Save These Dates: Winter ’25 Sandbox Preview

Save These Dates: Winter '25 Sandbox Preview

The Winter '25 sandbox preview window is coming up. Here are some tips to take full advantage of it, plus all the dates you need to know.

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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 Winter '25 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 Winter '25 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 Winter '25, 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.

August 8: 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 Summer '23, you can log back into that one.

August 14: Preview release notes and developer doc are available

This is the time to scan the release notes as well as the new and updated developer doc. Use filters to display only the sections that relate to the edition and clouds you currently use.

August 29: 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 August 24, to get the Winter '25 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.

August 30: Sandboxes upgraded

If you've decided to take advantage of sandbox preview, your chosen sandboxes are upgraded to Winter '25 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.

September 6: Winter '25 release site is live

To help you get a better handle on the Winter '25 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.

September 6: 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. Also, during this week, new and updated Help for the release is available.

October 4: Second release weekend

We'll upgrade another set of instances during the October 4 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.

October 12: Final release weekend

All remaining Salesforce instances are upgraded on October 12. If you previously opted out of including your orgs in the sandbox preview, they will be upgraded this weekend.

October 8-11: Release Readiness Live

Join us for Release Readiness Live on Salesforce+. Salesforce product managers will discuss and demo their new features for admins and developers. Then, they'll take your questions live on the broadcast. We'll post full details on the agenda and schedule in August in the Release Readiness Trailblazers group.

Additional sandbox preview guidance

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

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Since joining Salesforce in 2017, Ella has been focused on creating and distributing content to help Trailblazers be successful! Today she manages marketing programs and release content for Salesforce admins.