These docs use the **production contract**. The downloadable spec declares one server: `https://api.ripscloud.com`.

| Environment | API                                 | Portal                              | Purpose             |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Production  | `https://api.ripscloud.com`         | `https://app.ripscloud.com`         | Real operations     |
| Sandbox     | `https://api-sandbox.ripscloud.com` | `https://app-sandbox.ripscloud.com` | Separate test setup |

API v1 resources use the `/api/v1` prefix. For example:

```text
https://api.ripscloud.com/api/v1/me/workspaces
```

## Keep data separate

Create a different PAT in each portal. Do not carry tokens, workspace IDs, package IDs, document references, or idempotency keys between environments. A valid production token does not prove access to sandbox.

Inspect the workspace context before you write or send. Use [Get preparation context](/reference/operations/rips-packages-get-context/) for RIPS. If the environment or provider setup is wrong, ask the workspace administrator to correct it in the portal.

Sandbox may run a different release or have different upstream availability. For sandbox requests, inspect its [own live Swagger](https://api-sandbox.ripscloud.com/swagger) and [OpenAPI document](https://api-sandbox.ripscloud.com/doc). The production download on this site is not a promise of sandbox parity.

## Production is not a test destination

Emission and dispatch operations have external effects. Validate your integration with authorized test data and a configured sandbox before you use production. Do not send the synthetic examples in this documentation as real clinical records.