Why Sandbox API Call Limits Differ from Production in Salesforce

This article explains why the "API Request Limit, Last 24 hours" default limit in a Sandbox environment is different from a Production org. Organizations testing integrations or high-volume processes may notice their Sandbox shows a significantly higher API call allowance than Production. This is by design — Sandbox environments are set to the absolute maximum to avoid interruptions during testing.

Understanding Sandbox Limits

Sandbox environments are defaulted to 5,000,000 API calls per 24 hours. Because Sandbox is a test environment, this limit is intentionally set at the absolute maximum to avoid disrupting development and testing workflows.

Please raise a Case with Salesforce Support if the limit in your Sandbox is not 5,000,000 API calls. This limit will then be adjusted.

Note: The default value of an organization's API calls is based on your licenses. Regardless of the quantity of API limits in your Sandbox, you will still be restricted to the maximum calls in Production as defined by your organization edition.

How This Affects Testing

When testing in Sandbox, your API call limit will appear much higher than what is available in Production. This is expected behavior. The Sandbox limit does not reflect your Production entitlement. Be mindful of this when testing integrations, automation, or high-volume data operations — what works within Sandbox limits may hit limits in Production.

Standard Default Values by Edition:

More detailed information on how to calculate the Production API limit can be found at API Request Limits and Allocations.

Maximum Permitted Values (If Increased):