# Fetching and Using Environments

Once a pool is provisioned and has available instances, your team can start using them.

## Fetching an environment

<figure><img src="https://1175714801-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fh59zbGOCxlW2afrUhmcZ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-aef162be1993840f59e9b474de669d902452b995%2Fpool-fetch.png?alt=media" alt="Fetch Sandbox dialog"><figcaption><p>Fetch an environment from a pool — select the pool and set how long you need it</p></figcaption></figure>

Click **Fetch Sandbox** from the Pools page or from the DEV ENVIRONMENTS panel on the right. The dialog shows all pools with their current availability — how many environments are ready and the total capacity.

Select a pool and set the **Expiration Hours** — this is how long the environment will be assigned to you before it expires and returns to the pool. Click **Fetch Sandbox** to grab it.

Once fetched, you receive a password reset email from Salesforce to set up your credentials. The environment is immediately assigned to you.

You can see all environments assigned to you under **Dev > My Orgs > Assigned to Me** in the sidebar.

## Managing pool instances

<figure><img src="https://1175714801-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fh59zbGOCxlW2afrUhmcZ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-5753f763fdf47b15ea2d786c6c85f89865e4090b%2Fpool-detail.png?alt=media" alt="Pool detail page"><figcaption><p>Pool detail view showing individual instances with status, assignment, and expiry countdown</p></figcaption></figure>

Click any pool name on the Pools page to see all its instances. Each instance shows:

* Its current status — **Available**, **Assigned**, **Provisioning**, or **Expired**
* Who it is assigned to (if anyone)
* When it expires, with a countdown (e.g., "2d left", "1h left")
* Action buttons to open, extend, or delete it

Switch to the **Pool Config (YAML)** tab to view or edit the pool's configuration.

## Extending an environment

<figure><img src="https://1175714801-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fh59zbGOCxlW2afrUhmcZ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-abaa02c3836273bc67359b01b09609ddb3c0ad68%2Fpool-extend-expiration.png?alt=media" alt="Extend Sandbox Expiration dialog"><figcaption><p>Extend the expiration of an assigned environment by a specified number of days</p></figcaption></figure>

If you need more time with an assigned environment, click the extend action on the instance row. The dialog shows the current expiry date and lets you add days. The new expiry is previewed before you confirm.

This is useful when a feature takes longer than expected or when you need to keep an environment around for a demo or review.

## Returning an environment

When your lease expires, the environment is automatically returned to the pool and made available for others. You can also return it early from the pool detail page by unassigning it.

Returned environments may be refreshed, reused, or deleted depending on the pool's [expiration strategy](https://docs.flxbl.io/flxbl/codev/creating-pools#step-2-pool-config).