Salesforce source-tracked sandboxes are a type of sandbox that supports source-driven development methodologies. Sandboxes in Salesforce are isolated environments that allow developers to build, test, and deploy changes without affecting the production instance.
Harald is the Co-Founder of Hutte, bringing his vision of no-code DevOps to life. His passion enables teams and individuals to focus on what matters most – bringing value to the users they build for.
Samantha Spiro
Senior Content Manager & Editor-In-Chief
Samantha is Hutte's Content Manager and Chief Editor. She has over six years of experience as both a content writer and a copywriter. Bringing the written word to life is the name of her game.
Article highlights
These are specialized sandboxes that support source-driven development, allowing for version control and collaboration using systems like Git. They help manage Salesforce metadata and configurations efficiently.
Source-tracked sandboxes do not contain production data and have storage limits. They also present challenges when multiple developers work on the same project or when testing functionalities that rely on specific data conditions.
Hutte is a web UI to SFDX that simplifies the creation and management of sandboxes, enabling visual Salesforce version control and automating tasks like loading seed data or creating new users without needing to learn Git or use the command line1.
Salesforce source-tracked sandboxes are a type of sandbox that supports source-driven development methodologies.Sandboxes in Salesforce are isolated environments that allow developers to build, test, and deploy changes without affecting the production instance.
The introduction of source-tracked sandboxes enhances the development process by providing a more structured and version-controlled approach.
Source-tracked sandboxes are designed to align with modern software development practices, such as using source control systems like Git.
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They allow developers to track and manage their Salesforce metadata and configurations, enabling collaboration, versioning, and automated deployments.
Source-tracked sandboxes do come with limitations, including:
They do not contain production data
They only include metadata and source code.
Source-tracked sandboxes have storage limits, varying depending on the specific sandbox type
If the sandbox reaches its storage limit, you may be unable to deploy changes or add new components.
Source-tracked sandboxes are available in different types, such as Developer Sandboxes, Developer Pro Sandboxes, and Partial Copy Sandboxes
Each type has its own limitations in terms of features and capabilities.
Creating a source-tracked sandbox involves copying metadata from the production environment
This can be time-consuming.
There may be limitations on the number of licenses available or specific user permissions
This depends on the sandbox type.
Source-tracked sandboxes may present challenges
This is when multiple developers simultaneously work on the same project.
As source-tracked sandboxes do not contain actual data
Testing certain functionalities that rely on specific data conditions or volumes can be challenging.
Sandbox type
Description
Use cases
Advantages
Disadvantages
Partial sandbox
A sandbox environment that provides partial isolation or restrictions on system resources and functionality.
Testing specific components or features.
Isolating critical processes.
Controlled experimentation.
Offers some level of isolation and security.
Allows targeted testing and analysis.
Limited scope of isolation.
May not fully replicate production environments.
Potential for escaping the sandbox.
Full sandbox
A sandbox environment that provides complete isolation and restriction.
Running untrusted code or applications.
Evaluating potentially harmful files.
Analyzing unknown software behavior.
Protects the host system from potential threats.
Enables thorough testing and analysis.
Performance overhead due to complete isolation.
May require additional resources.
Potential for limitations on functionality.
Explore source-tracked sandboxes with Hutte
Are you looking to utilize source-tracked sandboxes? Cut out time wastage by using Hutte.
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With Hutte, a web UI to SFDX that enables visual Salesforce version control, Salesforce sandboxes become a labor-saving development workflow. Hutte enables developers to easily create, modify, and delete sandboxes as needed.
To kick things off, let’s start by setting up your first sandbox project through Hutte.
Setting up a sandbox project
Connect a Salesforce production org
Authenticate your org with your Salesforce user to grant your Hutte project access to sandbox creation and metadata.
Connect a git repository with a SDFX project
It can be an empty project or a local representation of your org's metadata. This is where you'll keep track of your sandbox development work.
You can now choose an existing sandbox from "Available Sandboxes," or create one by clicking "New."
Developing in sandboxes
After setting up a sandbox project, you will find all existing sandboxes to your connected production org on the "Available Sandboxes" tab. You can also easily create new development sandboxes from the "New" button.
Hutte is truly one of the best tools that we use. Product owners, Salesforce solution architects, business analysts — anyone on our team can easily and visually accomplish the tasks that would otherwise take a lot of clicks, time, and coding.
Sebastian Lechner
Product Management Director of IPfolio
Before you start working on a feature, use the "Add to Hutte" link that appears when you hover your sandboxes over the "Available Sandboxes" tab.
Switch to "Features" and hit "New."
Next, click the "Login" button to log in to your sandbox. Your first login might require setting up two-factor authentication, following the on-screen instructions provided by Salesforce. Then, you can perform your work in your sandbox.
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Shortly after making your changes in the org, they will become visible in Hutte (just remember to refresh your screen).
To continue with your changes in Git, click "Pull changes." This creates a pull request. You can control its name and message in the "Pull Request" tab. As you continue to perform changes, your pull request gets updated, and the timeline shows a chronological history of your changes.
Once you’re finished with your work, hit "Close." This allows you to create a new feature.
To deploy all changes that are part of a feature to your connected production org, use the simple “Deploy to Production" button.
Use custom buttons
Leverage the power of automation by making handy scripts available at your team member's fingertips. This will allow you to configure Hutte Custom Buttons in your sandbox projects.
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A great use case example is allowing users to load seed data into new dev sandboxes optionally.
Sandboxes available anytime, anywhere
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Hutte makes it easy for every product team member to work with sandboxes – without learning Git and using the command line.
Automate sandbox scripts with our Custom Buttons. They can be used for translation downloads or creating new users. If there is anything you can do with SFDX, you can add it to your buttons.
Harald is the Co-Founder of Hutte, bringing his vision of no-code DevOps to life. His passion enables teams and individuals to focus on what matters most – bringing value to the users they build for.
Samantha is Hutte's Content Manager and Chief Editor. She has over six years of experience as both a content writer and a copywriter. Bringing the written word to life is the name of her game.
