> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.duckie.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deployment Modes

> Control how your agent interacts with customers

Deployment modes control whether an agent responds directly to customers or runs with testing safeguards.

## Available Modes

### Live Mode

The agent responds **directly to customers**.

{/* Screenshot: Live mode indicator with explanation */}

| Aspect         | Behavior                      |
| -------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Responses**  | Sent immediately to customers |
| **Actions**    | Executed in real systems      |
| **Visibility** | Customers see agent responses |

**Use when:**

* Agent has been validated in testing mode
* You're confident in response quality
* Ready for production traffic

### Testing Mode

The agent processes matching deployment events with testing safeguards.

{/* Screenshot: Testing mode indicator with testing options */}

| Aspect         | Behavior                                                  |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Responses**  | Can be forced to internal notes instead of public replies |
| **Actions**    | Write actions can be skipped during execution             |
| **Visibility** | Runs are visible in Duckie run history                    |

**Use when:**

* Testing a new agent or deployment
* Validating on real traffic before going live
* Debugging a specific channel, trigger, or filter
* Checking behavior after major configuration changes

## Testing Options

When a deployment is in testing mode, you can enable additional safeguards.

### Internal Notes Only

Duckie response tools use internal notes instead of public responses.

Use this when you want the agent to process real messages without sending public customer replies.

### No Write Actions

Tools marked as write actions are skipped during execution.

Use this when you want to validate reasoning, retrieval, and response quality without modifying external systems.

## Choosing the Right Mode

### New Deployment

```
Playground Testing → Testing Mode → Live Mode
```

1. Test in the playground until confident
2. Deploy in testing mode
3. Review test runs and internal notes
4. Switch to live when quality is consistent

### Existing Deployment with Major Changes

```
Pause → Update → Testing → Validate → Live
```

1. Pause the deployment
2. Make configuration changes
3. Switch to testing mode
4. Validate the changes
5. Return to live

### Minor Change

For minor, low-risk changes:

* Update directly in live mode
* Monitor closely afterward

## Change Modes

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Deployment">
    Go to **Deploy** and click on your deployment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit Deployment">
    Click **Edit** to modify settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change Mode">
    Select **Live** or **Testing**.

    {/* Screenshot: Mode selection dropdown in edit view */}
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Save to apply the change.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Review Testing Runs

### In Run History

{/* Screenshot: Run history showing testing mode runs */}

1. Go to **Analyze > Runs**
2. Filter by deployment
3. Review agent responses
4. Check execution steps and tool calls

### In the Source System

When **Internal Notes Only** is enabled, responses are written as internal notes on channels that support them.

### Quality Checks

When reviewing testing runs, ask:

* Is the response accurate?
* Is the tone appropriate?
* Did the agent find the right knowledge?
* Did guardrails work correctly?
* Would you send this to a customer?

## Go Live

Before switching from testing to live:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review Sample">
    Review a representative sample of testing runs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Metrics">
    Verify escalation rate and response quality are acceptable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Address Issues">
    Fix any problems found in review.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Switch Mode">
    Change mode to **Live**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor Closely">
    Watch performance for the first few hours or days.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Best Practices

### Start in Testing

New deployments and major changes should go through testing mode:

* Catches issues before public customer responses
* Builds confidence in the configuration
* Provides run data for validation

### Set Review Expectations

In testing mode:

* Decide how many runs to review before going live
* Set a timeline, such as testing for a few days
* Define quality criteria for switching to live

### Keep a Testing Deployment

Consider maintaining a testing deployment for ongoing validation:

* Test new configurations safely
* Catch regressions
* Compare behavior before updating a live deployment

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create Deployment" icon="plus" href="/deployments/creating-deployments">
    Set up a deployment
  </Card>

  <Card title="Monitor Runs" icon="chart-line" href="/analytics/runs">
    Review agent activity
  </Card>
</CardGroup>