Demo Mode Guide

Test your earnlayer integration with demo ads before setting up partnerships

Testing Feature

What is Demo Mode?

Demo mode is a testing feature that allows you to see all available demo advertisements in your application without needing to configure partnerships with advertisers.

Demo Mode

initializeConversation({
  demoMode: true
})

Shows ALL ads where advertisers.is_mock_data = true
No partnerships configuration required
Perfect for testing and development

Production Mode

initializeConversation({
  demoMode: false
})

Shows ONLY ads where you have partnerships configured
Real revenue tracking
Production-ready billing

Note: SDK uses camelCase (demoMode) in TypeScript/JavaScript. MCP headers use snake_case (x-demo-mode) but that's handled internally.

Database Behavior

Demo Mode (demoMode: true)

When enabled, the system queries all ads from advertisers marked as mock data, regardless of whether you have partnerships configured.

Result: All demo ads are visible, perfect for testing

Production Mode (demoMode: false)

When disabled (default), the system only shows ads where you have established partnerships with the advertiser.

Result: Only ads with configured partnerships are shown

Implementation Examples

Basic Setup

import { useEarnLayerClient } from '@earnlayer/sdk/react';

function ChatComponent() {
  export const { initializeConversation } = useEarnLayerClient();

  useEffect(() => {
    initializeConversation({
      demoMode: true  // Enable demo mode
    });
  }, []);

  return <div>Your chat UI</div>;
}

Environment-Based

useEffect(() => {
    const isDevelopment = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development';

    initializeConversation({
      demoMode: isDevelopment
    });
}, []);

Transitioning to Production

Test with Demo Mode

initializeConversation({
  demoMode: true,
  adTypes: ['hyperlink', 'thinking', 'banner'],
  frequency: 'normal'
});

Configure Partnerships

1. Go to earnlayer App
2. Set partnerships for advertisers you want to work with

Set Up Partnerships

Disable Demo Mode

initializeConversation({
  demoMode: false,  // or simply omit this parameter
  adTypes: ['hyperlink', 'thinking', 'banner'],
  frequency: 'normal'
});

Verify Real Ads

const { ad } = useDisplayAd({
  adType: 'banner',
  onAdFetched: (ad) => {
    console.log('Ad fetched:', ad.title);
    // Verify you're seeing real ads
  }
});

Troubleshooting

"No ads showing with demo mode enabled"

Verify demoMode: true is set correctly
Check console for errors
Verify conversation initialized successfully
Confirm demo ads exist in the system

"Still seeing demo ads in production"

Make sure demoMode is false or omitted:

initializeConversation({
  demoMode: false  // Explicitly set to false
});

FAQ

Q: Will demo mode affect my revenue?

A: No revenue is generated from demo ads. Demo mode is for testing only.

Q: Can I use demo mode with real users?

A: Not recommended. Demo ads don't generate revenue and may not reflect your actual ad inventory.

Q: Can I mix demo and real ads?

A: No. Demo mode shows only demo ads. Production mode shows only real ads with partnerships.

Next Steps

Phase 1B Implementation Conversation Management Troubleshooting API Reference

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