Sandbox

Key concepts

Resource	Direction	Description
Account	—	Your asset balance within Coinbase that you fund with test amounts (e.g., $1000 USD)
Customer	—	Your end-user’s KYC and compliance record. Create via the Customers API; test verification outcomes with magic SSN values
Deposit destination	Incoming crypto	Placeholder addresses for receiving crypto. Simulate deposits via the Portal UI
Payment method	Outgoing fiat	External bank accounts for fiat withdrawals. Pre-configured test banks shared across all accounts
Transfer	Both	Move funds to crypto addresses, emails, or payment methods. All simulated

Sandbox vs. Live

Sandbox and Live share the same endpoints and functionality, but with different data and behavior.

	Sandbox	Live
Base URL	`sandbox.cdp.coinbase.com`	`api.cdp.coinbase.com`
API keys	Sandbox-specific credentials	Live credentials
Accounts	Create via Sandbox UI; fund via UI only	Link existing Prime portfolio or Coinbase Business account
Customers	Available to all developers; deterministic outcomes via magic SSN values	Partner onboarding required for Live access
Deposit destinations	Placeholder addresses; simulate deposits via UI	Real blockchain addresses
Payment methods	Pre-configured test methods	Automatically linked from Prime/Business
Transfers	Simulated (webhooks fire, no blockchain activity)	Real blockchain transactions
Compliance checks	Simplified (no real KYC/AML)	Full compliance flows

Best practices

Isolate configuration: Keep Sandbox API keys and base URLs completely separate from Live. Use environment variables to switch between them.

Test error handling: Use Sandbox to cover failure scenarios — invalid auth, malformed requests, rate limits, insufficient funds.

Automate: Build integration tests against Sandbox before cutting over to Live.

Set up your API keys and make your first Sandbox request.

Key concepts