> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flatpeak.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Test (sandbox) mode

**Test mode** (also called **sandbox mode**) is an isolated environment within your Flatpeak account that lets you **develop, test, and validate your integration** without affecting production data.

### How to use test mode

In test mode, you can use all Flatpeak API services and create real objects — just like in live mode.

All data created in test mode is **fully separated** from your production environment, so you can freely experiment, simulate edge cases, and test your workflows safely.

### When to use test mode

Use test mode for:

* Initial integration and onboarding
* QA and pre-release validation
* Automated test environments or CI/CD setups

### Test mode billing

Test mode usage is **billed the same way** as live mode.

This ensures that development environments reflect real-world API behaviour, including rate limits and performance characteristics.

### Switching between modes

Both test and live environments share the **same API endpoints**.\
The mode is automatically determined by the **API key** you use:

* Test mode keys start with `sk_test_`
* Live mode keys start with `sk_live_`

The API response also includes a `live_mode` field to confirm which environment was used.

| Mode     | API key prefix | `live_mode` value |
| :------- | :------------- | :---------------- |
| **Test** | `sk_test_`     | `false`           |
| **Live** | `sk_live_`     | `true`            |

<CodeGroup>
  ```json TEST mode response {4} theme={"system"}
  {
    "id": "prs_65e42cdd73e9f861edda35d7",
    "object": "price",
    "live_mode": false,
    "location_id": "loc_65e42ce4d3b813479b252160",
    "data": [ ... ]
  }
  ```

  ```json LIVE mode response {4} theme={"system"}
  {
    "id": "prs_65e42cdd73e9f861edda35d7",
    "object": "price",
    "live_mode": true,
    "location_id": "loc_65e42ce4d3b813479b252160",
    "data": [ ... ]
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>