Sandbox templates and Full sandbox copy options
Key Takeaway
A sandbox template limits which objects' data is copied. Applying one to a Full sandbox copies less data and shortens the refresh, and the sandbox is still a Full sandbox that supports staging and performance testing.
Sandbox templates and Full sandbox copy options control how much production data ends up in a sandbox. A template picks the objects whose records are copied into a Partial Copy or Full sandbox. A Full sandbox also has copy options, such as field tracking history and Chatter data, that change what comes across and how long the copy takes. Together, they let an admin copy only the data a test actually needs.
Sandbox types and their data
Sandboxes are isolated from production. The sandbox types differ mainly in the data they copy.
| Sandbox type | What is copied |
|---|---|
| Developer and Developer Pro | Metadata (configuration) only |
| Partial Copy | Metadata plus a sample of production data |
| Full | A replica of production, including all data such as object records and attachments |
Partial Copy and Full sandboxes suit different work. Only Full sandboxes support performance testing, load testing, and staging. Partial Copy sandboxes suit quality assurance tasks such as user acceptance testing, integration testing, and training. A Full sandbox has a long refresh interval, which makes it hard to use for development.