To accurately determine your Salesforce sandbox's release version, the most reliable method is through the Company Information page within your Salesforce organization. This page provides definitive details about your instance and its current software release.
Understanding Salesforce Release Versions
Salesforce delivers three major releases annually: Spring, Summer, and Winter. Each release introduces new features and enhancements. Your sandbox environments are updated to these new releases in a staggered fashion, typically before your production organization, allowing you to test upcoming functionalities. Knowing your sandbox's release version is crucial for testing compatibility, planning deployments, and understanding available features.
Methods to Check Your Sandbox Release Version
Here are the primary ways to check the release version of your Salesforce sandbox:
1. Using Company Information (Recommended)
This method provides the most direct and accurate information about your sandbox's release.
Steps:
-
For Lightning Experience:
- Click the Gear icon (Setup) in the upper right corner.
- Select Setup.
- In the Quick Find box, type
Company Informationand select it. - Look for the "Instance" and "Release" fields. The "Release" field will explicitly state the current major release (e.g., "Summer '24 Patch 11.0").
-
For Salesforce Classic:
- Click Setup in the upper right corner.
- In the left-hand menu, navigate to Administer > Company Profile > Company Information.
- Locate the "Instance" and "Release" fields.
Example:
| Field | Value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Instance | CS67 | The specific server cluster hosting your Salesforce org. |
| Release | Summer '24 Patch 11.0 | The current major Salesforce release and patch level. |
2. Identifying via URL and Salesforce Trust
While not directly showing the release version in the URL, your Salesforce URL contains your instance name, which can be used to look up the release on the Salesforce Trust website.
Steps:
- Identify your instance from the URL:
- When logged into your sandbox, observe the URL in your browser's address bar.
- It typically follows a pattern such as
https://**yourinstance**.lightning.force.comorhttps://**yourinstance**.my.salesforce.com. - The part before
.lightning.force.comor.my.salesforce.comis usually your instance name (e.g.,CS67,NA135) or your My Domain name. If it's your My Domain, the system will eventually redirect to an instance-specific URL or you can find the instance under Company Information.
- Visit Salesforce Trust:
- Navigate to the Salesforce Trust website.
- Check your instance status:
- On the Trust site, enter your instance name (e.g.,
CS67) into the search bar. - The resulting page for your instance will display the current Salesforce release it is running, along with other critical status information.
- On the Trust site, enter your instance name (e.g.,
Example of Instance Names:
- CS: Stands for "Customer Success" (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America)
- NA: Stands for "North America"
- AP: Stands for "Asia Pacific"
- EU: Stands for "Europe"
- JP: Stands for "Japan"
- AU: Stands for "Australia"
3. Checking System Overview (for Developers)
For developers or administrators, the System Overview page in Setup also provides a quick glance at the instance ID, which indirectly points to the release when cross-referenced with Salesforce Trust.
Steps:
- Navigate to Setup.
- In the Quick Find box, type
System Overviewand select it. - You will find the Instance listed there. Use this instance name on the Salesforce Trust website to find the corresponding release version.
Why Knowing Your Sandbox Release Version Matters
- Feature Availability: New features are tied to specific releases. Knowing your sandbox's release helps you identify which new functionalities are available for testing.
- Testing Compatibility: Before major production upgrades, sandboxes are crucial for testing existing customizations and integrations against the new release to ensure compatibility.
- Deployment Planning: Understanding the sandbox's release informs your deployment strategy, especially if there are significant changes between your sandbox and production environments.
- Troubleshooting: When encountering unexpected behavior, knowing the release version can help in diagnosing whether it's a known issue or a new feature interaction.
