Creating a Developer Pro Sandbox takes about an hour for the initial spin-up. Refreshes are typically faster. The work is mostly in choosing the right sandbox type and naming it clearly.
- Open Sandboxes in Setup
Production org, then Setup, then Sandboxes. The page shows your current sandboxes and the available license counts for each type.
- Click New Sandbox
Click New Sandbox. Pick Developer Pro from the type dropdown. The form expands with naming and post-copy options.
- Name the sandbox
Sandbox name must be 10 characters or fewer (constraint), lowercase, no spaces. Use a meaningful name like devpro1 or intgtest. The sandbox URL will be your-domain--devpro1.sandbox.my.salesforce.com.
- Set a post-copy Apex class (optional)
If you have an Apex class that initializes seed data after a refresh, name it in the Post Copy Script field. The class implements SandboxPostCopy. This is the standard pattern for setting up users, sample records, or external test connections automatically.
- Confirm and start the creation
Click Create. Salesforce begins the metadata copy. You will get an email when it completes, typically within an hour for a typical-sized org.
- Log into the sandbox
Sandbox URL is https://test.salesforce.com or your domain''s sandbox subdomain. Username is your-prod-username.devpro1 (your production username with the sandbox name appended). Password is your production password at creation time.
Metadata only, 1 GB data storage, refresh daily. The middle ground.
Metadata only, 200 MB. Use for quick prototyping when storage is not a constraint.
Sampled production data based on a Sandbox Template. Use when your tests need realistic record shapes.
Production-equal data, refresh every 29 days. Use for performance testing, training, and pre-production validation.
- Sandbox names must be 10 characters or fewer. Salesforce will reject longer names with no helpful error message. Use abbreviations like devpro, intgtest, uat1.
- Apex Schedulable jobs do not survive a refresh. You have to re-schedule them after every refresh, either manually or through a post-copy Apex class.
- Storage in a Developer Pro is shared between data and files. A 1 GB allocation can fill up faster than you expect if your tests include image uploads or attachment downloads.
- Field Audit Trail data and Big Object records do not copy to Developer Pro Sandboxes. Any tests that depend on that data will need to repopulate it after the refresh.
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