# Testing with Test Mode

Source: https://docs.ezoic.com/docs/subscriptions/testing-sandbox/


Test mode lets you experience Ezoic Subscriptions exactly as a subscriber would — checkout, login, access, and the subscriber portal — using Stripe test payments. Nothing in test mode touches your real business: no real charges, no live subscribers, and no impact on your revenue, payout estimates, or analytics.

Use it to verify your integration before launch, and to reproduce checkout or access issues any time after.

## Before You Start

Test mode needs two things in place:

1. **A product or donation** — a test checkout buys one of your products (or makes a test donation), so create at least one on the **Products** page first. See [Products and Prices](/docs/subscriptions/products/).
2. **The onsite script** — test mode opens on **your own site**, so the Ezoic Subscriptions script must be installed and detected there. See [Onsite Script Integration](/docs/subscriptions/site-integration/).

The preview unlocks automatically once the script is detected — there is nothing to enable.

## Entering Test Mode

1. In your Ezoic account, open **Subscriptions Manager → Products**.
2. Click **Preview in test mode**.
3. Your site opens in a new tab with test mode active, marked by a **Test mode — no real charges** pill at the bottom-left of every page.

From there, walk the full subscriber flow: open the paywall, check access with `hasAccess(...)`, and complete checkout. At checkout, use any [Stripe test card](https://docs.stripe.com/testing) — for example `4242 4242 4242 4242` with any future expiry, any CVC, and any ZIP.

## Test Data in Your Dashboard

Test purchases and subscribers appear in your dashboard, clearly separated from live data:

- The **Subscriptions** and **Payments** pages have a **Live mode | Test mode** toggle, and the **Access** page follows the same selection. Switch to Test mode to inspect the test records your preview created.
- While Test mode is on, a banner reminds you that you're viewing test data — it has no impact on your live data.
- Test payments are labeled, and their amounts and fees are excluded from your real revenue and payout estimates.

Pages outside these three always show live data, regardless of the toggle.

## Test Data Retention


Test-mode subscriptions are automatically canceled after 90 days and permanently deleted 30 days later. Test records are for validation, not long-term reference.


## Exiting Test Mode

Click **Exit** on the test-mode pill at the bottom-left of your site. Test mode stays active while you browse — it does not reset on page reloads, and the session refreshes as long as you keep browsing. It ends when you exit, or after about 12 hours of inactivity.