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

# Sandbox mode

> Turn on the Sandbox Mode checkbox on a carrier so bookings hit that carrier’s test environment instead of production.

**Sandbox Mode** is an optional **checkbox** on **Create new carrier** and **Edit your carrier**. When it is on, Zippendo uses that carrier’s **test environment** with the credentials you stored. When it is off (the default), bookings go to production.

Connect walkthrough: [Carriers](/docs/tutorials/carriers). Field list for every credential: [Carrier credentials](/docs/how-to/carrier-credentials).

<Warning>
  Leave **Sandbox Mode** off for live orders. Test credentials on a production host, or live credentials on a test host, fail at send time. Failed bookings land on the shipment as **Error** — [Send a shipment](/docs/how-to/send-a-shipment).
</Warning>

## Where it lives

1. Sidebar **Carriers** → **All Carriers** (`?tab=all-carriers`) → **Connect**, or **My Carriers** (`?tab=my-carriers`) → **Edit Carrier**.
2. Scroll **Carrier Configuration**. On most carriers it sits with **Optional Fields**. GLS Denmark shows it with the required login fields.

It is **not** a switch. It is **not** on the shipment, shipping rule, or printer. Products and services still come from the catalog — [Carrier products and services](/docs/how-to/carrier-products-and-services).

<Frame caption="Sandbox Mode on Edit your carrier for GLS Denmark — checkbox, not a switch">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zippendo/OJ9RTi9o5Q3_r39V/images/how-to/sandbox-mode/01-sandbox-checkbox-light.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=OJ9RTi9o5Q3_r39V&q=85&s=aeda499e4526ac9992e465836024fa74" alt="Edit your carrier for GLS Denmark with the Sandbox Mode checkbox in Carrier settings" className="block dark:hidden" width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/how-to/sandbox-mode/01-sandbox-checkbox-light.png" />

  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zippendo/OJ9RTi9o5Q3_r39V/images/how-to/sandbox-mode/01-sandbox-checkbox-dark.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=OJ9RTi9o5Q3_r39V&q=85&s=33b620c1b806d972013d33115de27d8e" alt="Edit your carrier for GLS Denmark with the Sandbox Mode checkbox in Carrier settings" className="hidden dark:block" width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/how-to/sandbox-mode/01-sandbox-checkbox-dark.png" />
</Frame>

## Field

|          |                                                                                                                      |
| -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Control  | Checkbox                                                                                                             |
| Required | No                                                                                                                   |
| Default  | Off                                                                                                                  |
| Save     | **Create** (connect) or **Save** (edit). Toast: **Carrier created successfully** / **Carrier updated successfully**. |

The helper under the checkbox is catalog copy. It changes with the carrier:

| Carrier                                   | Helper on the form                                                                  |
| ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Bring**                                 | Enable sandbox/test mode for this carrier                                           |
| **GLS Denmark**                           | Enable test mode (uses GLS test environment)                                        |
| **PostNord**                              | Enable sandbox/test mode                                                            |
| **DAO Denmark**                           | Enable test mode (adds test=1 to orders)                                            |
| **FedEx**                                 | Use the FedEx test environment (sandbox credentials + apis-sandbox.fedex.com)       |
| **UPS**                                   | Use the UPS Customer Integration Environment (wwwcie.ups.com) instead of production |
| **DHL Express**                           | Use the DHL Express test environment (test credentials required)                    |
| **Instabox**, **Budbee**, **Porterbuddy** | Use the Instabee sandbox environment                                                |
| **Instabox (Legacy API)**                 | Use the Instabox staging environment                                                |
| **Matkahuolto**                           | Use Matkahuolto's test environment                                                  |

FedEx, UPS, and DHL Express need **sandbox credentials** from that carrier’s developer portal — the same field names as production, different values. GLS uses its test environment with the same login fields.

The form does **not** promise dummy labels, skip billing, or skip carrier tracking. A successful sandbox send still creates a **Label** and can still use a billable shipment on your plan.

## When to use it

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect or edit the carrier">
    Fill the same credential fields you would for production, using **test** keys where the carrier issues a pair.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Sandbox Mode">
    Confirm the helper names the test host you expect (for example `apis-sandbox.fedex.com` or `wwwcie.ups.com`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a test shipment">
    [Create a shipment](/docs/tutorials/create-a-shipment) against this carrier, then [Send a shipment](/docs/how-to/send-a-shipment).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn it off before go-live">
    Uncheck **Sandbox Mode**, put production credentials in the same fields, **Save**. Existing pending shipments keep the carrier they already reference.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Keep a **second** carrier connection named for sandbox (for example `GLS Denmark (test)`) if you need both environments at once. [Carrier name](/docs/how-to/carrier-credentials) is unique per connection, not per catalog type.
</Tip>

## What this is not

* **Carrier Requests → Test against live / production API** — that switch is for [requesting a new integration](/docs/how-to/request-carrier-integration), not for a connected carrier.
* **App webhooks** (Settings → Webhooks) and **carrier tracking webhooks** — [Webhooks](/docs/how-to/webhooks) vs [Carrier tracking webhooks](/docs/how-to/tracking-webhooks). Sandbox does not register those for you.
* Plan gates or a locked state on this checkbox. If save fails, you get **Failed to update carrier. Please try again.** (or the create equivalent). Credential errors at send time: [Carrier authentication failures](/docs/knowledge-base/carrier-authentication-failures).

## Related

* [Carrier credentials](/docs/how-to/carrier-credentials)
* [Carrier products and services](/docs/how-to/carrier-products-and-services)
* [Carriers](/docs/tutorials/carriers)