Apollo Local Dev Loop
Overview
Set up an efficient local development workflow for Apollo.io integrations. Includes sandbox API key support, MSW mock server for offline testing, request logging, and npm scripts for daily development. Apollo provides a sandbox API token that returns dummy data without consuming credits.
Prerequisites
- Completed
apollo-install-auth setup
- Node.js 18+
- Git repository initialized
Instructions
Step 1: Set Up Environment Files
Apollo offers a sandbox token for testing. Generate one at Settings > Integrations > API Keys > Sandbox.
APOLLO_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
APOLLO_SANDBOX_KEY=your-sandbox-key-here
APOLLO_USE_SANDBOX=false
cp .env.example .env
echo '.env' >> .gitignore
echo '.env.local' >> .gitignore
Step 2: Create a Dev Client with Request Logging
import axios from 'axios';
import dotenv from 'dotenv';
dotenv.config();
const apiKey = process.env.APOLLO_USE_SANDBOX === 'true'
? process.env.APOLLO_SANDBOX_KEY
: process.env.APOLLO_API_KEY;
export const devClient = axios.create({
baseURL: 'https://api.apollo.io/api/v1',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'x-api-key': apiKey!,
},
timeout: 30_000,
});
devClient.interceptors.request.use((config) => {
console.log(`[Apollo] ${config.method?.toUpperCase()} ${config.url}`);
if (config.data) console.log('[Apollo] Body:', JSON.stringify(config.data, null, 2));
return config;
});
devClient.interceptors.response.use(
(res) => {
const remaining = res.headers['x-rate-limit-remaining'];
console.log(`[Apollo] ${res.status} ${res.config.url}${remaining ? ` — ${remaining} req remaining` : ''}`);
return res;
},
(err) => {
console.error(`[Apollo] ERROR ${err.response?.status}: ${err.response?.data?.message ?? err.message}`);
return Promise.reject(err);
},
);
Step 3: Set Up MSW Mock Server for Offline Testing
import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw';
const BASE = 'https://api.apollo.io/api/v1';
export const apolloHandlers = [
http.post(`${BASE}/mixed_people/api_search`, () =>
HttpResponse.json({
people: [
{ id: 'mock-1', name: 'Jane Doe', title: 'VP Sales', organization: { name: 'Acme Corp' } },
{ id: 'mock-2', name: 'John Smith', title: 'Director Engineering', organization: { name: 'Acme Corp' } },
],
pagination: { page: 1, per_page: 25, total_entries: 2, total_pages: 1 },
}),
),
http.post(`${BASE}/people/match`, () =>
HttpResponse.json({
: {
: , : , : ,
: , : { : },
: [{ : }],
: ,
},
}),
),
http.(, {
url = (request.);
.({
: {
: , : , : ,
: , : ,
: url..() ?? ,
},
});
}),
http.(,
.({
: [
{ : , : , : , : },
],
}),
),
http.(,
.({ : }),
),
];
import { setupServer } from 'msw/node';
import { apolloHandlers } from './apollo-handlers';
export const mockServer = setupServer(...apolloHandlers);
Step 4: Configure Vitest
import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
export default defineConfig({
test: { setupFiles: ['./src/mocks/setup.ts'], environment: 'node' },
});
import { mockServer } from './server';
import { beforeAll, afterAll, afterEach } from 'vitest';
beforeAll(() => mockServer.listen({ onUnhandledRequest: 'warn' }));
afterEach(() => mockServer.resetHandlers());
afterAll(() => mockServer.close());
import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
import { devClient } from '../apollo/dev-client';
describe('Apollo People Search', () => {
it('returns contacts from mock server', async () => {
const { data } = await devClient.post('/mixed_people/api_search', {
q_organization_domains_list: ['acme.com'],
per_page: 10,
});
expect(data.people).toHaveLength(2);
expect(data.people[0].name).toBe('Jane Doe');
});
});
Step 5: Add Development Scripts
{
"scripts": {
"dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts",
"test": "vitest",
"test:watch": "vitest --watch",
"test:live": "APOLLO_USE_SANDBOX=false vitest --run",
"test:sandbox": "APOLLO_USE_SANDBOX=true vitest --run",
"apollo:check": "tsx src/scripts/verify-auth.ts",
"apollo:search": "tsx src/scripts/quick-search.ts"
}
}
Output
.env.example template with sandbox key support- Dev client with request/response logging and rate-limit display
- MSW mock handlers for people search, enrichment, org enrichment, and sequences
- Vitest config with mock server setup/teardown
- npm scripts for dev, test, sandbox testing, and credential checks
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| Missing API Key | .env not loaded | Run cp .env.example .env and add your key |
| Mock Not Working | MSW not configured | Ensure setupFiles includes mock setup |
| Unexpected credits used | Sandbox mode off | Set APOLLO_USE_SANDBOX=true in .env |
| Stale Credentials | Key rotated in dashboard | Run npm run apollo:check to verify |
Resources
Next Steps
Proceed to apollo-sdk-patterns for production-ready code patterns.
