Why are credits deducted in sandbox?
Why are credits deducted in sandbox?
Credits are not normally deducted for sandbox (stage) renders. If you see credits being used, it usually means:
Your request was sent to the production endpoint instead of the stage endpoint.
Your render includes AI elements (e.g., AI images, AI video, or AI audio). In this case, only the AI element consumes credits, while the render itself remains free but will include a watermark.
✅ Correct endpoints:
Sandbox (Stage):
https://api.shotstack.io/edit/stage/render(no credits deducted, except for AI elements)
Production:
https://api.shotstack.io/edit/v1/render(credits deducted) Make sure you’re using your stage API key with the stage URL when testing. Remember that AI elements will always deduct credits, even in sandbox.
Your account must have at least one active credit to access the sandbox environment. If your credit balance is zero, you may encounter HTTP 403 errors when attempting to use the sandbox.
To restore access, ensure your account has at least one active credit.
Why were all my starting credits used up so quickly?
Why were all my starting credits used up so quickly?
This happened because the production URL or API key was used instead of the staging URL, which caused credits to be consumed unexpectedly.
Please ensure you use the production API key with the production endpoint, and the staging API key with the staging endpoint.
If you need more credits for testing, you can purchase additional credits from your subscription page.
New accounts receive 10 free credits valid for one month to test full production capabilities without sandbox limitations. After the trial, you can purchase a small credit top-up for continued production testing without a subscription.
Can I use my own storage and hosting?
Can I use my own storage and hosting?
Yes. You can make use of one of our many destination integrations.