What is a Sandbox Environment?
A sandbox is a secure test environment where you can experiment without affecting your actual data.
It works as a separate copy of your main account; everything looks the same, but nothing you do there impacts your live data, calculations, or setup.
Why Should You Use Productive's Sandbox?
The Sandbox is useful whenever you want to try something before doing it for real.
Common use cases include:
Learning and training: practice using Productive without the risk of breaking anything
Onboarding: get new users comfortable with the system before they work in the live account
Scenario planning: test different resourcing or budget setups to see how they play out
Troubleshooting: experiment with invoices, automations, or service prices in a safe environment
The Sandbox is available on all Productive subscription plans.
How to Access the Sandbox
Click your avatar in the upper right corner and select Sandbox.
Identifying the Sandbox Environment
When you're in the Sandbox, you'll notice:
A Sandbox badge below the Productive logo
An info banner at the bottom of the screen
The URL will show
sandbox.productive.ioButtons and menus appear in red instead of the usual violet
Sandbox Restart
The Sandbox is updated every Sunday at 02:00 AM CET.
Any data you created during the week in the Sandbox will be deleted, and your main account data will sync over again. After the restart, the Sandbox and your live account should look the same.
Who Can Access the Sandbox?
Everyone can access the Sandbox, regardless of their permission level — including employees, contractors, and clients.
📌 If a user joins the organization during an active Sandbox cycle, their Sandbox account will be created on the following Sunday. The timing is based on when they accept their invitation, not when it was sent — so a user invited on Friday but who accepts on Monday will have their Sandbox ready the next Sunday.
📌 After you start your subscription, your Sandbox will be ready in seven days: this gives your data time to fully sync. In the meantime, you can explore Productive using your main account.
Limited Outbound Communication in the Sandbox Environment
Some features rely on external connections, which are restricted in the Sandbox to prevent unintended actions.
External Integrations
The Sandbox does not allow external requests, so integrations cannot be tested. This includes Calendar, Slack, e-invoicing, webhooks, SSO, and other third-party integrations.
📌 The App Marketplace in Settings is disabled in the Sandbox.
Outbound Communications
Emails and payment reminders are not sent from the Sandbox. Options that aren't available will appear greyed out with a tooltip explaining why.
Switching Plans in the Sandbox
You cannot switch subscription plans in the Sandbox.
To try a different plan, go to your main account and navigate to Settings > Billing.