> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.moderncollections.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.moderncollections.io/getting-started/environments.md).

# Environments

Modern Collections exposes two environments to integrators.

## Base URLs

All API routes are versioned under `/v1`. Append `/v1` to the base URL to reach the API itself (`https://api.moderncollections.io/v1/placements`, etc.).

| Environment | Base URL                                | API root (`+ /v1`)                         | Notes                                                                   |
| ----------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `prod`      | `https://api.moderncollections.io`      | `https://api.moderncollections.io/v1`      | Live API — real outreach, real money movement.                          |
| `demo`      | `https://app.demo.moderncollections.io` | `https://app.demo.moderncollections.io/v1` | Hosted demo environment with non-production data. See the caveat below. |

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Demo `/health` caveat.** On `demo`, the bare host (`https://app.demo.moderncollections.io`, including `/health`) is the **dashboard origin**, *not* the API. Authenticated `/v1/*` calls reach the API normally — point your reachability checks at a `/v1/*` route instead of `/health`.
{% endhint %}

### Selecting an environment with the `mc-api` client

The first-party Python client ships a typed `MCClient`, a `mc-api` CLI, and a `mc-api-mcp` MCP stdio server. All three read the target from the environment: set **`MC_API_ENV`** to `demo` or `prod`, or set **`MC_API_BASE_URL`** to override with an explicit URL. There is **no production default** — a target must be selected explicitly, so a forgotten flag can never silently aim a test key at production. The CLI also accepts `--env` / `--base-url` as global options (which precede the subcommand). See [the `mc-api` CLI reference](/sdks/cli.md) for the full reference.

## Switching environments

The base URL is the only thing that changes for your client code. Make it configurable:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Python" %}

```python
import os, httpx

BASE = os.environ["MC_API_BASE"]   # set per-deployment
KEY = os.environ["MC_API_KEY"]

client = httpx.Client(base_url=BASE, headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {KEY}"})
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript" %}

```javascript
const BASE = process.env.MC_API_BASE;
const KEY = process.env.MC_API_KEY;
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Shell" %}

```bash
export MC_API_BASE="https://api.moderncollections.io/v1"
export MC_API_KEY="ca_a3f8c0d1_..."
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

Or, with the first-party `mc-api` client, select the environment by name instead of hand-assembling the URL:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="CLI" %}

```bash
export MC_API_ENV=prod             # demo | prod
export MC_API_KEY="ca_a3f8c0d1_..."
mc-api health
mc-api placements list --status in_outreach
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="MCP" %}

```bash
# mc-api-mcp reads the same env vars (never from arguments, so the key
# stays out of MCP client config that may be logged):
export MC_API_ENV=demo
export MC_API_KEY="ca_a3f8c0d1_..."
mc-api-mcp                          # MCP stdio server
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## API keys are per-environment

Keys issued for one environment do not work in the other. Webhook signing secrets are also issued per environment — never share secrets across environments. See [Signature verification](/webhooks/signature-verification.md).

## See also

* [Authentication](/getting-started/authentication.md) — key issuance.
* [Your first API call](/getting-started/first-api-call.md).
* [Error handling](/getting-started/error-handling.md).


---

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