# How to test a flow before going live

> **In simple terms:** Before you send a flow to your users, run it yourself. You go through the same screens or WhatsApp conversation your users will see, so you can check that the steps, the design, and the results are what you configured.

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Test a flow when you want to see the end-user experience and confirm that the flow works and looks the way you designed it.

## Before you test

- Save the flow and publish it.
- The flow cannot have pending configuration, such as an integration that is not complete or a form that is not configured.
- If something is still pending, duplicate the flow, remove the pending pieces from the copy, and test the copy.

## Test a Web flow

1. In the **Digital Identity** dashboard, open **Web integrations**.
2. At the top, select the flow you want to test.
3. Click **Send flow** and choose how to receive the link: **WhatsApp**, **SMS**, or **email**. Each link you send this way works only once.
4. Open the link and complete the flow as your user would.

To run the test more than once with the same link, copy the link at the bottom of the page.

> **Warning:** The copied link does not expire. If someone who should not have it gets the link, delete the flow so the link cannot keep consuming validations.

You can also send the flow from the flow card in the dashboard. See [Test and share a Digital Identity flow](/guides/di_dashboard/#test-and-share-digital-identity-flow).

### Preview from the flow builder

To open the flow in your browser without sending it:

1. Save and publish the flow.
2. Click **Test conversation** in the upper right corner of the flow builder.
3. Enter the URL where the user goes after finishing the flow.
4. Click **Continue**.

{{<img src="/images/illustrations/test_flow_web.png" alt="Test a Web flow from the flow builder" width="50%" class="rounded-md">}}

5. Copy the generated link and open it in a new browser tab, or click **Open preview**.

{{<img src="/images/illustrations/test_flow_web_preview.png" alt="Open the Web flow preview" width="50%" class="rounded-md">}}

**Note:** A test process expires after **15 minutes** by default.

## Test a WhatsApp flow

Use this test to see the WhatsApp conversation your user gets. The same requirements apply: the flow must be saved and published, with no pending configuration.

These steps cover an **inbound** test, where your user starts the conversation:

1. Open the flow you want to test.
2. Click **Test**, then **Client view**.
3. Select the option where your user sends you the message.
4. Write the message your user sends to start the conversation.
5. Copy the link and open it on the phone you want to test with.

## After the test

Your test runs as a real process, so it appears in the results. To review it, see [How to view identity verification results](/guides/view_results/).