Test vs Production

Overview

Bluma provides separate test and production environments to help you develop and test your integration safely before going live.

Test Environment

Free unlimited testing

Watermarked videos
Lower quality rendering
No credit charges
Same API functionality

Production Environment

Production-ready videos

Full-quality rendering
No watermarks
Credits charged
Priority processing

Key Differences

Feature	Test Mode	Production Mode
API Keys	`bluma_test_*`	`bluma_live_*`
Video Quality	Lower (720p max)	Full (up to 4K)
Watermark	”TEST MODE” overlay	None
Credits	Free (unlimited)	Charged per video
Rate Limits	Same as your tier	Same as your tier
Processing Speed	Slower (low priority)	Fast (high priority)
Webhooks	Fully functional	Fully functional
API Functionality	100% identical	100% identical

Test and production environments have identical APIs. Code that works in test will work in production.

Test Environment

Purpose

Test mode is designed for:

✅ Development and debugging
✅ Integration testing
✅ Experimenting with templates
✅ Training and demos
✅ CI/CD pipeline testing

Limitations

Test videos include a “TEST MODE” watermark and are rendered at lower quality. Never use test videos for production content.

Quality Restrictions:

Maximum resolution: 720p (even if you request 1080p or 4K)
Lower bitrate encoding
Reduced frame rate (24fps vs 30fps)
No priority processing

Feature Restrictions:

❌ No custom branding
❌ No priority support
❌ No SLA guarantees

Getting Test API Keys

Test keys are available on all plans (including Free):

# Create a test API key
curl -X POST https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/api-keys \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Development Key",
    "environment": "test"
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "key_abc123",
  "key": "bluma_test_a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0",
  "name": "Development Key",
  "environment": "test",
  "created_at": "2025-11-03T10:30:00Z"
}

You can have unlimited test API keys. Create separate keys for different environments (local dev, staging, CI/CD).

Using Test Keys

Simply swap your API key:

// Development
const API_KEY = process.env.BLUMA_TEST_KEY; // bluma_test_...

// Same code works identically
const response = await fetch('https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/videos', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    template_id: 'meme-dialogue',
    context: { prompt: 'Test video' }
  })
});

Production Environment

Purpose

Production mode is for:

✅ Live applications
✅ Customer-facing content
✅ High-quality video generation
✅ Branded content
✅ Commercial use

Benefits

Full Quality:

Up to 4K resolution
High bitrate encoding
30fps rendering
Priority processing (2-3x faster)

No Limitations:

✅ Custom branding
✅ White-label support
✅ Priority customer support
✅ SLA guarantees (Enterprise)

Getting Production API Keys

Production keys require a paid plan:

Upgrade your account at getbluma.com/billing
Create production key:

curl -X POST https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/api-keys \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Production Key",
    "environment": "production"
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "key_xyz789",
  "key": "bluma_live_x1y2z3a4b5c6d7e8f9g0",
  "name": "Production Key",
  "environment": "production",
  "created_at": "2025-11-03T10:30:00Z"
}

Production keys consume credits. Monitor your usage at getbluma.com/brand/api-usage.

Switching from Test to Production

Step 1: Test Thoroughly

Before switching to production:

Test All Templates

Generate videos with every template you plan to use

Test Error Handling

Verify your code handles errors gracefully (invalid inputs, rate limits, etc.)

Test Webhooks

If using webhooks, verify signature verification and event handling

Load Test

Test with realistic volumes to ensure you’re within rate limits

Review Output

Verify video quality and content meet your requirements (ignore watermark)

Step 2: Upgrade Your Plan

If you’re on the Free tier, upgrade to a paid plan:

Go to getbluma.com/billing
Select a plan (Starter, Pro, or Enterprise)
Complete payment setup

Step 3: Create Production API Key

# Create production key
curl -X POST https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/api-keys \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Production Key - Main App",
    "environment": "production"
  }'

Save the key securely - you won’t see it again.

Step 4: Update Environment Variables

Update your environment configuration:

# .env.production
BLUMA_API_KEY=bluma_live_x1y2z3a4b5c6d7e8f9g0

# Or use separate variables
BLUMA_TEST_KEY=bluma_test_...
BLUMA_LIVE_KEY=bluma_live_...

Step 5: Update Your Code (Optional)

If you want environment-based switching:

// config.js
const environment = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';

const config = {
  development: {
    apiKey: process.env.BLUMA_TEST_KEY,
    apiUrl: 'https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1'
  },
  production: {
    apiKey: process.env.BLUMA_LIVE_KEY,
    apiUrl: 'https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1'
  }
};

export default config[environment];

// api-client.js
import config from './config.js';

async function generateVideo(templateId, context) {
  const response = await fetch(`${config.apiUrl}/videos`, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${config.apiKey}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ template_id: templateId, context })
  });

  return response.json();
}

Step 6: Deploy and Monitor

Deploy to Production

Deploy your application with the production API key

Generate Test Video

Generate one video to verify production key works correctly

Monitor Usage

Watch usage dashboard for any issues

Set Up Alerts

Configure webhook alerts for credits.low and credits.exhausted events

Environment-Based Configuration

Node.js Example

// config/bluma.js
export const blumaConfig = {
  apiKey: process.env.BLUMA_API_KEY,
  apiUrl: 'https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1',
  environment: process.env.BLUMA_ENVIRONMENT || 'test'
};

// Validation
if (!blumaConfig.apiKey) {
  throw new Error('BLUMA_API_KEY environment variable is required');
}

if (blumaConfig.environment === 'production' &&
    blumaConfig.apiKey.startsWith('bluma_test_')) {
  throw new Error('Cannot use test API key in production environment');
}

if (blumaConfig.environment === 'test' &&
    blumaConfig.apiKey.startsWith('bluma_live_')) {
  console.warn('⚠️  Warning: Using production API key in test environment (will consume credits)');
}

Python Example

# config.py
import os

class BlumaConfig:
    API_KEY = os.getenv('BLUMA_API_KEY')
    API_URL = 'https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1'
    ENVIRONMENT = os.getenv('BLUMA_ENVIRONMENT', 'test')

    @classmethod
    def validate(cls):
        if not cls.API_KEY:
            raise ValueError('BLUMA_API_KEY environment variable is required')

        if cls.ENVIRONMENT == 'production' and cls.API_KEY.startswith('bluma_test_'):
            raise ValueError('Cannot use test API key in production')

        if cls.ENVIRONMENT == 'test' and cls.API_KEY.startswith('bluma_live_'):
            print('⚠️  Warning: Using production API key in test (will consume credits)')

# Validate on import
BlumaConfig.validate()

API Key Management

Separate Keys for Different Purposes

Local Development

Test key for local developmentbluma_test_local_dev

CI/CD Pipeline

Test key for automated testsbluma_test_ci_cd

Staging Environment

Test or production key for stagingbluma_test_staging

Production

Production key for live appbluma_live_production

Naming Convention

Use descriptive names to identify keys:

# Good naming
"Production - Main App"
"Test - Local Development"
"Test - GitHub Actions CI"
"Production - Background Jobs"

# Poor naming
"Key 1"
"New Key"
"Test"

Key Rotation

Regularly rotate production keys for security:

# 1. Create new production key
curl -X POST https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/api-keys \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"name": "Production Key (2025-11)", "environment": "production"}'

# 2. Update your application with new key
# 3. Deploy updated application
# 4. Delete old key

curl -X DELETE https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/api-keys/key_old123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN"

Rotate keys quarterly or after any security incident.

Credit Usage

Test Environment

✅ Zero credits consumed
✅ Unlimited video generation
✅ All features available (except full quality)

Production Environment

Credits are consumed per video based on:

Template complexity
Resolution (720p, 1080p, 4K)
Duration
AI features used

See Credits documentation for detailed pricing.

Monitoring Credit Usage

# Check current balance
curl https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/credits/balance \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Response:

{
  "credits": 88,
  "tier": "pro",
  "monthly_allowance": 500,
  "overage_used": 0,
  "reset_date": "2025-12-01T00:00:00Z"
}

Setting Up Credit Alerts

# Get notified when credits run low
curl -X POST https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/webhooks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://yourapp.com/webhooks/bluma",
    "events": ["credits.low", "credits.exhausted"]
  }'

Rate Limits

Test and production keys share the same rate limits based on your account tier.

Tier	Requests/Hour	Burst Limit
Free	100	10
Starter	1,000	50
Pro	5,000	100
Enterprise	50,000	500

This applies to both test and production keys. If you need separate rate limits, upgrade to Enterprise and request custom configuration.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using Production Keys in Test

// ❌ DON'T DO THIS
const API_KEY = 'bluma_live_x1y2z3...'; // Production key

// Testing in development
await generateVideo('meme-dialogue', { prompt: 'Test' });
// This will consume real credits!

Fix: Always use test keys for development:

// ✅ CORRECT
const API_KEY = process.env.BLUMA_API_KEY; // bluma_test_... in development

❌ Hardcoding API Keys

// ❌ NEVER DO THIS
const API_KEY = 'bluma_live_x1y2z3a4b5c6d7e8f9g0';

Fix: Always use environment variables:

// ✅ CORRECT
const API_KEY = process.env.BLUMA_API_KEY;

❌ Committing Keys to Git

# ❌ DON'T DO THIS
git add .env
git commit -m "Add API keys"

Fix: Add to .gitignore:

# .gitignore
.env
.env.local
.env.production

Best Practices

Environment Variables

Store keys in environment variables, never in code

Separate Keys

Use different keys for dev, staging, and production

Test First

Always test changes in test environment before deploying

Monitor Usage

Set up dashboards and alerts for production usage

Rotate Keys

Regularly rotate production keys for security

Document Keys

Maintain documentation of which keys are used where

Checklist for Going to Production

Use this checklist before launching:

Troubleshooting

Videos still have watermarks in production

Cause: Still using a test API keyCheck:

echo $BLUMA_API_KEY
# Should start with bluma_live_, not bluma_test_

Fix: Ensure you’re using a production key (bluma_live_*)

402 Insufficient Credits error

Cause: Not enough credits remainingCheck balance:

curl https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/credits/balance \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Fix:

Purchase more credits at getbluma.com/billing
Upgrade your plan for higher monthly allowance

Test key not working

Possible causes:

Key was deleted
Typo in API key
Missing Bearer prefix

Test:

curl https://api.getbluma.com/api/v1/credits/balance \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TEST_KEY"

If you get 401, create a new test key.

Different behavior in production

The API is identical in test and production. Only differences are:

Video quality (test is lower)
Watermark (test has it)
Credits (test is free)
Processing speed (production is faster)

If you’re seeing API behavior differences, check:

Environment variables
Network/firewall differences
Rate limiting

Next Steps

Generate Your First Video

Step-by-step video generation tutorial

Credits & Pricing

Understand credit consumption and pricing

Best Practices

Production-ready integration patterns

API Keys

API key management reference

Summary

Test environment is free, unlimited, but produces watermarked lower-quality videos
Production environment requires a paid plan but produces full-quality videos
APIs are identical - code tested in test will work in production
Use environment variables to manage keys and switch between environments
Monitor usage in production to avoid unexpected credit consumption

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

​Overview

Test Environment

Production Environment

​Key Differences

​Test Environment

​Purpose

​Limitations

​Getting Test API Keys

​Using Test Keys

​Production Environment

​Purpose

​Benefits

​Getting Production API Keys

​Switching from Test to Production

​Step 1: Test Thoroughly

​Step 2: Upgrade Your Plan

​Step 3: Create Production API Key

​Step 4: Update Environment Variables

​Step 5: Update Your Code (Optional)

​Step 6: Deploy and Monitor

​Environment-Based Configuration

​Node.js Example

​Python Example

​API Key Management

​Separate Keys for Different Purposes

Local Development

CI/CD Pipeline

Staging Environment

Production

​Naming Convention

​Key Rotation

​Credit Usage

​Test Environment

​Production Environment

​Monitoring Credit Usage

​Setting Up Credit Alerts

​Rate Limits

​Common Mistakes to Avoid

​❌ Using Production Keys in Test

​❌ Hardcoding API Keys

​❌ Committing Keys to Git

​Best Practices

Environment Variables

Separate Keys

Test First

Monitor Usage

Rotate Keys

Document Keys

​Checklist for Going to Production

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Generate Your First Video

Credits & Pricing

Best Practices

API Keys

​Summary

Overview

Key Differences

Test Environment

Purpose

Limitations

Getting Test API Keys

Using Test Keys

Production Environment

Purpose

Benefits

Getting Production API Keys

Switching from Test to Production

Step 1: Test Thoroughly

Step 2: Upgrade Your Plan

Step 3: Create Production API Key

Step 4: Update Environment Variables

Step 5: Update Your Code (Optional)

Step 6: Deploy and Monitor

Environment-Based Configuration

Node.js Example

Python Example

API Key Management

Separate Keys for Different Purposes

Naming Convention

Key Rotation

Credit Usage

Test Environment

Production Environment

Monitoring Credit Usage

Setting Up Credit Alerts

Rate Limits

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using Production Keys in Test

❌ Hardcoding API Keys

❌ Committing Keys to Git

Best Practices

Checklist for Going to Production

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Summary