While we do extensive testing prior to any release, we depend on beta testers to help us identify issues in various environments. This is a critical part to our development cycles, and we greatly appreciate all those who can assist!
What are Betas and Release Candidates?
A beta is a version of the product that is considered incomplete by our development team. These are generally unpolished and are intended for us to get feedback on any issues encountered while we continue developing. Beta testing helps us catch glaring bugs early on that didn’t show up in development.
A release candidate is a version of the product that is considered finished but the included changes warrant testing heavily. This process helps us ensure that new features don’t have edge case bugs and that we don’t introduce regressions that break existing features. It needs to be tested in multiple environments with different combinations of settings.
How does this fit in with the official releases?
Before each official release, at least one release candidate will be made available for each product. For larger releases, we may start with a beta, then do at least one release candidates. Our biggest releases have had multiple betas. We try to keep the length of the beta and release candidate process congruent with the scope of what the update delivers.
How can I get involved?
To enroll in beta access, simply go to your account page, scroll to the bottom, and check the following box.
This will give you access to the beta forum if you have an active support license. You can also find this by going to the forum page and using the filter option to show the beta category. In that forum you will find further instructions on accessing the downloads and getting involved.
Participant Guidelines & Considerations
- Remember: Beta versions are NOT SUPPORTED, and we can not assist you with complications that may arise from using them. They are for testing purposes only. DO NOT install on a production site.
- When reporting issues, please be as detailed as possible.
- The Beta Forum is not for support. Our objective is to solve potential issues prior to the official release. We may not be able to solve all the issues that arise during beta testing.
- Beta downloads are not a way to get access to bug fixes faster. Always wait for the official release before updating a site.
- We reserve the right to remove anyone from the Beta Forum. We don’t like to do this, and it hasn’t happened to date, but we need to make sure people who are in this group are here to help test.
Interested? We’d love to have you join us!
Beta testing is an important part of the release process and it helps us ensure all new fixes and improvements are not introducing regressions or additional problems. We would greatly appreciate your help towards this end.