To check for a deleted sandbox in Salesforce, you need to consult your organization's Setup Audit Trail, which provides a detailed log of administrative changes. This trail helps you identify when and by whom a sandbox might have been deleted.
Understanding the Setup Audit Trail
The Setup Audit Trail is a critical tool for monitoring administrative changes within your Salesforce organization. It records up to six months of data, including modifications to custom fields, user permissions, security settings, and, importantly, the deletion of sandboxes. By reviewing this trail, administrators can track configuration changes, diagnose issues, and ensure compliance.
Steps to Find a Deleted Sandbox
Follow these practical steps to locate information about a deleted sandbox:
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Access Setup: In your Salesforce org, click the Gear icon (⚙️) in the top right corner and select Setup.
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Navigate to Audit Trail: In the Quick Find box on the left, type "Audit Trail" and select Setup Audit Trail.
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Download the Audit Trail: On the Setup Audit Trail page, you'll see a list of recent setup changes. To view older records or perform a detailed search, click the Download button to download your organization's complete Setup Audit Trail for the last six months. This will typically download a
.csvfile. -
Open and Search the File: Open the downloaded
.csvfile using a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. -
Locate 'Action' Column: In the spreadsheet, find the column labeled 'Action'. This column details the specific administrative action performed.
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Search for "Deleted sandbox": Use your spreadsheet program's search or filter function to look for the exact phrase "Deleted sandbox" within the 'Action' column.
- Example in Excel:
- Select the 'Action' column.
- Go to Home tab > Find & Select > Find (or press Ctrl+F).
- Type "Deleted sandbox" and click "Find All".
- Example in Google Sheets:
- Select the 'Action' column.
- Go to Edit > Find and replace (or press Ctrl+H).
- Type "Deleted sandbox" in the 'Find' field.
- Example in Excel:
Once you find an entry with "Deleted sandbox" in the 'Action' column, you can review the other columns in that row to gather more information, such as:
- User: The user who performed the deletion.
- Section: The area within Salesforce where the change occurred.
- Time: The date and time when the sandbox was deleted.
What Information Will You Get?
The Setup Audit Trail entry for a deleted sandbox will provide crucial details, allowing you to answer key questions:
| Field | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| User | The Salesforce user who initiated the sandbox deletion. | John Doe ([email protected]) |
| Action | The specific action performed. | Deleted sandbox: MyDevSandbox |
| Section | The setup area where the action took place. | Sandboxes |
| Time | The exact date and time (including timezone) of the deletion. | 2023-10-26 10:30:15 PDT |
| Source IP | The IP address from which the user initiated the action (if available). | 192.168.1.100 |
This information is invaluable for identifying the cause of an unexpected sandbox deletion and for internal auditing or compliance purposes. While you cannot recover a deleted sandbox directly, knowing who and when it was deleted can help prevent future accidental deletions and inform your sandbox management strategy.
