Overview

Chandler CX Platform gives you two completely separate environments — one for production (your live, day-to-day work) and one for testing (a safe space for training, development, and validation). Each runs on its own URL with its own data, users, and configuration.

This separation is what lets you experiment, train new team members, or validate changes without any risk of touching real customer communications. Anything you do in the test environment stays in the test environment.

If you're new to the platform, the most important thing to learn early is how to tell which environment you're in — and a quick glance at the URL is all it takes.

Quick check
‍Test system URLs always contain the word "test" in them. If you don't see it, you're in production — so treat anything you do as live.

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How the environments are separated

Here's a quick rundown of what makes the two environments distinct, and what that means for you day-to-day.

What's separatedWhat it means for youDistinct URLsEach environment has its own unique web address, and your organisation has its own specific URLs for both. The test URL will always have "test" in it, so a quick look at the address bar tells you where you are.Completely isolated systemsProduction and test don't talk to each other. Data, user actions, and configuration changes in one environment have no effect on the other, so you're free to experiment in test without worrying about real customer impact.Separate credentials and permissionsEach environment has its own set of:

• Usernames and passwords — managed independently in each system.
• API keys — never share keys across environments.
• Permission sets — your role in test may not match your role in production.

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Shared login (where configured)
‍Depending on how your organisation is set up, you may use the same email address or single sign-on (SSO) login for both environments. Even so, your access and permissions are managed separately, so what you can do in one might differ from the other.

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Confirm which environment you're in

1. Open the browser tab where you're logged in to CX Platform.
2. Look at the URL in your address bar.
3. If you see test in the address, you're in the test environment. If you don't, you're in production.

It's a small habit, but checking the URL before you make changes is the single best way to avoid mix-ups.

Best practices

A few simple rules will keep your environments cleanly separated and your production data safe.

1. Always check the URL contains test before troubleshooting, experimenting, or running training sessions.
2. Never use test data or test credentials in production, and never use production data or credentials in test.
3. Keep API keys separated by environment. A test API key should only ever sit in your test integrations, and the same goes for production.

If your organisation uses SSO, remember that the same email login can give you different permissions in each environment — so your access in test isn't a reliable guide to what you can do in production.

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Heads up
‍Anything you do in production is live. Always pause and check the URL before sending, deleting, or changing settings — a quick glance now saves a much bigger problem later.

What's next

Now that you know how the two environments work, you're set up to move between them confidently. If you need login details for either environment, or you're not sure which URL belongs to your organisation, your platform system administrator will be able to point you in the right direction.