# Protected Components in Managed Packages

Developers can mark certain components as protected. Protected components can’t be linked to or referenced by components created in a subscriber org. A developer can delete a protected component in a future release without worrying about failing installations. However, after a component is marked as unprotected and is released globally, the developer can’t delete it.

Developers can mark these components as protected in managed packages.

- Custom labels
- Custom links (for Home page only)
- Custom metadata types
- Custom objects
- Custom permissions
- Custom settings
- Workflow alerts
- Workflow field updates
- Workflow outbound messages
- Workflow tasks

## Considerations for Protected Custom Objects in Subscriber Sandboxes

When a subscriber creates either a full or partial sandbox copy using a template, protected custom objects don’t display in the list of objects to copy. As a result, data contained in the records of protected custom objects isn’t copied to these sandboxes. If a full sandbox is created without selecting a sandbox template, data from protected custom objects is copied to the sandbox.

**See Also**

- [Hide Custom Objects and Custom Permissions in Your Subscribers' Orgs](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.pkg1\_dev.meta/pkg1\_dev/fma_hide_custom_objects_permissions.htm)