Unleashed's Sandbox feature allows you to create a copy of your current Unleashed account in a separate environment. This Sandbox environment allows you to develop, test and learn more about Unleashed's functionalities and behaviours without affecting the data in your live Unleashed account.
Sandboxes are created as a replica of your Unleashed account, using data backed up from the last 24 hours. Upon creation, any changes made to the data in your Sandbox will not apply to your live account, and vice versa.
Prerequisites
Only the Account Owner can create or delete a Sandbox environment.
Only one Sandbox account can exist at a time, per Unleashed account.
The Sandbox account will expire and be deleted 21 days after being created. The expiration date cannot be extended, and a deleted Sandbox cannot be restored.
Sandbox Limitations
File Library documents, e.g. product images and attachments, are not copied to the Sandbox environment. Attempting to perform any action which attempts to export images from the Sandbox to an integrated system will fail. This would include using our Shopify integration to export the Default Image to Shopify; this would fail to occur, and an error would appear in the connection log.
The B2B Portal cannot be tested in a Sandbox.
Email functionality is not available in Sandbox accounts.
To test the Advanced Shipping Module or Ecommerce Hub integrations in a Sandbox before adding them to your live account, contact support.
Setup the Unleashed Sandbox tutorial video
Create a Sandbox
To create a new Sandbox environment:
Close all other web browser windows or tabs of Unleashed.
As the Account Owner, select your user name at the bottom of your menu.
Select My Account.
Click Create Sandbox in the top right of your page.
In the confirmation dialogue box, click Yes to continue or No to exit. A notification is displayed after the Sandbox is successfully created.
Important: Sandboxes are temporary accounts that will automatically expire 21 days after creation, and cannot be extended. When it expires, the Sandbox account and its data will be deleted and cannot be restored.
📌Note: A Sandbox's API usage limit will replicate the API usage limit of the live account at the point of creation.
Create a Sandbox with Access Evo
If Unleashed is a part of your Access Evo organisation, you can create a Sandbox using the following steps:
From your Access Evo account, click on the white Access button.
Go to Products, and select Unleashed.
In Unleashed's Access Evo tab, right-click on any menu option and select "Open link in new tab".
In the new Unleashed browser tab, select your user name at the bottom of your menu.
Select My Account.
Click Create Sandbox in the top right of your page.
In the confirmation dialogue box, click Yes to continue or No to exit. A notification is displayed after the Sandbox is successfully created.
Important: Only the Account Owner can create or delete a Sandbox.
Delete a Sandbox
To delete a Sandbox, before it expires:
As the Account Owner, select your user name at the bottom of your menu.
Select My Account.
Select your live Unleashed account and click View.
In the live Unleashed account, go back to the My Account page.
Click Delete Sandbox.
In the confirmation pop-up, click Yes.
You will receive a notification confirming the Sandbox deletion.
If you delete the current Sandbox and create a new one immediately, in the majority of cases, the new Sandbox will restore the data from the deleted one. However, this is dependent on the amount of data in the Sandbox and cannot be guaranteed. We recommend you export any data you need to keep from your current Sandbox, to re-import into the new Sandbox if needed.
Delete a Sandbox with Access Evo
If Unleashed is a part of your Access Evo organisation, you can create a Sandbox using the following steps:
From your Access Evo account, click on the white Access button.
Go to Products, and select Unleashed.
In Unleashed's Access Evo tab, right-click on any menu option and select "Open link in new tab".
In the new Unleashed browser tab, select your user name at the bottom of your menu.
Select My Account.
Select your live Unleashed account and click View.
In the live Unleashed account, go back to the My Account page.
Click Delete Sandbox.
In the confirmation pop-up, click Yes.
You will receive a notification confirming the Sandbox deletion.
Use a Sandbox
When you're viewing the Sandbox version of your account, you can test using and integrating with an Unleashed account without it affecting your live account's data. The Sandbox's expiration date will be displayed in the banner across the top of your Unleashed page.
To access an existing Sandbox account:
Select your user name at the bottom of your menu.
Select My Account.
Select the Sandbox account and click View.
An orange banner is displayed at the top of the screen to indicate that you are using the Sandbox.
You can use the same process to access your live account from a Sandbox, too.
Managing User Access in a Sandbox Environment
Upon creation of a Sandbox, all existing users in your Unleashed account will automatically be included with access to the Sandbox. New users invited to an Unleashed account after a Sandbox has been created must be manually invited to the existing Sandbox.
To manage user access effectively in your Sandbox environment:
Manual User Invitation: If a user has been added after the Sandbox creation, manually invite them to the Sandbox through the Sandbox account's Settings > Security > Users > Invite Users.
Plan Ahead: Include all necessary users before creating a Sandbox whenever possible. This reduces the administrative effort related to post-creation invitations.
📌Note: A maximum of 5 users per Sandbox.
Best Practices
Please read these points carefully to avoid accidental data loss or inadvertent changes to your account:
Before creating or working in a Sandbox environment, ensure all other web browser windows or tabs logged into Unleashed are closed.
Do not have both your Unleashed account and your Sandbox open in your browser tabs at the same time on the same device. If you create a transaction for your Sandbox environment while a browser tab is open for your live account, there is a chance that the transaction will be saved to your live account. Ensure all tabs in your browser are logged in to your Sandbox when testing.
To ensure efficient user onboarding, plan and include all necessary users before creating the Sandbox environment. This practice can minimise disruptions and access management overhead.
Each Sandbox account will have a unique API ID and Key to test third-party integrations. We strongly suggest not connecting a Sandbox to live third-party integrations in the interest of preserving data integrity.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send test emails from a sandbox account to verify the process?
Can I send test emails from a sandbox account to verify the process?
No. As email functionality is disabled in sandbox environments, test emails cannot be sent.
Where can I test Unleashed University steps and challenges?
Where can I test Unleashed University steps and challenges?
We recommend using a Sandbox when completing the tasks and challenges set in the University course. A Sandbox is the perfect place to experiment with Unleashed and try out its features, without it impacting your live data.
Can I restrict a user to only the Sandbox without live account access?
Can I restrict a user to only the Sandbox without live account access?
Yes, you invite a user to only the Sandbox and remove them from your Unleashed account, and they will not be able to access your live account whilst using the Sandbox.
What happens if I exceed the 5-user limit in the Sandbox?
What happens if I exceed the 5-user limit in the Sandbox?
When a Sandbox is created all existing users in your live account will be given access to the Sandbox, and this can exceed the 5-user limit. Sandbox access will not be hindered for any users already included, but you will not be able to invite any further users to the Sandbox. To invite new users, you must delete existing users from the Sandbox until the 5-user limit can accommodate the new users.