A SearchStax Site Search App represents either a live search experience or a non-production testing environment. Use Production Apps for live search and Sandbox Apps for QA, staging, and validation work.
Account Environment Model
Your account uses one environment model. That model determines how labels and limits appear in the UI:
- Sandbox-enabled accounts: App environment options are Production and Sandbox.
- Accounts without Sandbox Apps: Existing environment labels can include Development, QA, UAT, and Staging.
Use the guidance that matches your account model. Don't combine rules from both models.
How App Environment Selection Works (Sandbox-Enabled Accounts)
When you create an App, you must select an environment. You can't change that setting after creation. For step-by-step instructions, see Creating Your First Search App.
If you create an App through the API, use sandbox for the Sandbox environment value. You can still use App naming conventions (for example, QA or Staging) to identify the App's purpose.
Limits and Usage by Environment
If your account is sandbox-enabled, SearchStax tracks Production and Sandbox usage separately. Request and item alerts are based on Production usage calculations. See Subscriptions to find where these totals appear.
Sandbox App capacity depends on your account model. You can expand capacity with add-ons where available. See Service Limits for limit details.
Sandbox service terms can differ from Production terms. For example, Sandbox Apps don't include SLA or uptime commitments.
Search App Lists and Dropdown Behavior
App selectors keep All Apps as a fixed top row. If your account is sandbox-enabled, App lists and dropdowns group Apps by Production and Sandbox.
Accounts without Sandbox Apps continue to show existing non-production labels. Those labels remain part of your account's environment model.
Crawler Behavior Across Apps
You can configure one crawler in a primary App and send that crawl output to associated Apps. See Crawler for setup steps.
Associated App selection follows account limits and compatibility checks, including schema and version alignment. Crawler settings are managed in the primary App. See Viewing Activity Logs to review crawler-related actions.