---
schema_version: "1"
id: 4ca9da1f0788aa42e88f6a20ee18b97423369d38bd642cb0b34438b0c877f1d4
title: Preview a Data Management Policy
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/xcloud/264-0-0/preview_data_management_policies.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.preview_data_management_policies.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: a6807a7343abd1af85da3261f32dfadc625497fc2899fd9a790ac86dcc8fad17
description: Generate and acknowledge a preview of your Data Management Policy configuration. Previews estimate the number of records and files that are affected by your policy, helping you evaluate its impact on the data in your org.
products:
  - Security
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Preview a Data Management Policy

Generate and acknowledge a preview of your Data Management Policy configuration. Previews estimate the number of records and files that are affected by your policy, helping you evaluate its impact on the data in your org.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Developer</strong>, <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, and <strong>Unlimited</strong> Editions. Requires the Privacy Center license.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d12535e46">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d12535e46 ">To create, edit, and schedule Data Management Policies:</td>
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d12535e46 ">Manage Privacy Center Policies</td>
          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

By default, you’re required to generate and acknowledge a preview when you create a Data Management Policy or update its object configuration. You can publish the policy only after you acknowledge the preview.

Admins can make preview acknowledgments optional by enabling the Bypass previewing for Data Management Policies setting. From Setup, navigate to the Data Management Policy settings page.

![Warning](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-xcloud-data_protection_and_privacy-264-0-0-production-enus/27d1bf87-a47b-491a-8339-f53ef6540aec/images/icon_warning.png)

Warning Mistargeting data with your policy can result in accidental data loss or modification. To mitigate this risk, we recommend that admins maintain the policy preview requirement.

Preview limitations:

- During policy execution, some records can be excluded from processing due to errors or validation issues. These exclusions aren't accounted for in policy previews.
- The number of records to be cascade-deleted isn't accounted for in policy previews. Remember that if you delete a parent record, all child records with a master-detail relationship to the parent record get deleted as well.
- If you delete a record, its attachments are always cascade-deleted. However, if you select **Keep** in the Files and Attachments policy section, then the preview doesn't account for cascade-deleted attachments. As a result, the total number of deleted files and attachments can be underestimated.

To generate and acknowledge a policy preview:

1. On the policy details page, click **Generate Preview**.
    
    A preview job session begins running. You can track its status on the Previews tab.
2. When the preview job is complete, review the metrics on the Previews tab.
    
    Metrics include:
    
    - The total number of affected records
    - The total number of deleted files and attachments
    - The number of affected records on each object
3. If the volume of affected data suggests a configuration error, review and update your policy, and then generate a new preview.
4. When you’re satisfied with the preview results, click **Acknowledge**.

You’re ready to publish your Data Management Policy.