generated: '2026-08-14'
method: searched
source: https://docs.herondata.io/api-reference/authentication
description: >-
  Heron separates development and production at the credential level rather than
  via a test-mode key prefix. Trial / onboarding customers are issued a set of
  development dashboard + API credentials; production credentials are issued
  separately on request. Two unauthenticated/authenticated test ("hello world")
  endpoints let you verify connectivity and key validity. As a document-automation
  platform (not a card acquirer) Heron publishes no test card numbers.
environments:
  development:
    description: Issued for trial / onboarding; used for development against real endpoints.
    credentials: Separate development dashboard + API credentials.
  production:
    description: Issued separately once you are ready to go live (contact your Heron rep / hello@herondata.io).
test_endpoints:
  - method: GET
    path: /api/hello_world
    auth: none
    purpose: Test connectivity (no authentication).
    docs: https://docs.herondata.io/api-reference/testing/get-apihello_world.md
    spec: openapi/heron-openapi.json (tag Testing)
  - method: GET
    path: /api/hello_world/authenticated
    auth: x-api-key
    purpose: Test that an API key authenticates successfully.
    docs: https://docs.herondata.io/api-reference/testing/get-apihello_worldauthenticated.md
    spec: openapi/heron-openapi.json (tag Testing)
test_values: none published (document-automation API; no synthetic card/bank test data)
synthetic_fixtures:
  - name: Funder integration test submission
    description: >-
      Heron ships a SYNTHETIC test end user that is submitted to a selected funder environment
      to validate a staging or production funder integration. Production saves are gated on a
      successful staging test within the last 30 days.
    docs: https://docs.herondata.io/api-reference/trigger-a-staging-or-production-test-submission-for-this-funder.md
environments_note: >-
  Confirmed against the contract: /api/auth/environments exists in openapi/heron-openapi.json,
  which is how the development/production credential split is exposed to clients.