--- title: "Environment Levels" slug: "environment-levels" tags: ["administration", "reference-guides"] status: "update" updated: 2026-10-13T15:38:16Z published: 2026-10-13T15:38:16Z canonical: "docs.unqork.io/environment-levels" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unqork.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Environment Levels Unqork organizations operate across multiple environment levels, also called environment stages. Each level serves a distinct purpose in the application development lifecycle, and resources are promoted through them in sequence before reaching end-users in Production. The standard progression is: **Staging → Quality Assurance (QA) → User Acceptance Testing (UAT) → Production**. An optional Pre-Production level might sit between UAT and Production. The platform does not enforce this sequence: Creators with promote permissions can promote to any available environment, including directly to Production. Following the full pipeline is a best practice, not a platform constraint. ## Level Comparison | Level | Purpose | Data | Platform Restrictions | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Staging** | Active development and configuration. | Test only | None — full editing and branching available. | | **QA** | Testing and quality verification. | Test only | None — full editing and branching available. | | **UAT** | End-user acceptance testing. | Test only | None — full editing and branching available. | | **Pre-Production** | Final validation before Production. | Test only | Same as Production — draft operations blocked. | | **Production** | Live application for end-users. | Live client data | Draft operations, versioning, and Smart Component Draft blocked. | Staging, QA, and UAT support the same platform capabilities: full editing, branching, and versioning. Pre-Production and Production apply the same server-side restrictions. Staging and QA run a development build configuration (source maps retained); UAT, Pre-Production, and Production run a production build configuration (compressed, source maps removed). See the sections below for details on each level. ## Staging Staging is the starting point of the promotion pipeline and where all development begins. Creators build, configure, and iterate on applications here before promoting to testing environments. Branching, versioning, and Smart Component Draft are fully available, making it the most flexible environment in the pipeline. Staging holds test data only. No live client data is stored here. ## Quality Assurance (QA) QA is where Creators, QA engineers, and testers verify that the application functions correctly and meets quality standards before it moves to stakeholder review. Because QA runs the development build configuration (source maps on), browser DevTools show readable stack traces and source locations. QA is the easiest environment to debug and the recommended stage for catching and resolving technical issues before the application advances. Staging and QA are treated identically by the platform: the same full editing and tooling capabilities apply in both. The difference is purpose: Staging is for building, QA is for verifying. QA holds test data only. ## User Acceptance Testing (UAT) UAT is where business stakeholders and end-users review the application and formally accept it before it moves to Production. Unlike Staging and QA, UAT runs the production build configuration (compressed, source maps removed). Stakeholders test the application in the same technical state end-users will experience. Creators can still make corrections and promote updates through UAT before final sign-off. The full range of editing and tooling capabilities applies here. UAT holds test data only. ## Pre-Production (Optional) Pre-Production is an optional environment level that sits between UAT and Production. It uses the Production build and enforces the same server-side restrictions as Production: draft-based development and Smart Component Draft are blocked. Pre-Production holds test data only, so teams can validate against Production behavior without risking live client data. Pre-Production is the only non-Production environment that behaves exactly like Production. It is most valuable for catching issues that only surface in the Production build. A change can pass in UAT and fail in Production once source maps are removed and code is compressed. Pre-Production is not included by default. Contact an Unqork representative to add it to an organization's environment set. ## Production Production is the live environment where end-users access the application and live client data is stored. Every change saved in Production is immediately visible to end-users with no draft buffer and no automatic rollback. The platform blocks draft-based development and Smart Component Draft in Production to protect live data and prevent unreviewed changes from reaching end-users. Configuration, style management, and promotion remain available. > [!CAUTION] > All development should take place in Staging and move to Production through the promotion pipeline; never directly in Production. The platform provides no warnings or confirmation dialogs when saving in Production, and every change goes live immediately. For the full list of what is and is not available in Production, see [Working in Production](/unqorkai/docs/working-in-production). ## Identifying Your Environment The platform does not display a dedicated banner or badge for the current environment level. For standard Unqork-hosted environments, the URL is the primary signal: | Environment | URL Pattern | | --- | --- | | Staging | `{organization}-staging.unqork.io` | | QA | `{organization}-qa.unqork.io` | | UAT | `{organization}-uat.unqork.io` | | Pre-Production | varies — contact an Unqork representative | | Production | `{organization}-prod.unqork.io` | Environments with custom domains do not follow this pattern. Creators unsure which environment they are working in should confirm with their environment administrator before making changes. ## Environment Configuration Each environment level has its own independent configuration: authentication settings, session management, security policies, and integrations. Configuration is managed in [Environment Administration](/unqorkai/docs/environment-administration) and does not transfer when resources are promoted. After promoting a resource, verify that environment-level settings in the target environment are configured for the promoted resource. ## Promoting Resources Resources move between environment levels through the **Promote** action, available to Creators with the appropriate permissions. See [Promoting Resources](/unqorkai/docs/promoting-resources) for how to promote applications, styles, groups, roles, and translations. --- **Changelog** | Date | Change | | --- | --- | | 2026-08-29 | Added level comparison table; expanded Pre-Production, Production, and Staging sections; added environment identification guidance; EN-8072. | End-users, also known as Express Users, are the individuals accessing an application through Express View. In most cases, end-users are the customers using the product. The Production environment is the final stage of the development process. Use this environment to promote tested and functioning application so your end-user can interact with it. The Staging environment is the first level of application building in Unqork. Use it to build, test, and style your applications. Use your QA (quality assurance) environment to test applications to ensure reliability, security, and functionality before releasing them to the end-user. Use the UAT (user acceptance testing) environment to realistically test and navigate your applications as end-users would use them. Also known as Unqork Users, or Designer Users; is anyone who is inside the Unqork platform. The DevTools Console helps you securely store, build, test, and deploy your software. Debugging is the process of finding and resolving errors or bugs in an application. To debug an application in Unqork, use UNQENG tools in Express View. A URL (uniform resource locator) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet. Also known as a web address.