Sandbox and production
What the sandbox isolates, what it does not, and how to test each part of an integration safely.
The Open Network has two environments, sandbox and production. There is one base URL for both: the key you send decides which environment a call runs in.
| Key prefix | Environment | environment in /ping |
|---|---|---|
lok_sbx_ | Sandbox | SANDBOX |
lok_live_ | Production | PRODUCTION |
What each environment separates#
| Resource | Separated? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue items | No | You have one catalogue. A sandbox key and a production key read and write the same items. |
| Catalogue webhooks | Yes | A write fires its catalog.item.* event to your endpoints of the key's environment. |
| Payment sessions | Yes | A key sees only sessions of its own environment; any other session answers 404. |
| Booking and payment webhooks | — | Real bookings and payments exist only in production, so these events are always sent to production endpoints. |
| Inventory checks | Yes | Real bookings call only your production inventory endpoint. The portal's Test button can call either environment's endpoint. |
The catalogue is shared
A sandbox call that creates, changes or deletes a catalogue item changes your real catalogue. When you
test catalogue writes with a sandbox key, use externalIds you will not use in production — for
example a test- prefix — and delete them afterwards.
Testing each part#
| Part | How to test it |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Call GET /ping with a sandbox key. |
| Catalogue | Write items with test externalIds using a sandbox key; watch the sandbox webhook endpoint receive catalog.item.*. |
| Webhooks | Register a sandbox endpoint and press Test in the portal to send a signed ping event. |
| Payments | Save a sandbox checkout URL, then create a test payment session from the portal. Drive it with a sandbox key. No order changes and no webhook fires. See Accept payments. |
| Inventory checks | Save a sandbox inventory endpoint and press Test in the portal to receive one real, signed check. |
Integration status#
The Partner Portal tracks your progress automatically. Your integration counts as verified in the
sandbox after the first successful call with a sandbox key, and set up after the first successful
production call to an endpoint that needs a scope. A production /ping alone does not complete setup.