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

# Testing without a sandbox

> There is no sandbox — test against a creator account you control, with free drops and pending content.

- Source: https://www.dropfans.io/developers/get-started/testing
- Section: Get started
- OpenAPI: https://www.dropfans.io/developers/openapi.json

The Dropfans API has no sandbox environment. You test against a real creator account that you control — same endpoints, same moderation, same data model as production, because it *is* production.

## Set up a test creator

1. Sign up at [dropfans.io](https://www.dropfans.io) and complete creator verification.
2. Upload at least one item to the vault — keys are generated from [Vault → API Connect](https://www.dropfans.io/dashboard/vault?apiConnect=1), and you need content in the vault before anything downstream (drops, media posts) can be exercised.
3. Generate a **Personal** key for the test account and keep it separate from any real creator’s key in your config.

## What to use for end-to-end runs

- **Free drops.** `POST /drops` accepts `price: 0` — a free drop walks the whole create → link → checkout path without moving money. Do not buy paid drops with real cards unless you intend to pay; there is no test card.
- **`includePending=true`** on [GET /vault](https://www.dropfans.io/developers/reference/list-vault.md) shows items still in review, including their `moderationStatus` — without it, pending items come back with an empty `filePath` and no status field.
- **Moderation takes real time.** Uploads and posts go through the same review pipeline as everything else, so `PENDING` for minutes is normal, not a failure. Build your polling now — production behaves identically. See [Moderation & statuses](https://www.dropfans.io/developers/concepts/moderation-and-statuses.md).

## Cleaning up

- Posts delete hard: `DELETE /posts/{id}` removes them outright.
- Vault items soft-hide: `DELETE /vault/{id}` hides the item from every list but does not purge the file. Re-deleting is a no-op success.
- Drops cannot be deleted through the API — keep test drops free so a stray link costs nobody anything.

Next: [Authentication & API keys](https://www.dropfans.io/developers/concepts/authentication.md) or [Sell a drop end-to-end](https://www.dropfans.io/developers/guides/sell-a-drop.md).

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