Test and live modes so staging never emails real users.
SenderKit runs in two modes — test and live — so you can wire up and exercise
sends without risking a real notification to a real person. You don’t configure an
environment in code or pass a flag; the mode is decided by which API key you use.
sk_test_ — test mode. SenderKit never calls your providers. It accepts the
send, renders the template, and synthesizes a realistic delivery lifecycle so your
logs and dashboards look exactly like production — but nothing reaches a real inbox,
phone, or device.
sk_live_ — live mode. Sends are delivered for real through your
connected providers.
The prefix is only a hint for humans; SenderKit derives the mode from the key
server-side, so the same code path behaves correctly just by swapping the key. See
Authentication for how keys are created and managed.
// CI / local: nothing leaves the building.const senderkit = new SenderKit({ apiKey: "sk_test_..." });// Production: real delivery.const senderkit = new SenderKit({ apiKey: "sk_live_..." });
Messages are isolated by mode — test sends and live sends are separate records, and
listing messages returns only those for the key’s mode.
There’s no separate staging tier to promote through. You iterate in test mode (which
renders your latest draft) and, when it’s ready, publish the version — that’s
what makes it live. Publishing is the gate between the two modes.
Test keys never call your providers, so you won’t receive a real email, SMS, or
push in test mode — that’s by design. Switch to an sk_live_ key to send for real.
