The Salesforce Spring ‘20 release is approaching and soon you can take advantage of exciting new features and functionality. If you are a sandbox customer, you can get early access to Spring ‘20 to test new customizations and features before your production organization is upgraded.
The Sandbox Preview window for Spring ‘20 begins on January 3, 2020. If you would like your sandbox to take part, it must be active on a preview instance before then.
Please read carefully and follow the instructions in the next section for specific information on how to handle each of your sandboxes. In most cases, you will not need to do anything because your sandbox is already on a preview instance. But you may need to take action before January 3, 2020, in order for your sandbox to take part in the Spring ‘20 Preview.
General information about the sandbox service
Sandbox instances are split up into two groups — preview and non-preview. Preview instances will be upgraded to the newer version of Salesforce before production instances (e.g. NA2, EU1, AP0) and non-preview instances are upgraded towards the end of a major release along with the majority of production instances. For the Spring ‘20 Release, the preview instances will be upgraded to Spring ‘20 on January 3 and January 4, 2020, and non-preview instances will be upgraded to Spring ‘20 on February 14 and February 15, 2020.
Between now and January 3, 2020, all sandbox requests will be routed to preview instances. Sandboxes that are complete in time for the major release on January 3, 2020, will be upgraded to the newest version of Salesforce.
On January 3, 2020, all incomplete sandbox requests will be reset on a non-preview instance and pending and new sandbox requests will be routed to non-preview instances until your production instance is upgraded to Spring ‘20.
You have from now until January 3, 2020, to decide if you would like your sandbox to take part in the Spring ‘20 Preview. Follow the steps below for each sandbox org that you have.
Note: If you have a full sandbox, be mindful of the 29-day refresh policy and plan accordingly.
I need to create a new sandbox — what are my options?
I have an existing sandbox — what are my options?
1. Determine your sandbox instance
To determine which instance your sandbox is on, log into your production org and navigate to your Sandbox List page (Search “Sandbox” in the Quick Find bar on the Setup Home Page). Determine your sandbox instance by using the Location column.
2. Refresh? Or don’t refresh? Or do nothing?
Once you have located the instance that your sandbox is on, use the chart below to determine if, when, and what action you should take on your sandbox.
If you decide to stay on the current Winter ‘20 release, your sandbox will not be upgraded to Spring ‘20 until February 15, 2020.
AppExchange preview instructions
If you plan to upload and/or install one or more AppExchange packages using your sandboxes during the Sandbox Preview window, you should use the chart below to determine your course of action.
If you have additional questions about your sandbox options in conjunction with the Spring ‘20 release, please contact Salesforce Support.
IMPORTANT — plan ahead!
Due to the popularity of the Sandbox Preview program, there are often backlogs in sandbox create and refresh requests. Since all incomplete sandboxes will be reset to a non-preview instance prior to the deadline on January 3, 2020, it is recommended practice to request your sandbox a week in advance of the deadline to improve the chances of obtaining a completed sandbox on a preview instance. While we strive to process each request in a timely manner, we cannot guarantee the completion of your sandbox before the deadline.
Note about sandbox cloning
Prior to 12:00 p.m. PT January 3, 2020 (20:00 UTC January 3, 2020), sandbox clone requests will be processed on a preview instance.
From 1:00 p.m. PT, January 3, 2020 (21:00 UTC January 3, 2020) through February 15, 2020, sandbox clone requests will be processed on the same release version of Salesforce as the sandbox being cloned.
To learn more watch the Demystifying Sandbox Preview video.
