generated: '2026-07-27'
method: searched
source: https://www.greenbuttonalliance.org/sandbox
description: >-
  Green Button Alliance's developer sandbox is DOWN, and GBA says so plainly. This
  artifact records what the sandbox surface is, what state it is in, and which
  substitutes actually respond - so a developer is not sent to a dead host. No test
  credentials, no magic identifiers and no fixture values have been invented; GBA
  publishes none.
status: unavailable
statement: >-
  GBA states it no longer provides access to the original reference implementation
  and that "The new platform won't be ready until sometime in 2026Q3 (based on our
  current assessments)". Developers are directed to
  https://www.greenbuttonalliance.org/contact-us to be placed on a list for
  notification.
expected_replacement: 2026Q3
environments:
- name: GBA Production ESPI Resource Server Sandbox
  url: https://sandbox.greenbuttonalliance.org:8443/DataCustodian
  declared_in:
  - openapi/green-button-alliance-green-button-api-openapi.yml
  - openapi/green-button-alliance-application-information-openapi.yml
  probe: {date: '2026-07-27', status: 403, note: 'Refused to anonymous clients, consistent with the sandbox being out of service.'}
  live: false
- name: GBA Development ESPI Resource Server Sandbox
  url: https://sandboxdev.greenbuttonalliance.org:8443/DataCustodian
  declared_in:
  - openapi/green-button-alliance-application-information-openapi.yml
  probe: {date: '2026-07-27', status: 403}
  live: false
- name: SwaggerHub API Auto Mocking
  url: https://virtserver.swaggerhub.com/GreenButtonAlliance/Green_Button_Resource_Server
  declared_in:
  - openapi/green-button-alliance-application-information-openapi.yml
  type: mock
  probe: {date: '2026-07-27', status: 404, note: 'Versioned mock path did not resolve anonymously; the mock is generated by SwaggerHub, not run by GBA.'}
  live: false
- name: OpenESPI Authorization Server (staging)
  url: https://staging-authorization.greenbuttonalliance.org
  declared_in:
  - openapi/green-button-alliance-authorization-server-openapi.yml
  probe: {date: '2026-07-27', status: '000', note: 'DNS does not resolve.'}
  live: false
test_credentials: []
test_credentials_note: >-
  GBA publishes no sandbox client_id/client_secret, no magic identifiers and no test
  data set. Access to the retired sandbox required registration with GBA.
what_actually_works_today:
- name: Green Button DMD Validator
  url: https://dmdvalidator.greenbuttonalliance.org/
  description: >-
    Public Download My Data file validator linked from /developer-resources - the one
    interactive testing tool GBA still runs. Returns 403 to anonymous automated
    probes; intended for browser use.
- name: Rendered CMD API reference (Swagger UI)
  url: https://greenbuttonalliance.github.io/OpenESPI-GreenButton-API-Documentation/API/
  description: >-
    Browsable reference for the CMD resource server. States "Access to Green Button
    APIs requires an OAuth2 Access Token" - it documents, it does not execute.
- name: Self-hosted OpenESPI stack
  url: https://github.com/GreenButtonAlliance/OpenESPI-GreenButton-Java
  description: >-
    The realistic substitute while the hosted sandbox is down - clone and run the
    Apache-2.0 Data Custodian, Third Party and Authorization Server modules locally
    (Docker files are included in openespi-authserver).
- name: Published wire-contract fixtures
  url: https://github.com/GreenButtonAlliance/OpenESPI-GreenButton-Java/tree/main/contracts
  description: >-
    Canonical example request/response payloads both OpenESPI services bind their
    tests to. Harvested verbatim into examples/ - the closest thing GBA has to test
    fixtures. Token values in them are literal placeholders (OPAQUE_ACCESS_TOKEN),
    not credentials.
certification_testing:
  note: >-
    Not a sandbox. Formal certification testing is a paid, scheduled 2-hour window on
    GBA's Certification Platform.
  url: https://www.greenbuttonalliance.org/testing
  pricing:
    data_custodian_dmd: $3,000
    data_custodian_cmd: $3,200
    combined_dmd_cmd: $3,700
    additional_window: $2,500 per additional 2-hour window
    pre_certification_testing: $250/hour
    membership_required: false