# Demo Limitations

## Demo Overview

The WaDesk live demo lets you explore the platform with pre-loaded sample data — workspaces, contacts, conversations, campaigns, templates, and subscription plans — so you can evaluate the team inbox, marketing tools, flow builder, AI suite, and the multi-tenant admin panel before purchasing.

The demo is designed to show you how WaDesk works, not to connect to live WhatsApp accounts. The restrictions below keep the shared environment stable and prevent it from sending real messages to real people.

## No Real WhatsApp Sends

> The demo never sends real WhatsApp messages. This is the single most important demo limitation. Campaigns, broadcasts, single replies, and automated flows are simulated or disabled so that nothing leaves the server to an actual WhatsApp number.

Specifically, in the demo:

- No live channel connections. You cannot scan a QR code to pair a real number on the Unofficial API, and the Cloud API / Twilio credentials are not connected to a live account.
- Outbound sending is simulated. You can build a campaign or compose a reply and see the workflow, but no message is actually delivered to WhatsApp.
- Inbound is sample data. The conversations you see in the inbox are pre-seeded examples, not messages from real contacts.

This mirrors how WaDesk should be tested even on your own server — you should never point a real campaign at real contacts just to "try it out", because a connected number will genuinely send.

## Other Restrictions

To keep the demo clean for every visitor, the following are also limited:

- Sandbox payment gateways. Plan checkout runs in test mode. No real charges are made; use your payment provider's test card details to walk through the subscription flow.
- Email and external notifications disabled. Transactional emails (verification, password reset, invoices) are not actually delivered, though templates can still be previewed.
- AI features may be limited. AI chat, training, and voice-assistant features may be capped, mocked, or disabled because they consume paid third-party API credits.
- Some admin settings are read-only. Platform-level settings that could break the demo for other visitors (branding resets, system configuration, destructive actions) are locked.
- Periodic data resets. Demo data is reset on a schedule, so any workspaces, contacts, or settings you create will be reverted at the next reset.
- Shared environment limits. Because many people use the demo at once, performance and rate limits are tighter than on a dedicated installation.

## What the Full Version Unlocks

When you install your own licensed copy of WaDesk on your server, every demo restriction is removed. The full version gives you:

- Live WhatsApp connections on all three engines — Unofficial API (QR pairing), WhatsApp Cloud API, and Twilio
- Real outbound campaigns, broadcasts, scheduled messages, and automated flows
- Live payment gateways (30+ supported) for real subscriptions and trials
- Working transactional email and notifications via your own mail provider
- Your own AI provider keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) for chat and voice assistants
- Full control over every admin and white-label setting

For the rules that govern free versus paid end products, see the General FAQs → Licensing. Before you send anything real, read WhatsApp & Ban Safety.