Why should I use the sandbox environment?

If your business depends upon a solid track of key performance indicators (KPIs), it's important to maintain optimal operations. Disruptions can cause supervisor confusion at best, or impact service level agreements at worst. If you have regular training classes for new agents, integration projects in the works, or just want to experiment with conceptual Guided Paths® or Support.com® Cloud (formerly Nexus®) apps like Agent Support or Self-Support, we recommend that you keep your operations safe and analytics tidy by segregating these groups into your custom sandbox environment.

What is the sandbox environment?

The sandbox environment is a replica of the production tenant, with a few exceptions.  

Upon creation or reset, the sandbox environment will mirror the production tenant in the following ways:

  • Users, Passwords, Teams, Skills
  • Tenant Branding, Manage Fields, Push URLs, Configurations
  • Access Points, Authentication, Application Tokens, Support.com Cloud Apps
  • Categories, Guided Paths, Steps, Actions, Client Branding
  • Consumer Profiles

The following will not be replicated in the sandbox, however the features are still available to use if needed:

  • Connect Pages and Calling Cards
  • Access Control
  • Analytics (data and access)
  • Session Data

For what purposes should I consider using the sandbox environment?

Training

New agents aren't known for their speed or efficiency (yet!). Consider creating some generic re-usable user accounts, teams and skills in the production environment that get replicated in the sandbox environment for training purposes. Have your new agents login directly to the sandbox when being trained, so that their Guided Paths and session data won't show up in the production analytics. 

Integration

Developers can end up creating a lot of junk sessions and data when using APIs. Consider setting up an API user account with access to the Sandbox environment. After development is complete and QA has signed off, migrate the configurations to production and seamlessly implement the newly integrated application workflow.  

Experimentation

There are many ways in which Guided Paths, Support.com Cloud apps, and integrations can be built and used. Consider using the sandbox as a test bed for experimenting with the ways that these approaches could have value to your organization. 

Demos

Want to show off your new Guided Path? Consider using the sandbox to give a demo of your latest and greatest Guided Paths without creating unnecessary session data and impacting production analytics. 

How do I set up and access my sandbox environment?

For detailed instructions on how to create and reset the sandbox, please see How do I create a sandbox environment?

Tip: Once created, it is not necessary to be an admin or use the “Go to Sandbox” button to access the sandbox. Any user can log in directly to the sandbox environment using the sandbox URL, e.g.:

https://yourcompanysandbox.nexus.support.com

For more information on Sandbox environments, please see: 6I - Sandbox Environment