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

# Sandbox Environment

> Testing and development environment for the Lynx SSP Ad Serving API

## Overview

The sandbox environment allows you to test API integrations without affecting production data. It mimics the production environment but uses separate data and endpoints.

## Getting Started

<Tip>
  **Try the Interactive Playground!**
  You can test the Ad Serving API directly from your browser using our [Interactive Playground](/api-reference/ad-serving/ad-request). The playground comes pre-configured with sandbox credentials for immediate testing.
</Tip>

### Sandbox Base URL

Please use this base URL for development:

```
https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com
```

### Sandbox Authentication

For testing purposes, use the following API key:

```
api_key: f9a3c4b7e2d84f85b3a2a1e3c9f071ac
```

<Warning>
  This is a shared sandbox API key for testing only. Never use this key in production environments.
</Warning>

## Example Request

```http theme={null}
POST /ad/request HTTP/1.1
Host: sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com
Lynx-Key: f9a3c4b7e2d84f85b3a2a1e3c9f071ac
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "venue_id": "venue1234",
  "screen_id": "any-screen-id",
  "play_time": 1682448000
}
```

### cURL Example

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/ad/request" \
  -H "Lynx-Key: f9a3c4b7e2d84f85b3a2a1e3c9f071ac" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "venue_id": "venue1234",
    "screen_id": "any-screen-id",
    "play_time": 1682448000
  }'
```

## Example Response

The sandbox environment provides consistent responses to help with testing:

### Successful Ad Response

```json theme={null}
{
    "status": 200,
    "data": {
        "vast_tag": "<VAST version='2.0'><Ad id='ngfrhfjof-1748356156557'><Wrapper><AdSystem version='1.0'>Lynx AdSystem</AdSystem><VASTAdTagURI><![CDATA[https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/api/v1/ad/vast/ngfrhfjof-1748356156557]]></VASTAdTagURI><Impression><![CDATA[https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/api/v1/ad/callback/?ad_request_uuid=ngfrhfjof-1748356156557]]></Impression><Creatives><Creative><Linear><TrackingEvents><Tracking event='start'><![CDATA[https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/api/v1/ad/tracking/video/?ad_request_uuid=ngfrhfjof-1748356156557&event=start]]></Tracking><Tracking event='firstQuartile'><![CDATA[https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/api/v1/ad/tracking/video/?ad_request_uuid=ngfrhfjof-1748356156557&event=firstQuartile]]></Tracking><Tracking event='midpoint'><![CDATA[https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/api/v1/ad/tracking/video/?ad_request_uuid=ngfrhfjof-1748356156557&event=midpoint]]></Tracking><Tracking event='thirdQuartile'><![CDATA[https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/api/v1/ad/tracking/video/?ad_request_uuid=ngfrhfjof-1748356156557&event=thirdQuartile]]></Tracking><Tracking event='complete'><![CDATA[https://sandbox-ad.lynxssp.com/api/v1/ad/tracking/video/?ad_request_uuid=ngfrhfjof-1748356156557&event=complete]]></Tracking></TrackingEvents></Linear></Creative></Creatives></Wrapper></Ad><Extension type='custom-meta'><venue_id><![CDATA[venue1234]]></venue_id><screen_id><![CDATA[Test12345]]></screen_id></Extension></VAST>",
        "ad_request_uuid": "ngfrhfjof-1748356156557",
        "ad_request_expired_at": 1748477576,
        "venue_id": "venue1234",
        "screen_id": "Test12345"
    }
}
```

### Response Structure

The sandbox response includes:

* **status**: HTTP status code (200 for success)
* **data.vast\_tag**: Complete VAST XML with tracking URLs
* **data.ad\_request\_uuid**: Unique identifier for this ad request
* **data.ad\_request\_expired\_at**: Expiration timestamp
* **data.venue\_id**: The venue ID from your request
* **data.screen\_id**: The screen ID from your request

## Interactive Testing

### API Playground

Want to test the API without writing code? Use our **[Interactive Playground](/api-reference/ad-serving/ad-request)** to:

* **Send real API requests** directly from your browser
* **See live responses** with actual VAST tags
* **Experiment with parameters** using the sandbox credentials
* **Copy working code examples** in multiple programming languages

The playground is pre-configured with all the sandbox credentials shown above, so you can start testing immediately!

## Next Steps

Once your integration is fully tested in the sandbox environment, you're ready to deploy to production.

<Info>
  See our comprehensive [Production Deployment Guide](/api-reference/ad-serving/production) for detailed steps on transitioning to the live environment.
</Info>