generated: '2026-09-09'
method: searched
source: >-
  https://docs.aelf.com/tools/faucet/, https://docs.aelf.com/tools/aelf-playground/,
  https://docs.aelf.com/resources/integration-guide/,
  https://docs.aelf.com/quick-start/node-operators/set-up-a-node-on-testnet/ and
  https://docs.aelf.com/tools/setup-local-environment/smart-contract-developer/
summary: >-
  aelf runs a full public testnet alongside mainnet, with a faucet that hands out free test tokens
  and a browser playground for writing and deploying contracts without installing anything. There
  are no API keys to switch between modes: the "mode" is the node URL you point at. Two caveats
  found by probing — the documented testnet RPC hosts did not answer anonymously on 2026-09-09,
  and the playground host was returning 503.
mode_switching:
  mechanism: endpoint selection
  note: >-
    No test-vs-live key prefixes exist because the API takes no keys. You select an environment by
    choosing a node base URL, and a transaction is bound to a chain by its ChainId.
environments:
- name: mainnet AELF main chain
  base_url: https://aelf-public-node.aelf.io
  chain_id: AELF
  probed: '2026-09-09'
  status: 200
- name: mainnet tDVV side chain
  base_url: https://tdvv-public-node.aelf.io
  chain_id: tDVV
  probed: '2026-09-09'
  status: 200
- name: testnet AELF main chain
  base_url: https://aelf-test-node.aelf.io
  documented_at: https://docs.aelf.com/resources/integration-guide/
  probed: '2026-09-09'
  status: 403
  note: >-
    Returns a Kubernetes RBAC denial to anonymous callers ("User \"system:anonymous\" cannot get
    path") on both /swagger/v1/swagger.json and /api/blockChain/chainStatus. Documented, not
    reachable.
- name: testnet tDVW side chain
  base_url: https://tdvw-test-node.aelf.io
  documented_at: https://docs.aelf.com/resources/integration-guide/
  probed: '2026-09-09'
  status: 522
  note: Cloudflare origin timeout at probe time.
- name: local development chain
  base_url: http://localhost:8000
  note: >-
    A node run locally from the aelf-boilerplate / local-environment guides. This is the sandbox
    the smart-contract tutorials actually use.
faucet:
  url: https://testnet-faucet.aelf.io/
  docs: https://docs.aelf.com/tools/faucet/
  probed: '2026-09-09'
  status: 200
  dispenses: free testnet ELF for the aelf testnet chains
  note: No fixed test values are published; the faucet issues tokens to an address you supply.
playground:
  url: https://playground.aelf.com/
  docs: https://docs.aelf.com/tools/aelf-playground/
  probed: '2026-09-09'
  status: 503
  note: >-
    Browser IDE for writing, building and deploying aelf smart contracts without a local toolchain.
    The documentation page renders; the app host was unavailable when probed.
api_console:
  url: https://aelf-public-node.aelf.io/swagger/index.html
  probed: '2026-09-09'
  status: 200
  note: >-
    Swagger UI served by the node itself — a live try-it console against mainnet. There is no
    separate sandboxed console, so a request sent from this page is a real mainnet request.
test_values: []
test_values_note: >-
  aelf publishes no magic test identifiers, test cards or fixture accounts. Test material is
  whatever the faucet funds. Nothing has been invented here.