Three times a year, Salesforce releases updates and new features. Beginning January 3, 2025, preview sandboxes will transition to the Spring ‘25 release, giving admins and developers early access to test and explore its new features. This preview period will last approximately 4–6 weeks before the release is rolled out to production environments.
Will I See the Spring ‘25 Preview?
To participate in the preview, your sandbox must be on a preview instance. Not sure which instance your sandbox is on? Navigate to Setup and type “sandbox” into the Quick Find search. In the Release Type column, your sandbox will either show as Preview or Non-Preview:
- If it says Preview, you’re all set—your sandbox will automatically receive the Spring ‘25 release.
- If it says Non-Preview, you’ll need to refresh your sandbox no later than January 2, 2025 to ensure it moves to a preview instance. Remember, the earlier you initiate the refresh, the better.
Alternatively, consult the Sandbox Preview Guide.
Pro Tip: Always follow your sandbox refresh process to avoid losing critical work. If the refresh isn’t completed by the deadline, your sandbox will remain in its current state as a non-preview instance.
What if I Want My Sandbox to Remain on Winter ‘25?
In some cases, you might prefer to keep your sandbox on the Winter ‘25 release—for example, to troubleshoot production issues or maintain a stable testing environment.
To stay on Winter ‘25:
- Check your sandbox instance as outlined above.
- If it’s already on a Non-Preview instance, no action is needed.
- If it’s on a Preview instance, you can either:
- Refresh your sandbox after 9 PM EST on January 2, 2025, or
- Create a new sandbox at that time.
Sandboxes that remain on Winter ‘25 will be automatically updated to Spring ‘25 on February 7 or 14, 2025, depending on your instance.
Preview Benefits
Opting into the preview allows you to:
- Explore new features early: Familiarize yourself with enhancements and decide which features to enable for your users.
- Test compatibility: Identify potential conflicts between new updates and existing processes or automations, giving you time to address them before the production release.
This proactive approach can lead to smoother transitions and fewer surprises for your team.
Potential Challenges
While preview instances offer early access, they also have some caveats:
- Bugs: As an early version of the release, previews can have unresolved issues that may impact testing.
- Deployment limitations: Changes made in a preview instance might fail validation or deployment if they involve features or API versions not yet available in production.
Weigh these considerations when deciding which sandboxes to include in the preview.
Key Reminder: Refreshing Your Sandbox
Refreshing your sandbox creates a new instance and deletes the current one, including ongoing projects or undeployed changes. Plan your refresh carefully:
- If you can wait until your current work is deployed to production, do so.
- Otherwise, back up any work in progress to avoid losing valuable updates.
To ensure your sandbox joins the preview, initiate the refresh well before the January 2, 2025 deadline, giving it ample time to process and activate.
Resources:
Salesforce Sandbox Review Instructions – Salesforce Help
Get Early Access with the Sandbox Preview – Trailhead
