The successful pattern: build the change, add dependencies, validate, deploy. The failed pattern: build the change, deploy, discover missing dependencies in production, scramble to fix. Validate is the safety net; skipping it is the most reliable way to create deployment incidents.
- Confirm the Deployment Connection exists
Setup, Deployment Settings in both orgs. The connection must exist and allow inbound deploys from source to target. Configure once if needed.
- Create the Outbound Change Set in the source org
Setup, Outbound Change Sets, New. Name it descriptively (date, ticket reference, change summary).
- Add the metadata components
Click Add. Pick the component type, select the components. Repeat for each type. The Components list grows as you add.
- Run View/Add Dependencies
Click View/Add Dependencies. Review the list. Add every dependency unless you know the target org already has it. Re-run after adding new components.
- Upload the Change Set to the target org
Click Upload, pick the target connection. The Change Set travels to the target as an Inbound Change Set.
- Validate in the target org before deploying
In the target org, Setup, Inbound Change Sets, find the uploaded set, click Validate. Wait for the dry-run to complete. Fix errors and re-upload if needed.
- Deploy after Validate succeeds
Click Deploy. Pick the test execution scope (run local tests, specified tests, all tests). Wait for completion. Verify the deployed components in the target org.
The two orgs connected for deployment. Configure once at sandbox creation.
Which metadata components are in the Change Set. Use View/Add Dependencies to avoid missing pieces.
Validate is a dry-run; Deploy commits. Always Validate first on production.
Local tests, specified tests, or all tests. Drives required test runtime; pick the right scope to balance coverage and time.
After a successful Validate, the Quick Deploy option skips re-running tests on the actual Deploy. Useful for tight production windows.
- Skipping View/Add Dependencies is the most common deploy failure cause. The target org rejects components that reference missing dependencies.
- Some newer metadata types are not supported in Change Sets. Confirm component type support before assuming a Change Set is the right path.
- Production deploys with Apex require 75 percent org-wide test coverage. A sandbox deploy that worked can fail in production if coverage is borderline.
- Validate and Deploy run tests if Apex is included. Test execution can take 30+ minutes on large orgs; plan for the time.
- Change Sets cannot be edited after upload. Mistakes require building and uploading a new Change Set; the original cannot be modified in flight.