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

# Plan development and production environments

Gcore Streaming treats one account as one shared workspace for live streams, VOD assets, API tokens, billing, and service limits. It does not split a single account into built-in development and production environments.

Choose the environment model by project size, access needs, and the required level of isolation.

## Environment models

The right model depends on whether the project needs logical organization or hard separation.

| Model                  | Best for                                      | Isolation level                                                        |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| One account            | Small projects and early-stage testing        | Shared access, shared billing, shared service limits                   |
| Two accounts           | Separate development and production workflows | Separate API tokens, billing, assets, and operational access           |
| Three or more accounts | Enterprise release workflows                  | Separate development, staging, production, and custom commercial terms |

## One account for small projects

Use one account when the same team manages development and production assets, and accidental access between environments is acceptable. This model keeps billing and operations in one place.

| Asset type   | Organization model                                                                                            | API behavior                                                                                                                          |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Live streams | All live stream entities are in one shared list and remain accessible to account users with Streaming access. | API requests use the same stream endpoints for every live stream in the account.                                                      |
| VOD videos   | Videos can be grouped into directories, for example `Development` and `Production`.                           | API requests use the same video endpoints for every video in the account, while `directory_id` places videos in a selected directory. |

For VOD libraries, create directories to group uploaded videos and reduce operational mistakes. The [directories](/streaming/video-hosting/organize-uploaded-videos) guide shows the Customer Portal workflow, while the [Directories API](/api-reference/streaming/directories/get-list-of-directories) returns the directory tree for API-based workflows.

<Note>
  Directories organize VOD assets inside one account. They are not an access boundary for live streams, API tokens, billing, or service limits.
</Note>

## Two accounts for separate workflows

Use two accounts when development and production must have separate credentials, assets, and operational access. Create one account for development and one account for production, then generate a separate [API token](/account-settings/api-tokens) in each account.

This model reduces the risk of development scripts changing production videos or live streams because each API token belongs to a different account. Billing must be active for both accounts when both run paid Streaming workloads.

Each account also has separate CDN delivery domain names, so development and production can use different playback URLs. This allows testing delivery settings, caching behavior, and custom CDN approaches without changing the production delivery path.

Account switching is available from one login when the user has access to multiple accounts. Use [additional accounts](/account-settings/account/additional-accounts) to create and switch between accounts.

## Three or more accounts for enterprise workflows

Use three or more accounts when the release process needs separate development, staging, production, or regional environments. Each account can have its own users, API tokens, assets, limits, delivery settings and billing setup.

Enterprise projects can combine multiple accounts with [custom plans](/streaming/billing/overview-of-tariffs) when commercial terms, committed volumes, support conditions, or service limits differ between environments. This model fits teams that need controlled promotion from development to staging before production.