Application lifecycle environment path
Key Takeaway
Changes move to sandboxes first and to production last. Each sandbox type fits a different stage, and only Full sandboxes support performance testing, load testing, and staging.
A sandbox is a separate copy of your production org where you can build and test changes without touching real users or data. An application lifecycle moves changes through a series of sandboxes, from individual development to integration, testing, and staging, before you deploy them to production. Sandbox types differ in how much production data they copy, so each type fits a different stage of that path.
How changes reach production
Sandboxes are isolated from production, so anything you do in a sandbox doesn't affect the production org. Changes move to the sandboxes first and to production last. A change doesn't take effect in an org until you deploy it to that org.