Test and live modes

Foveus separates telemetry into two modes:

Mode	Use for
`test`	Local development, sandbox testing, QA, and onboarding
`live`	Production telemetry

Your API key decides the mode. A fov_test_ key sends telemetry to Test mode and a fov_live_ key sends it to Live mode. There is no separate mode setting in the SDK. Use Test mode while setting up Foveus. Use Live mode when you are ready to send production telemetry.

Test mode

When you install the SDK and pass a test API key, telemetry goes to Test mode.

builder.Services.AddFoveus("fov_test_...");

Use Test mode for:

local development
sandbox services
QA environments
staging validation
private beta setup
SDK integration testing

Live mode

Use Live mode for production telemetry. To send live telemetry, use a live API key. During private beta, live keys are not self-serve: the Foveus team issues them.

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_live_...",
    "ServiceName": "orders-api",
    "Environment": "production"
  }
}

Do not use a live key in local development. Do not use a test key for production telemetry.

Mode is different from environment

The mode is the Foveus data boundary. The API key decides it. Environment is a free-text label for where your service is running. When you do not set it, it is test or live, taken from the key. It is not the ASP.NET Core environment. They are related, but they are not the same thing. Setting Environment never changes the mode.

Concept	Example	Meaning
Service	`orders-api`	The application or worker producing telemetry
Environment	`staging`	A label for where the service is running
Mode	`test`	The Foveus telemetry boundary, decided by the key prefix

For example, a staging service can send telemetry in Test mode:

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_test_...",
    "ServiceName": "orders-api",
    "Environment": "staging"
  }
}

A production service should send telemetry in Live mode, using a live key:

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_live_...",
    "ServiceName": "orders-api",
    "Environment": "production"
  }
}

Service names are yours

Foveus works with the service names your team already uses. Some teams use stable logical names:

orders-api
payments-worker
identity-service

Other teams include the deployment environment in the service name:

orders-api-dev
orders-api-staging
orders-api-prod

Both can work. If you are setting up a new service, a stable service name plus an explicit environment is easier to compare across deployments.

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_live_...",
    "ServiceName": "orders-api",
    "Environment": "production"
  }
}

If your organization already uses environment-specific service names, you can keep using them.

API keys and modes

Foveus API keys are mode-aware. The key prefix is the only thing that decides the mode.

Key type	Example	Mode
Test key	`fov_test_...`	`test`
Live key	`fov_live_...`	`live`

During private beta:

test keys are created automatically during onboarding
live keys are not self-serve; they are issued by the Foveus team
keys are shown once, and there is no rotate or revoke control in the dashboard yet

Dashboard mode

The dashboard has a Test/Live toggle to show Test or Live telemetry. If you are using a test key and do not see executions, make sure the dashboard is showing Test mode. If you are using a live key, make sure the dashboard is showing Live mode.

Common setups

Local development

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_test_..."
  }
}

Foveus uses:

Option	Default
`ServiceName`	Project assembly name
`Environment`	`test`, taken from the API key

The fov_test_ key sends this telemetry to Test mode.

Staging

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_test_...",
    "ServiceName": "orders-api",
    "Environment": "staging"
  }
}

Staging can use Test mode unless you intentionally want production-grade Live telemetry for that environment.

Production

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_live_...",
    "ServiceName": "orders-api",
    "Environment": "production"
  }
}

Production should use a live key.

Troubleshooting

I do not see my executions

Check that:

your API key is valid
the dashboard is showing the same mode your service is sending to
your service can reach Foveus
your time range includes the request
your service name matches the value you are searching for

My telemetry appears in Test mode

Your service is using a fov_test_ key. A test key always sends to Test mode, whatever Environment is set to. If you are sending production telemetry, use a live key:

{
  "Foveus": {
    "ApiKey": "fov_live_..."
  }
}

Check that the running service actually reads the new key, for example that an environment variable or secret is not overriding appsettings.json.

My service name includes dev, staging, or prod

That is okay. Foveus can work with your existing naming convention. If you want cleaner cross-environment comparison later, you can standardize service naming and use Environment to separate deployments.

What to do next

Create an API key: Create an API key
Install the .NET SDK: Install the .NET SDK
Learn about services and environments: Services and environments
View your first execution: View your first execution

Start here

Get started

Core concepts

Guides

SDK

Security and data

API reference

Test and live modes

Test mode

Live mode

Mode is different from environment

Service names are yours

API keys and modes

Dashboard mode

Common setups

Local development

Staging

Production

Troubleshooting

I do not see my executions

My telemetry appears in Test mode

My service name includes dev, staging, or prod

What to do next