Going Live on Slate: The Checklist
What has to be true before you switch from sandbox to live: the agreement, business verification and production access, plus the tests worth running first.
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9 min read
Published On
Nov 3, 2026
Read: 9 minutes
Last updated: November 9, 2026
In this guide
- Going live has three parts: a Master Services Agreement, business verification (KYB) and a request for production access
- All three are on the Go live step of the Home checklist in sandbox
- Test keys, webhooks, emails and the application flow in sandbox before you ask
- After live access, repeat the setup with live keys. Nothing carries over from sandbox
What Going Live Actually Means
Sandbox is where you build. Live is where your customers see real offers and real applications. You cannot flip the switch yourself. Slate has to confirm three things about your business first, and you request access when you are ready. All three sit on the last step of the Home checklist, called "Go live".
| Part | Who does it | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Master Services Agreement | Slate marks it complete | Go live step on Home |
| Business verification (KYB) | You submit, Slate reviews | Go live step, "Business verification (KYB)", Start or View |
| Production access | You request it | Go live step, "Request production access" |
We cannot say how long any of it takes, because it depends on what you submit and how complete it is. Start early and send complete information the first time.
Get Business Verification Right the First Time
Business verification checks who your company is. Choose "Start" on the Go live step. The page is titled "Verify your business" and asks for:
- Legal business name. Exactly as it appears on your registration documents.
- Business type. Corporation, Sole proprietorship or Partnership.
- Registration number, website and business city.
- Beneficial owners. Anyone who owns 25 percent or more. For each one: name, ownership percentage, date of birth and email.
- Documents. A certificate of incorporation and proof of business address.
Then choose "Submit for review". The page says Slate reviews it by hand. The status shows as Under review, Changes requested, Approved or Rejected. If it says Changes requested, read what was asked, fix exactly that and resubmit. Have the owners' details in one document and both documents as files before you open the page, and check that the address on your proof of address matches the one you enter.
Test Before You Ask for Production Access
Production access is easier to get and safer to use when sandbox already works end to end. Each of these is something you can do in sandbox today.
| Area | What to check | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| API keys | A Full access key on the server, a Read only key anywhere that only reads, all in a secrets manager | Developers, API keys |
| Webhooks | Enabled, endpoint added, signature checked, and a handler that returns a fast 2xx and survives a repeated delivery | Developers, Webhooks |
| Emails | You have chosen who sends customer emails: Slate, your own domain, or you. Previews reviewed | Emails, Templates |
| Application flow | A test applicant can get from your product through every screen to Submitted | Products, Application Flow |
| Branding | Logo, display name and brand colour are published and look right in your product | Products |
| Team | Everyone who needs the live dashboard is on the team list | User menu, Team |
For emails, the Templates tab shows every email Slate sends your customers, with a switch per email for the transactional ones. Core emails, such as the one that asks someone to sign their agreement, always send and cannot be turned off. If you handle customer emails yourself, make sure your webhook handler covers each event you replaced. For the application flow, submit a test application yourself, on a phone as well as a laptop. Then open Capital, then Applications, and read its timeline. It is the same page you will use in live to see where real people stall.
Request Production Access
- Open Home in sandbox and go to the Go live step.
- Check the Master Services Agreement line. Slate marks it when the agreement is in place. If you have questions about it, ask support rather than waiting.
- Confirm business verification shows as approved. Use "View" to read its status.
- Choose "Request production access" and wait for Slate to confirm.
When access is granted, the "You're live" banner appears on Home, and "Switch to Live Mode" in the user menu becomes available. Until then, the switch stays disabled.
Settle These Inside Your Own Company
- Who owns the integration after launch. Name one person for the keys and webhooks and one for the customer experience.
- Who answers customers. When an applicant asks why they were declined or where their money is, which team replies? The applications page shows a status headline and the decline reasons in the customer's words, so support can read from it.
- What you will tell customers. Describe the capital offer in your own words, with no promises about approval, amounts or timing.
- How you will watch it. Pick one page to open every morning in the first weeks. Capital, then Applications, filtered to Requires action, is a good one.
- Who gets copied. Decide whether to add internal addresses on the BCC tab of Emails, so your operations team sees what customers receive.
After the Switch: Repeat, Do Not Assume
Live is a separate dashboard. Your sandbox keys, webhook endpoints, branding and email settings do not exist there, so set them up again.
- Switch to live mode and open Developers. Create the live keys you need and store them apart from the sandbox keys.
- Enable webhooks in live and add your production endpoint with the same events.
- Open Products and publish your branding and application flow settings in live.
- Open Emails and set the sender choice, domain and BCC list. The email domain setting is not available in sandbox, so it is new work in live.
- Run one controlled end-to-end check before you announce anything: one real customer you know, one offer, one application, watched in Applications.
Home does not show in live mode. The live dashboard opens on Customers. If you want the checklist back, switch to sandbox.
What to Watch in the First Days
| Page | What you are looking for |
|---|---|
| Customers | Whether customers you expected to be sized have an offer. The Status column says Not underwritten, No offer, Offer expired or Offered |
| Capital, Applications | Rows at Requires action, and which pending action is holding them: bank verification, contract signature, identity verification, counter offer or bank reconnection |
| Emails, Activity | Any email with a Failed status, and the reason shown |
| Developers, Webhooks | Failed deliveries in the portal, which mean your endpoint is down or rejecting events |
| Insights | The conversion funnel from Customers to Funded, over a short range at first |
Do not read too much into the first handful of applications. A small number of people tells you whether the plumbing works, not how the program will perform.
Common Questions
How long does going live take?
We cannot give a number. It depends on the information you submit and how complete it is. Complete verification details the first time are the biggest thing you control.
What if business verification says Changes requested?
Read what Slate asked for, change exactly that and resubmit.
Do my sandbox settings carry over to live?
No. Keys, webhooks, branding and email settings are per environment. Set them up again in live.
Why is Home missing in live mode?
Home shows in sandbox only. Live opens on Customers.
Who can request production access?
Anyone with dashboard access can see the Go live step, since every invited member has the same access.
Can I keep using sandbox after going live?
Yes. Sandbox and live are separate, and the user menu switches between them.
Read next: Your First Week on Slate · Slate API Keys and Webhooks: Setup Guide · What to Expect When You’re Onboarding With Slate
