# Sandbox types and environment strategy design

*Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect Study Guide · System Design · Last updated October 26, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-development-lifecycle-and-deployment-architect/system-design/sandbox-types-and-environment-strategy-design*

The four sandbox types with their refresh intervals, storage, copied content, templates and edition allocations, and how to build an environment strategy from them: per-developer and per-stream tiers, shared UAT and Full staging, separate training and hotfix environments, naming, refresh schedules and per-tier endpoints.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
- Exam section: System Design
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-development-lifecycle-and-deployment-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a customer scenario, define an environment (sandbox) strategy that utilizes the correct sandbox types (for example, multiple project streams, training requirements, staging, production, and hotfixes).

## What the exam expects

- Pick the sandbox type for an activity from its refresh interval, storage, copied content and template support.
- Check a plan against the edition's included sandboxes and know what must be bought.
- Design tiers for parallel streams: per-developer and per-stream environments, shared UAT and a Full staging org.
- Keep training, staging and hotfix work in separate environments, and reserve Full sandboxes for load, performance and staging.
- Govern the estate: purpose-based names, a published refresh schedule agreed between streams, per-tier test endpoints, post-refresh automation and no hoarding.

Key terms: **sandbox template** (the objects whose records a Partial Copy or Full sandbox copies); **refresh interval** (minimum time between refreshes, counted from the request); **staging** (the production replica that receives a release before production); **integration sandbox** (shared tier where features from several developers meet); **sandbox hoarding** (sandboxes kept after their purpose ends).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh intervals | Developer and Developer Pro 1 day, Partial Copy 5 days, Full 29 days | [Sandbox Licenses and Storage Limits by Type](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.data_sandbox_environments.htm&type=5) |
| Interval start | Counted from when the create or refresh is requested | [Refresh Your Sandbox](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_refresh.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Templates | Required for Partial Copy, optional for Full, unavailable for Developer types | [Sandbox Licenses and Storage Limits by Type](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.data_sandbox_environments.htm&type=5) |
| Load, performance, staging | Only Full sandboxes support them | [Sandbox Types and Templates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.create_test_instance.htm&type=5) |
| Enterprise Edition | 25 Developer and 1 Partial Copy; no Developer Pro or Full included | [Sandbox Licenses and Storage Limits by Type](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.data_sandbox_environments.htm&type=5) |
| Unlimited and Performance | 100 Developer, 5 Developer Pro, 1 Partial Copy, 1 Full | [Sandbox Licenses and Storage Limits by Type](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.data_sandbox_environments.htm&type=5) |
| Refresh effect | Metadata replaced from the source; org ID changes | [Refresh Your Sandbox](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_refresh.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Clone licence | Keeps the source sandbox's licence type | [Refresh Your Sandbox](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_refresh.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Integration endpoints | Each tier uses test endpoints; never production from a sandbox | [DevOps Patterns](https://architect.salesforce.com/docs/architect/well-architected/guide/operational-excellence-devops-patterns.html) |

## Check yourself

- Why is a Full sandbox a poor development environment even when budget allows one?
- When must a sandbox template be created before the sandbox?
- Why does Well-Architected want post-refresh scripts rather than manual setup?
- What happens to a sandbox's org ID when it is refreshed?

## Sources

- [Sandbox Licenses and Storage Limits by Type](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sf.data_sandbox_environments.htm&type=5)
- [Sandbox Types and Templates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.create_test_instance.htm&type=5)
- [Refresh Your Sandbox](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.data_sandbox_refresh.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Salesforce Sandbox Types and Management Best Practices](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000387743&language=en_US&type=1)
- [Guidance for Partial Copy Salesforce Sandbox Creation and Refreshes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000381868&language=en_US&type=1)
- [Operational Excellence - DevOps Patterns](https://architect.salesforce.com/docs/architect/well-architected/guide/operational-excellence-devops-patterns.html)
- [Operational Excellence | Well-Architected](https://architect.salesforce.com/docs/architect/well-architected/guide/operational-excellence.html)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 11 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams