances are upgraded on February 9. If you previously opted out of including your orgs in the sandbox preview, they will be upgraded this weekend.

Additional sandbox preview guidance

Want to get these dates on your calendar? Check out our public release calendar.