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Full Partial Copy Sandbox entry
How-to guide

Create a Partial Copy sandbox

You create a Partial Copy sandbox from Setup, and it requires an existing sandbox template. Build or pick the template first, then create the sandbox and select it. You need the Manage Sandboxes permission and an available Partial Copy license.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated Jun 16, 2026

You create a Partial Copy sandbox from Setup, and it requires an existing sandbox template. Build or pick the template first, then create the sandbox and select it. You need the Manage Sandboxes permission and an available Partial Copy license.

  1. Open the Sandboxes page

    In Setup, enter Sandboxes in the Quick Find box and select Sandboxes. This page lists existing sandboxes and your available licenses by type.

  2. Create or edit a sandbox template

    Go to the Sandbox Templates tab and create a template. Select the objects you want to copy. Salesforce includes their records up to 10,000 each, plus required related records, capped at 5 GB total.

  3. Start a new Partial Copy sandbox

    Back on the Sandboxes page, click New Sandbox. Enter a name and description, then choose Partial Copy as the type.

  4. Apply the template and create

    Select your sandbox template so Salesforce knows which data to sample. Choose any post-copy script if you use one, then click Create. Salesforce queues the copy and emails you when the sandbox is ready.

Mandatory fields
Namerequired

A unique sandbox name, up to 10 characters. It becomes part of the sandbox login URL, so keep it short and recognizable.

Typerequired

Set this to Partial Copy. The choice is greyed out if no Partial Copy license is available in your org.

Sandbox templaterequired

The template that defines which objects and records are sampled. A Partial Copy sandbox cannot be created without one.

Gotchas
  • Each selected object copies a maximum of 10,000 records, so high-volume objects arrive truncated and your tests see only a sample.
  • Total data is capped at 5 GB. A template that selects many large objects can hit the ceiling before it copies everything you wanted.
  • You can refresh only once every 5 days, and a refresh wipes anything created inside the sandbox since the last copy.
  • Creating a sandbox consumes one Partial Copy license. If all your licenses are in use by other sandboxes, creation is blocked until one frees up.

See the full Partial Copy Sandbox entry

Partial Copy Sandbox includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.