# Quality standards
You need the Administer system permission.
To manage the quality gates in your instance, see [managing-quality-gates](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/quality-standards-administration/managing-quality-gates "mention").
To manage the quality profiles in your instance, see [managing-quality-profiles](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/quality-standards-administration/managing-quality-profiles "mention").
## Setting up the Sandbox feature at the instance level
Some SonarQube updates may introduce new issues in your code on sections that have not been changed since the previous analysis. Such updates include Sonar analyzer improvements (improved rules), or changes to built-in quality profiles (addition of rules). This introduction of new issues may lead to abrupt and unexplained quality gate and pipeline failures, causing frustration and delays in releases.
As an instance admin, you can enable the Sandbox feature globally in your instance. Project administrators can then change the feature status (on or off) for their project.
For more information about this feature, see [#from-sonarqube-update](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/user-guide/issues/solution-overview#from-sonarqube-update "mention").
{% hint style="warning" %}
When you update your SonarQube Server from a version not supporting the Sandbox feature, enable the feature after the update but **before the first project analysis** otherwise you will not benefit from the feature for the current update. To ensure this, you can set up the feature through system properties during the update and before restarting SonarQube Server. See [#setting-up-the-sandbox-feature-through-system-properties](#setting-up-the-sandbox-feature-through-system-properties "mention").
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
If you disable the Sandbox feature for your instance, any existing sandboxed issues will remain in the Sandbox and can still be triaged by users.
{% endhint %}
To set up the Sandbox feature in your instance:
1. Got to **Administration > Configuration > General settings > General**.
2. In **Issues > Sandbox specific issue categories after SonarQube update**, enable the feature. A configuration pane is displayed. The figure below shows the option to enable (1) and the configuration pane that is displayed (2) for an instance in MQR mode (for information about the instance mode, see [changing-modes](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/user-guide/code-metrics/changing-modes "mention")).
3. Define the sandbox conditions:
1. Select the software quality (in MQR mode) or the type (in Standard Experience) of issues to be moved to the Sandbox. The severity condition box is displayed.
2. Select the severity(ies) of the issues to be moved.
3. Proceed the same way for each other software quality or issue type you want to configure.
4. If project administrators should be able to change the Sandbox conditions, select **Yes** for the corresponding option. Otherwise, select **No**.
5. In **Should sandbox feature be on or off by default?**, set the default status (On or Off) of the Sandbox feature for projects (the project admins can change it):
* **On**: The Sandbox feature will be On by default for all new projects. This will also set the Sandbox feature to On for existing projects (this applies when you first enable the sandbox feature and anytime you change this parameter).
* **Off**: The Sandbox feature will be Off by default for all new projects. This will also set the Sandbox feature to Off for existing projects (this applies when you first enable the Sandbox feature and anytime you change this parameter).
6. Select **Save**.
### Setting up the Sandbox feature through system properties
After an update, to make sure the feature is enabled before the analysis of any of your projects is done, you can set system properties before you restart your SonarQube Server after the update. The setup depends on your installation type.
For more information about the mentioned system properties, see [#sandbox](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/server-installation/system-properties/common-properties#sandbox "mention").
ZIP file installation
In Step 3 of the update procedure (see [#zip-instance](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/server-update-and-maintenance/update/update#zip-instance "mention")), add the Sandbox properties to `sonar.properties` as illustrated below. Adapt the property values to your needs.
```properties
sonar.issues.sandbox.enabled=true
sonar.issues.sandbox.override.enabled=true
sonar.issues.sandbox.default=true
sonar.issues.sandbox.software-qualities=[{"softwareQuality":"MAINTAINABILITY","impactSeverities":["LOW","INFO"]}]
```
Docker image installation
In Step 2 of the update procedure (see [#docker-instance](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/server-update-and-maintenance/update/update#docker-instance "mention")), add the Sandbox environment variables to the docker run command as illustrated below. Adapt the environment variable values to your needs.
```docker
-e SONAR_ISSUES_SANDBOX_ENABLED=true \
-e SONAR_ISSUES_SANDBOX_OVERRIDE_ENABLED=true \
-e SONAR_ISSUES_SANDBOX_DEFAULT=true \
-e SONAR_ISSUES_SANDBOX_SOFTWARE_QUALITIES='[{"softwareQuality":"MAINTAINABILITY","impactSeverities":["LOW","INFO"]}]' \
```
Kubernetes installation
In step 1 of the standard update procedure (see [#standard-procedure](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/server-update-and-maintenance/update/update#standard-procedure "mention")), add the Sandbox system properties either as sonar properties (see *ZIP installation* above) or environment variables (see *Docker image installation* above) to your `values.yaml` . For information about the adding of system properties in a Kubernetes installation, see [#kubernetes](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/server-installation/system-properties/configuration-methods#kubernetes "mention").
## Changing the quality gate fudge factor at the global level
The quality gate fudge factor refers to a mechanism where conditions on duplication and coverage are ignored until the number of new lines is at least 20. This is used to avoid overly strict enforcement when dealing with small changes, as minor issues might disproportionately impact the overall quality gate status.
The fudge factor is enabled by default in your instance. This global setting is applied to all new projects. Project administrators can override it for their project.
To disable the fudge factor at the global level:
1. Go to **Administration > configuration > General Settings > General > Quality Gate**.
2. Unselect the **Ignore duplication and coverage on small changes** option.
## Configuring options related to quality profiles
You can disable:
* The notifications sent by default to quality profile administrators on built-in quality profiles update.
* The deactivation of inherited rules by quality profile administrators.
Proceed as follows:
1. Go to **Administration > configuration > General Settings > General > Quality Profile**.
2. Select **Avoid quality profiles notification** or unselect **Enable deactivation of inherited rules**.
## Related pages
* [changing-quality-gate-and-fudge-factor](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/project-administration/adjusting-analysis/changing-quality-gate-and-fudge-factor "mention")
* [changing-quality-gate](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/project-administration/adjusting-analysis/changing-quality-gate "mention")
* [#from-sonarqube-update](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/2026.1/user-guide/issues/solution-overview#from-sonarqube-update "mention")
