Update sandbox environments to preview versions
Important
Some of the functionality described in this release plan has not been released. Delivery timelines may change and projected functionality may not be released (see Microsoft policy). Learn more: What's new and planned
| Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|
| Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically | - | Sep 2025 |
Business value
This feature allows customers to update their sandbox environments to a preview version during the public preview, enabling them to test updates on their own data and installed extensions. This reduces risks, enhances testing accuracy, and ensures seamless integration of customizations, ultimately leading to better-informed decisions and smoother transitions.
Feature details
For each major Dynamics 365 Business Central update, Microsoft organizes a public preview starting a month before the release of the update to enable customers and partners to test and prepare for the new functionality and other product changes using a sandbox environment. Until now, it wasn't possible to update a sandbox environment to a preview version, which has made it difficult to test the next major version using your own data and extensions.
Starting with the public preview, it will be possible to update a sandbox environment to the preview version. This way, customers and partners can:
- Identify and address potential issues caused by environment data or installed extensions before the update is made available to their production environments.
- Test new functionality and the update operation itself using their own data, providing a more accurate representation of how the update will perform in their environments.
- Validate that installed apps and integrations will continue to work seamlessly with the new version earlier, allowing for more time to make any required changes before updating production environments.
- Prepare more effectively. Having a preview environment that closely resembles a production environment allows for earlier user readiness activities such as product training and change communication.
Tell us what you think
Help us improve Dynamics 365 Business Central by discussing ideas, providing suggestions, and giving feedback. Use the forum at https://aka.ms/bcideas.