State of Preview Environments Report 2023

Preview Environments, which allow for isolated testing of code changes before merging, are seen as increasingly valuable in software development, with 70% of surveyed software engineers acknowledging their importance. These environments offer benefits such as shorter feedback cycles, faster delivery, increased autonomy, and reduced bugs, particularly benefiting cross-functional teams including developers, QA, DevOps, and product teams. However, challenges to adopting Preview Environments include the time and effort required for implementation, technical difficulties, and a lack of user-friendly solutions. Despite these obstacles, the survey indicates a growing trend towards adopting these environments, with 43% of organizations already utilizing them and 18% planning to adopt them within the year. Preferences for implementation show a split between building in-house solutions and opting for external ones, highlighting the demand for more accessible and practical solutions to facilitate broader adoption.