Revenue Cloud Trial Limitations

I get a lot of questions about what you can actually do in a Revenue Cloud trial. The short answer: quite a bit, but with some important caveats. In this guide, I’ll walk you through what’s available, what’s limited, and how to make the most of your evaluation time.

Accessing Revenue Cloud for Free

Currently, there are several ways to access Revenue Cloud without a full license:

1. Communications Cloud Trial

The most common path to Revenue Cloud access:

1. Sign up for a Salesforce Communications Cloud trial
2. Enable Revenue Cloud features within the trial org
3. Full access to most Revenue Cloud capabilities

Duration: 30 days (extensions may be available through Salesforce sales)

2. Promo Edition Org

A free option for learning, but with important caveats:

• Sign up at developer.salesforce.com
• Enterprise Edition-like features
• Limited storage but sufficient for learning

Important: Salesforce states that Promo Edition orgs may expire or become unavailable without notice. Treat these as throwaway environments—don’t rely on them for long-term work or store anything you can’t recreate. They’re great for experimentation, but export your configurations regularly.

3. Partner Demo Orgs (SDO)

For Salesforce partners:

• Pre-configured demo environments
• Access through Partner Learning Camp
• Comes with sample data and configurations

What You CAN Do in a Trial

Full Configuration Capabilities

Trial orgs provide complete access to Revenue Cloud configuration:

• Product Catalog Management: Create catalogs, categories, and products
• Bundle Configuration: Build complex product bundles with options and features
• Pricing Setup: Configure pricing procedures and waterfall logic
• Attribute Management: Define and manage product attributes

Quote-to-Cash Processes

You can run through complete scenarios:

• Create Opportunities and Quotes
• Configure products with the Product Configurator
• Apply pricing and discounts
• Generate quote documents
• Convert quotes to orders

Pricing Procedures

Full access to pricing configuration:

• Design pricing procedures with drag-and-drop interface
• Configure pricing waterfall steps
• Simulate pricing logic before activation
• Test discount rules and volume pricing

Integration Testing (Limited)

Basic integration capabilities:

• API access for testing integrations
• Connected App creation
• REST API calls for product and quote data

User Experience

Experience the full Revenue Cloud interface:

• Product Catalog Management app
• Quote creation workflows
• Document generation
• Approval processes (if configured)

What You CAN’T Do (or Have Limitations)

Storage Limits

Promo Edition orgs have limited storage (see official limits):

Impact: You cannot test with production-level data volumes. Don’t use trial environments for performance testing—the results won’t be meaningful.

Time Constraints

• 30-Day Trial: Expires and requires re-registration
• No Automatic Extension: Must contact Salesforce for extensions
• Work Lost on Expiration: All configurations disappear when trial ends

Advanced Features

Some features may be limited or unavailable:

• Advanced Billing: Full billing capabilities may require specific licenses
• Complex Integrations: Enterprise integration patterns difficult to test
• Production-Scale Testing: Cannot validate performance at scale

License-Specific Features

Certain capabilities require specific licenses not included in trials:

• Some advanced CLM (Contract Lifecycle Management) features
• Specific industry cloud capabilities
• Advanced fulfillment orchestration features

Integration Limitations

• Sandbox-specific endpoints required
• Some third-party integrations may not work in trial
• API call limits may be restrictive
• Cannot test production integration scenarios

Maximizing Your Trial

Foundation

Focus on core setup:

1. Enable all Revenue Cloud settings
2. Assign permission sets
3. Create a basic product catalog
4. Set up simple pricing

Configuration

Build out your use cases:

1. Create product bundles matching your real products
2. Configure pricing procedures for your scenarios
3. Build sample quotes
4. Test document generation

Process Testing

Validate end-to-end flows:

1. Run through complete quote-to-order scenarios
2. Test approval workflows
3. Validate pricing calculations
4. Explore reporting capabilities

Evaluation

Document findings and decisions:

1. Compare to current state/requirements
2. Note gaps or limitations
3. Estimate implementation effort
4. Prepare business case

Recent Feature Updates

Revenue Cloud continues to evolve with each release. Check the Salesforce Release Notes for the latest updates. Some notable improvements that have addressed previous trial limitations:

• Cloning quote lines and groups (parity with CPQ)
• Ramp Deals for Groups
• Usage-based pricing support

Getting Extended Access

If 30 days isn’t enough:

Request Extension Through Salesforce

1. Contact your Salesforce Account Executive
2. Explain your evaluation timeline and needs
3. Extensions are often available for serious prospects

Use Promo Edition for Learning

For skill development (with caveats):

1. Promo Edition orgs can expire or break without warning
2. Treat them as disposable—export configurations you want to keep
3. Great for experimentation, not for storing important work
4. Create a new one if your current org becomes unavailable

Partner Access

If you’re a Salesforce partner:

1. Access Industries Training Playgrounds
2. Use Partner Learning Camp resources
3. Request demo org access through partner programs

Trial vs. Production Differences

Be aware that trial environments differ from production:

Documenting Your Trial Experience

Create a structured evaluation:

Configuration Checklist

• Product Catalog setup
• Pricing procedure configuration
• Bundle creation
• Quote generation
• Document templates
• Approval workflows

Gap Analysis

Document what you couldn’t fully evaluate:

• Features requiring specific licenses
• Performance at scale
• Complex integration scenarios
• Advanced billing capabilities

Decision Criteria

Rate Revenue Cloud against your requirements:

• Must-have features: Available? Working?
• Nice-to-have features: Present? Functional?
• Integration needs: Testable in trial?

Resources

Here are the official Salesforce resources for trial and Promo Edition orgs:

• Promo Edition Signup - Get a free, permanent Promo Edition org
• Salesforce Storage Limits - Official storage allocations
• Revenue Cloud on Trailhead - Learning resources
• Salesforce Release Notes - Latest feature updates

Conclusion

Trial environments give you enough to make an informed decision about Revenue Cloud. The main constraints are storage and time—you won’t be able to test at production scale or evaluate long-term performance.

My advice: go in with a structured plan, focus on your most critical use cases first, and document everything. If you need more time, ask your Account Executive for an extension. For ongoing learning, Promo Edition orgs are available but remember they can expire without notice—treat them as throwaway environments.

For a step-by-step guide to setting up your trial org, see our Revenue Cloud Trial Setup Guide.