Test & activate apps

Test and debug apps

Updated: June 8, 2021

Debugging, the act of uncovering why your app is not behaving as you expect, is a normal part of app development.

Test mode

You can confirm your app is in test mode by observing this badge in the App Builder:

While in test mode your apps are restricted in certain ways:

  • Documents produced by the app include a watermark;
  • All emails, regardless of who they're address to, are sent to you, the account holder;
  • Payments made via Stripe or LawPay payment blocks are not real. You can use test credit card numbers like 4111 1111 1111 1111 for Stripe or these test card numbers for LawPay;
  • HelloSign signatures are not valid; and
  • We may apply other restrictions based on usage and circumstance.

To remove these restrictions, simply activate your app.

How to quickly test edits to your app

If you click 'preview' from within the App Builder, your app will run in Developer Mode:

In developer mode, you get access to tools that help you quickly test and find issues with your app (known as "debugging"). Note, these tools are only every visible to you, the app author:

How these tools work:

Save snapshot

When you click the "Save Snapshot" button, all of your inputs for that app session are saved under the Snapshots tab in the App Builder. You can then re-run those saved sessions whenever you want, automatically advancing the app using the stored inputs. This makes it easy to rapidly test changes to your app or template logic.

Fast forward

When you run a Snapshot and go back in your app to change an answer, you can teleport back to the end of the snapshot by clicking the Fast forward button.

Sandbox

When you run a Snapshot, you can run it in Sandbox mode. This will suppress outbound webhooks and emails, letting you test your app without cluttering your database or inbox with fake data.

For more information about Snapshots, Fast Forward, and Sandbox, please watch the video below:

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