Hello Trailblazers! It’s that time of year again. The Salesforce Winter ’26 Release is just around the corner, packed with new features and updates designed to enhance your Salesforce experience and boost your organization’s success. Staying informed about the release cycle is essential for everyone who uses and builds on the platform.
To help you prepare, we’ve broken down all the important dates and actions. Mark your calendars and get ready to explore what Winter ’26 has in it.
August: Your First Look and Study Time
August is all about getting early access and seeing what’s coming. This is your chance to explore the new functionality and start planning before it reaches your day-to-day environment.
August 21: Sign Up for a Pre-Release Org
This is your own special playground! A pre-release org is a stand-alone environment where you can safely click, test, and explore all the new Winter ’26 features. It’s the best way to get hands-on experience right away, whether you build, configure, or simply use the platform.
August 27: Review the Release Notes
Think of the Release Notes as the official instruction manual for everything new. They go live on this date, so you can search for the products you use and see exactly what’s changing. For extra tips and discussions, be sure to check out the Release Readiness Trailblazer Community Group.
Early September: Time to Test in Your Sandbox
September 4: Refresh Your Sandbox (IMPORTANT DEADLINE)
This is a critical step for your technical team. To test Winter ’26 in a sandbox early, it needs to be scheduled for the “preview.” Using the Salesforce Sandbox Preview Guide, your team can check your instance. If a sandbox isn’t on the preview list, it must be refreshed before 5 p.m. Pacific Time on September 4th to be included. This allows your team to validate customizations and prepare for a smooth rollout.
September 5: Sandbox Preview Begins!
Preview sandboxes will be upgraded with all the Winter ’26 features. This is the perfect time to test your key business processes and custom configurations against the new release. It’s also a good opportunity to check Release Updates in the Setup menu to see what technical changes might be required.
Mid-September: Learn from the Experts
With the release getting closer, Salesforce provides amazing resources to help you understand the most impactful changes.
September 15: Watch Release Readiness on Salesforce+
Tune in to hear directly from the Salesforce product management team. They’ll demonstrate key new features and give you a sneak peek into their plans for the future.
September 16: Check the Admin Blog for Release Highlights
Keep an eye on the official Salesforce Admin Blog. It provides excellent summaries of the top features, giving all Salesforce professionals a quick way to understand the most impactful updates.
The Main Event: Salesforce Winter ’26 Goes Live!
This is it! The new features arrive in your main production environment over three weekends.
September 19, October 3, & October 10: Winter ’26 Arrives!
Your company’s Salesforce org will be updated on one of these weekends. To find out exactly when your instance will get the update, check the official Maintenance Calendar. Once your date has passed, you and your colleagues will have access to all the great new features of the Winter ’26 release.
By following these key dates, you’ll be perfectly prepared to take full advantage of the new release. In the upcoming article we can discussion more about the new updates in Salesforce Winter ’26. Happy exploring!
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