Try the NPPatch Beta: A Step-by-Step Guide
The NPPatch beta is live, and we want you to try it.
We believe the best way to serve the community is to build with the community - so we’ve put real effort into making this available without relying solely on command line tools. We’ve published a web-based installer at install.nppatch.com — and if it looks familiar, that’s because it’s an instance of MetaDeploy, the same tool that powers install.salesforce.org. If you’ve ever installed NPSP or EDA through that site, this is the same experience.
The whole process takes just a few minutes to get started. You need a Salesforce Developer Edition org, and the installer handles the rest.
Step 1: Sign up for a Developer Edition org
Head to the Salesforce Developer Edition signup page and create a new org. As tempting as it may be, do not run this installer against an org you’re using for other purposes. We’ve put in changes to lots of things you wouldn’t want us messing with in a real org so that you can have a great experience without having to go through a lot of manual setup steps.
A couple of notes:
- Use a Developer Edition, not a Trailhead Playground. Trailhead Playgrounds have limitations that can interfere with package installation.
- Don’t test in a production org, or any other org you’re using for something else. This is beta software and we still expect it to be half baked. Install it somewhere you can experiment freely.
- Developer Edition orgs expire after 45 days of inactivity, so log in periodically if you want to keep yours around.
Once you’ve logged in and set your password, your org is ready.
Step 2: Install the auth package
First, install a small authorization package in your org. This is an External Client App — Salesforce’s newer, more secure replacement for Connected Apps when it comes to OAuth-based integrations.
Why is this a separate step? Salesforce now requires them to to establish a secure connection between the installer and your org. So yes, you do have to install a package so the installer can install another package … mildly dizzying but more secure!
When prompted, choose Install for Admins Only and click Install. It only takes a few seconds.
Step 3: Run the installer
Once the auth package is installed, return to install.nppatch.com and log in again. This time, the installer will present the full installation plan for the beta.
Here’s what happens:
Pre-install validation. The installer checks your org to make sure everything is in order — that the auth package is installed, that your org type is supported (Developer Edition, Sandbox, or Scratch Org), and that there are no conflicts. You’ll see a green banner that says “Pre-install validation completed successfully” when it’s ready to go.
Click Install. The installer walks through a series of steps: configuring record types, installing the NPPatch package itself, setting up matching rules, initializing scheduled jobs, assigning permission sets, and more. You’ll see each step checked off as it completes.
Optional steps. At the bottom of the plan you’ll see two optional steps — Reorder App Menu and Load Sample Data. Sample data is great if you want to explore NPPatch with realistic records right away.
The full installation takes a while – maybe 30 minutes? Feel free to step away and enjoy a cup of tea. When it’s done, you’ll have a fully configured NPPatch org with households, recurring donations, gift entry, customizable rollups, and everything else you know from NPSP.
What to do once it’s installed
Explore. Click around. Try the things you know from NPSP and see how they work. Then tell us what you find.
- Found a bug? Open an issue on GitHub.
- Have feedback? Start a thread in GitHub Discussions.
- Want to talk to us? Email admin@nppatch.com.
- Not signed up for the beta yet? Join here — we’ll keep you in the loop on new releases and known issues.
Why beta testers matter
Every person who installs this and pokes at it makes the final release better. You don’t need to be a developer. You don’t need to file detailed bug reports (though we love those). Even just telling us “this felt confusing” or “I expected this to work differently” is enormously valuable.
The NPSP was built by a community. NPPatch will be too. This is the part where the community shows up.