eSMS Africa API keys come in two environments. Understanding the difference keeps test traffic out of production — and your bills predictable.
The two prefixes
esms_live_…— real sends to live networks, billed per segment.esms_test_…— sandbox: simulated, never sent, never billed.
Full isolation
Test and live data never mix. A test key can only see test messages; live keys and the dashboard default to live traffic (filter with ?environment=test to view sandbox logs). Balances are only ever affected by live sends.
Create a key
In the dashboard under API keys, choose the environment (Live or Test) when you create the key. The SDKs auto-detect the prefix — the same code works for both.
Going-live checklist
- Swap
esms_test_→esms_live_in your environment variables. - Confirm your webhook endpoint handles
"livemode":true. - Top up your balance — live sends are billed per segment.
- Approve your sender IDs for the destination countries.
Full details in the sandbox documentation.