Fusion Sandbox Tips: Safely Experimenting with Redwood Extensions Without Breaking Production

 So you’ve built a sleek Redwood extension. It’s beautiful. It’s smart. But the big question is — where do you test it without impacting live users?

Welcome to the world of Fusion Sandboxes — Oracle Cloud’s safest playground for experimenting with Redwood UX, personalization, and page integrations without the fear of breaking anything in production.

Whether you're extending a page, embedding a Visual Builder Redwood app, or testing a smart AI Agent workflow — sandboxes are your best friend.

What is a Sandbox in Oracle Fusion?

In Oracle Fusion, a sandbox is a safe, temporary workspace where you can test UI changes, configurations, and extensions. It lets you:

• Try changes without impacting other users

• Review and preview UX changes in isolation

• Publish only when ready

• Revert easily if something goes wrong

Think of it like a draft mode for your application.

Why Sandboxes Matter for Redwood Extensions

Redwood apps are built using Oracle Visual Builder (VBCS), but they often need to be embedded into Fusion pages — especially in modules like Order Management, Payables, or HCM.

You don’t want to test these directly in production.

Using sandboxes ensures:

• You see exactly how the Redwood app looks inside Fusion

• Any role-based visibility, security, and page layout changes are isolated

• You can validate UI alignment, performance, and field-level interactions before go-live

5 Practical Tips to Use Fusion Sandboxes Effectively

1. Choose the Right Sandbox Type

Fusion supports different types of sandboxes. Here are the common ones and when to use them:

Page Composer – UI layout and Redwood app embedding
Structure – Navigation flows, page headers, menus
Flexfields – Adding new data capture fields (DFFs/EFFs)
Data Security – Role-based page/view logic

For Redwood app embedding, start with Page Composer and Structure sandboxes. You can also combine multiple types into a single sandbox when needed.

2. Always Name Your Sandboxes Clearly

Use meaningful names like:
Redwood_OrderApp_Test_May or AI_CreditHold_Alert_UAT

This helps with tracking, collaboration, and future rollbacks.

3. Use the “Preview as Role” Feature

When testing, use the “Preview as Role” option to simulate how different user roles will see the page. This ensures:

• The right users can access the Redwood app

• Role-based UI logic works correctly

• Sensitive data isn't unintentionally exposed

4. Don’t Leave Sandboxes Open Too Long

Sandbox changes are session-based. They don’t save unless published. So make sure to:

• Publish when you're done

• Exit without publishing if you're still experimenting

• Create new sandboxes for each major test or change

Long-running or stale sandboxes can lead to confusion and version conflicts.

5. Collaborate in a Shared UAT or Test Pod

While sandboxes are great for development and solo testing, Redwood apps also need to be tested in realistic business scenarios. Use a shared UAT or TEST environment to:

• Deploy the Redwood app

• Embed it via Page Composer sandbox

• Walk through workflows with business users

• Collect feedback on layout, usability, and data accuracy

Redwood + Sandbox: A Developer’s Best Combo

Here’s how the flow typically works:

1. Build your Redwood extension using Oracle Visual Builder

2. Deploy it and get the application URL

3. Open a Fusion sandbox (Page Composer or Structure)

4. Embed the app into the appropriate Fusion screen

5. Preview, validate across roles, and test all scenarios

6. Publish the sandbox when ready

This gives you a modern, integrated UX — all without touching production until you’re fully confident.

Summary

Sandboxes give you the freedom to experiment and the confidence to innovate. When you’re building Redwood apps, they’re not just helpful — they’re essential.

Whether you're enhancing order entry, streamlining payables, or guiding users through intelligent flows — use a sandbox to test, tweak, and tune before going live.✔