---
schema_version: "1"
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title: "Sandboxes: Staging Environments for Customizing and Testing"
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/deploy_sandboxes_parent.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.deploy_sandboxes_parent.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
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description: Want to customize your organization in a staging environment where you can test changes without affecting your production organization or its users? Want to have an organization that users can log into and test new features before they’re production-ready? Or maybe you just want to log into a Salesforce organization for training or development that mirrors your production organization.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Sandboxes: Staging Environments for Customizing and Testing

Want to customize your organization in a staging environment where you can test changes without affecting your production organization or its users? Want to have an organization that users can log into and test new features before they’re production-ready? Or maybe you just want to log into a Salesforce organization for training or development that mirrors your production organization.

- **[When to Use a Sandbox](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.deploy_sandboxes_intro.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Sandboxes create copies of your Salesforce org in separate environments. Use them for development, testing, and training, without compromising the data and applications in your production org.
- **[Sandbox Setup Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_implementation_tips.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Sandbox behavior is similar to a Salesforce production org, but important differences affect how you configure and test a sandbox org.
- **[Create, Clone, or Refresh a Sandbox](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_create_parent.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Create a sandbox to use for development, testing, and training. Clone a sandbox to copy its data and metadata into another sandbox. Refresh an existing sandbox to update its contents.
- **[Manage Your Sandboxes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_manage.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    In Setup, enter Sandboxes in the Quick Find box, then select **Sandboxes**. Sandboxes displays the available sandboxes that you purchased and a list of your sandboxes in use.
- **[Inactive Sandbox Expiration](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_inactive_sandbox_expiration.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    To better utilize capacity and support growth, we perform a routine cleanup of inactive sandboxes. A sandbox is considered inactive and eligible for deletion if it hasn’t been accessed for 180 days.
- **[Deploy Your Changes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.deploy_overview.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Migrate metadata changes between Salesforce orgs by using the deployment tools available in Setup.
- **[Protect Sensitive Data with Data Mask & Seed](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_mask_and_seed.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Protect sensitive information in your sandboxes by replacing personally identifiable information (PII) with realistic synthetic data.
- **[Protect the Privacy of Sandbox Data with Anonymize](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.anonymize_o_overview.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Maintain data privacy and regulatory compliance when sharing sandbox data with other product teams for development, testing, or training. Gain stakeholder trust by protecting sensitive, classified, and personal identifier information with Anonymize.
- **[Populate and Secure Data Sets with Seeding](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.seed_o_overview.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Save your company time and ensure data consistency and reliability when you seed data into a sandbox or production org for development, testing, and deployment. Seeding by Own from Salesforce enhances data security and compliance by maintaining object relationships during seeding.
- **[Secure Your Sandbox Data with Salesforce Data Mask (Legacy)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_mask_overview.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    The Data Mask managed package is the legacy version of Salesforce's data masking solution. Salesforce ends service for the Data Mask managed package on December 31, 2026.

#### See Also

- [Scale Test](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.scale_test_overview.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [_Salesforce Help_: Data Cloud in a Sandbox](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_data_cloud_sandbox.htm&type=5&language=en_US)