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# Test on a live store safely

**Testing mode** hides Account Editor from everyone except a short list of customers you choose. Turn it on under **Settings → General**. You can then place real orders and try the whole flow on your live store, while ordinary customers see nothing.

## What this does

Most Shopify stores have no staging copy. Testing a post-purchase flow properly means placing a real order, and that usually means doing it in public.

Testing mode gives you a private trial run on the real store.

## Turn it on

1. Go to **Settings → General**.
2. Find **Testing mode** and turn it on.
3. Search for the customers who should see the app, by name or email.
4. Add yourself and anyone testing with you.
5. Select **Save**.

**You must select at least one customer.** Testing mode will not save with an empty list — with nobody selected, the app would be hidden from everyone including you.

## What it covers

While testing mode is on, only your selected customers see Account Editor on:

* The checkout page
* The Thank you page
* The Order status page
* Post-purchase offers

Everyone else sees a normal Shopify order, exactly as before.

## Turn it off when you go live

This is the step people forget.

Testing mode looks like a broken installation. Every setting is right, the app blocks are placed, and no customer can see anything — because they are not on the list.

**If customers say the app is not working, check testing mode first.**

## Good to know

**It is a save-bar setting.** Flipping the toggle is not enough. You have to select **Save**.

**Use it before every big change.** Turning on a new feature, or changing what customers may edit, is worth a trial run first.

**It is not a substitute for preview.** Preview shows the page instantly, with no order needed. Testing mode is for the full flow — real order, real hold, real refund.

**Add every tester.** Anyone not on the list sees nothing, including colleagues.

## Troubleshooting

* **Nobody can see the app** — Why: Testing mode is on and they are not listed — Fix: Add them, or turn it off
* **Testing mode will not save** — Why: No customers selected — Fix: Add at least one
* **You cannot see it yourself** — Why: You are not on the list — Fix: Add your own customer record
* **It works for you, not for a colleague** — Why: They are not on the list — Fix: Add them
* **Customers report it stopped working** — Why: Testing mode was left on — Fix: Turn it off
* **Changes did not take effect** — Why: The save bar was not used — Fix: Select **Save**

## FAQ

### Does testing mode stop orders being processed?

No. Orders go through normally. It only controls who sees Account Editor's options.

### Can I test with a real customer?

Yes, if they agree. Add their customer record to the list.

### What happens to customers not on the list?

They see a normal Shopify order page, as if the app were not installed.

### Is this the same as preview?

No. Preview shows the page without an order. Testing mode lets you run the whole flow for real, privately.

### I turned it off and customers still cannot see anything. Why?

Check the app block is on the page. That is the other common cause — see [Customers can't see the edit option](/en/article/customers-cant-see-the-edit-option-1wg3ot9/).

## Related articles

* [Preview what customers will see](/en/article/preview-what-customers-will-see-1254se5/)
* [Store-wide settings](/en/article/store-wide-settings-qu8y8z/)
* [Turn on your first features](/en/article/turn-on-your-first-features-hluazz/)
* [Customers can't see the edit option](/en/article/customers-cant-see-the-edit-option-1wg3ot9/)