generated: '2026-08-13'
method: probed
source: https://demo.listmonk.app/ (probed 2026-08-13) and https://listmonk.app/
description: >-
  listmonk operates one public playground: demo.listmonk.app, a live listmonk
  instance linked from the project homepage. It is a real deployment, not a mock
  — its API answers on the same `/api` paths as any self-hosted instance. This is
  the closest thing listmonk has to a sandbox, and it is a genuinely useful one
  for reading the public surface, but be clear about its limits: there are no
  published demo credentials, so the authenticated surface (72 of the 74
  documented operations) cannot be exercised anonymously, and there is no
  test-vs-live key concept because there are no vendor-issued keys at all. The
  real "sandbox" for a developer is a local instance — `docker compose up -d`
  against the project's own compose file, which listmonk documents as the
  recommended install path.
kind: public-demo-instance
test_live_separation: false
test_key_prefixes: []
test_data: []
time_simulation: false
fixtures: false
sandboxes:
  - name: Public demo instance
    url: https://demo.listmonk.app/
    api_base: https://demo.listmonk.app/api
    hosted_by: listmonk (linked from https://listmonk.app/)
    credentials_published: false
    probes:
      - url: https://demo.listmonk.app/
        status: 200
        note: Serves the listmonk public subscription/archive page.
      - url: https://demo.listmonk.app/api/public/lists
        status: 200
        note: >-
          Returns real data unauthenticated —
          [{"uuid":"e9bfe744-...","name":"Opt-in list"}]. The public list surface
          is genuinely callable against this host today.
      - url: https://demo.listmonk.app/api/health
        status: 403
        note: '{"message":"invalid session"} — the authenticated surface is closed without credentials.'
    reachable_operations:
      - getPublicLists
      - handlePublicSubscription
    note: >-
      Demo data is reset periodically by the operator; treat any UUID or list ID
      read from it as ephemeral.
  - name: Local instance (documented recommended path)
    url: https://listmonk.app/docs/installation/
    kind: self-hosted
    setup: >-
      curl -LO https://github.com/knadh/listmonk/raw/master/docker-compose.yml &&
      docker compose up -d, then visit http://localhost:9000 to create the Super
      Admin user. Set LISTMONK_ADMIN_USER / LISTMONK_ADMIN_PASSWORD to script it.
    credentials: Operator-created. Create an API user under Admin -> Users to get a token.
    note: >-
      This is where a developer gets a full, writable API surface. It costs a
      container and a Postgres, and it is the only way to exercise campaigns,
      transactional sends or imports.
gaps:
  - No published demo API credentials, so the authenticated surface cannot be tried before installing.
  - No test mode, test tokens, or sandbox/production key separation (none is applicable — no vendor issues keys).
  - No seeded fixture data set or reset endpoint documented for the demo.