Overview
Choose the environment from the test purpose and configure its actual installation and runtime contract. Developer, On-Demand, and Monthly sandboxes differ in credentials, hosts, app version keys, refresh behavior, and customer eligibility.
Prerequisites
- Test objective, data sensitivity, customer involvement, and refresh requirement
- App version, sandbox or production keys, OAuth credential aliases, and company IDs
- Named administrator and post-refresh or post-install verification owner
Instructions
Step 1: Select the environment
Use a Developer Sandbox for isolated app building, On-Demand Sandbox for customer-controlled testing on copied data, and Monthly Sandbox for a periodically refreshed customer snapshot. Use production only for approved live operation.
Step 2: Build an explicit matrix
Record authentication host, API host, browser host, app version key type, OAuth credential type, company ID, refresh behavior, and installation owner for each environment.
Step 3: Enforce isolation
Store configurations separately and add guards that reject mismatched host, credential alias, and environment. Never infer environment from a company name.
Step 4: Install correctly
Use the Sandbox App Version Key only for the Developer Sandbox. Customer On-Demand and Monthly sandboxes use the production app version key and must be installed or surfaced according to their documented lifecycle.
Step 5: Plan data reset
Do not assume Developer Sandboxes refresh. Treat On-Demand lifecycle as customer-controlled and Monthly Sandbox changes as disposable at refresh.
Step 6: Verify after change
After install, recreation, or refresh, obtain a token and run the read-only connection proof against the expected company and project boundary.
Authentication
Developer Sandbox uses sandbox OAuth credentials and sandbox hosts. On-Demand uses production OAuth credentials and production endpoints; Monthly uses production credentials with its monthly-sandbox hosts. Tokens are never interchangeable across configured environments.
Tool Discipline
Use Read and Grep to inspect environment matrices, app configuration, and guards. Use Write or Edit only for the approved configuration, test, runbook, or redacted receipt; installation changes require the proper Procore administrator.
Output
- Environment selection and complete connection matrix
- Host, key, credential, company, and reset guards
- Installation or refresh verification receipt
Return the environment, configuration aliases, expected data lifecycle, verification outcome, and owner.
Examples
A developer builds against a seeded Developer Sandbox with sandbox credentials. A customer trial uses an On-Demand Sandbox installed with the production app key, but its distinct company ID keeps the trial isolated from the customer's production company.
Error Handling
| Failure | Response |
|---|---|
| Token rejected | Verify the credential and login host belong to the same environment. |
| App absent after Monthly refresh | Check production installation timing and rerun post-refresh verification. |
| Developer Sandbox needs reset | Register a deliberate replacement app and migrate configuration; do not assume refresh. |
| Company ID differs after recreation | Update the explicit environment matrix and rerun scope assertions. |