Published at: 2026-09-17
change-set-core-concepts
A change set is a packaged collection of metadata used to migrate configuration between related environments.
[!WARNING] This article abstracts the Change Sets mechanism based on Salesforce Help. Supported metadata types and automatic dependency rules require manual review.
Business value
A change set helps you migrate configuration that was validated in a sandbox to the production environment.
With change sets, the release process forms a closed loop that supports validation, deployment, and traceability.
Core concepts
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Metadata | Configuration items in the enterprise management menu, such as objects, fields, layouts, permissions, flows, and custom functions |
| Outbound change set | A metadata collection sent from the current environment to an external related environment |
| Inbound change set | A metadata collection sent to the current environment from an external related environment |
| Validation | Checks whether a change set can be deployed without writing configuration |
| Deployment | Writes the metadata in a change set to the target environment |
| Deployment history | The execution records of validation and deployment actions |
Metadata scope
A change set is a packaged collection of metadata. It sends metadata from one environment to other related environments for deployment.
Metadata refers to configuration items in the enterprise management menu, such as objects, fields, layouts, permissions, flows, and custom functions. Metadata does not include business data.
Usage scenarios
During secondary implementation, you can first create a sandbox environment and complete configuration in it. After configuration tests pass, create a change set and add the metadata components you need to sync to the production environment.
After a change set is sent from the sandbox to the production environment, the production environment administrator validates and then deploys it. After deployment completes, the metadata migrates from the sandbox to the production environment.
Change set types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Outbound change set | A metadata collection sent from this environment to an external related environment |
| Inbound change set | A metadata collection sent to this environment from an external related environment |
How it works
A release administrator first creates an outbound change set in the source environment and adds the metadata components to release.
After upload, the target environment receives the inbound change set. The target environment administrator validates it first. After validation passes, the administrator deploys it.
After a successful deployment, the target environment adds or updates the corresponding metadata. If deployment fails, the deployment content rolls back.
Capability boundaries
Change sets are used to add or update metadata.
Change sets do not migrate business data and are not suitable for deleting metadata in the target environment. To delete deployed components, you usually need to handle them manually in the target environment.
Deployment impact
Deploying a change set creates or updates metadata in the target environment. The primary key that determines whether metadata is created or updated is usually the metadata’s
apiName.Change sets cannot delete metadata. After a successful deployment, you cannot roll back with one click. To delete metadata deployed by a change set, you must delete the deployed metadata one by one in the backend management interface.