Why previews matter
A screenshot cannot validate runtime behavior. A real preview exercises the same build process, routing, environment variables, and edge runtime that production uses, while keeping traffic isolated.
1. Enable branch previews
apex preview enable --provider github
Apex creates a deployment whenever the selected branch event occurs. The generated URL is attached to the deployment so reviewers can find it from the pull request.
2. Control preview data
- Use masked or synthetic datasets where production records would create privacy risk.
- Give previews read-only access to shared services when write access is unnecessary.
- Keep preview secrets separate from production credentials.
3. Promote the approved artifact
apex deploy promote dep_01J9QW2P9H apex traffic set --environment production --version dep_01J9QW2P9H
Promotion keeps the tested artifact intact. There is no rebuild step that can silently change the dependency graph between review and release.
Add release controls
For high-impact changes, move from previews to percentage-based traffic and automated rollback checks.