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block release blocked by 'sandboxing is enabled' error on both Production and Sandbox bases

  • September 14, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 126 views
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block release fails with "This request cannot be performed when sandboxing is enabled" while App Sandbox is active

We're building a CLI-based Interface Extension (Custom Element) and have App Sandbox enabled on our base. Trying to release the extension to the production base with block release fails every time with:

 

❌ Airtable server returned an error.
This request cannot be performed when sandboxing is enabled.
Code: airtableApiUnexpectedError

This happens consistently, regardless of PAT re-auth (block set-api-key) or a clean block run locally — the extension bundles and would upload fine otherwise.

We also tried releasing directly against the Sandbox base's own base ID (using a named remote via block add-remote, same block ID as production), which instead returns a 422 with {"error": {"type": "FAILED_STATE_CHECK"}}.

So right now, with App Sandbox enabled, we can't release the extension to either the production base or the sandbox base via the CLI. Is this expected behavior — i.e., does block release need to wait until Sandbox is disabled before it will run — or is this a bug? 

3 replies

anthonyXRay
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  • anthonyXRay
  • Participating Frequently
  • September 14, 2026

This is something to be expected and is not a bug.  While App Sandbox is active, interface changes (including extensions) will have to go through the sandbox.  They can’t be written directly to production, this is why it is throwing that error.  Pushing straight to the sandbox base’s own ID likely fails for a similar reason: ‘block release’ is a direct write, and that is not the supported path into a sandboxed state.  Try building and updating the extension while working in the sandbox.  Try updating the extension in sandox, you can use Airtable’s normal sandbox merge flow to being it into production instead of releasing via CLI directly.

Anthony at XRay
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  • M_Nelson13902
  • Author
  • New Participant
  • September 14, 2026

When I apply the changes nothing changes to the page in production.

 

This interface is published in production because we turned off the sandbox in order to publish. Sandbox has now been enabled again but when we apply the changes to the page nothing changes in production.

anthonyXRay
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  • anthonyXRay
  • Participating Frequently
  • September 14, 2026

Airtable’s sandbox “apply” only carries over the extension settings and configuration and not the underlying extension code.  Since ‘block release’ cannot push code to production while sandbox is active and the merge flow doesn’t carry code changes either, there may be no supported way to update a custom extension’s code while a sandbox is enabled.  If you need the code change to be live, disabling the sandbox to release might be the only path right now.  I would also flag Airtable Support about this.  This looks like a real gap in how App Sandbox handles custom extension workflows and not something you did wrong.

Anthony at XRay
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