elevenlabs-local-dev-loop

name	elevenlabs-local-dev-loop
description	Configure local ElevenLabs development with mocking, hot reload, and audio testing. Use when setting up a dev environment for TTS/voice projects, configuring test workflows, or building a fast iteration cycle with ElevenLabs audio. Trigger: "elevenlabs dev setup", "elevenlabs local development", "elevenlabs dev environment", "develop with elevenlabs", "test elevenlabs locally".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash(npm:*), Bash(pnpm:*), Grep
version	1.0.0
license	MIT
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
tags	["saas","voice","ai","elevenlabs","tts","testing"]
compatible-with	claude-code

ElevenLabs Local Dev Loop

Overview

Set up a fast, cost-effective local development workflow for ElevenLabs audio projects. Includes SDK mocking to avoid burning character quota during development, audio output testing, and hot-reload patterns.

Prerequisites

• Completed elevenlabs-install-auth setup
• Node.js 18+ with npm/pnpm
• vitest for testing (recommended)

Instructions

Step 1: Project Structure

my-elevenlabs-project/
├── src/
│   ├── elevenlabs/
│   │   ├── client.ts       # Singleton client wrapper
│   │   ├── config.ts       # Environment-aware config
│   │   └── tts.ts          # TTS service layer
│   └── index.ts
├── tests/
│   ├── __mocks__/
│   │   └── elevenlabs.ts   # SDK mock for free testing
│   ├── tts.test.ts
│   └── fixtures/
│       └── sample.mp3      # Known-good audio for comparison
├── output/                  # Generated audio (git-ignored)
├── .env.local               # Local API key (git-ignored)
├── .env.example             # Template for team
└── package.json

Step 2: Environment Configuration

// src/elevenlabs/config.ts
export interface ElevenLabsConfig {
  apiKey: string;
  modelId: string;
  defaultVoiceId: string;
  outputFormat: string;
}

export function loadConfig(): ElevenLabsConfig {
  const env = process.env.NODE_ENV || "development";

  return {
    apiKey: process.env.ELEVENLABS_API_KEY || "",
    // Use cheaper/faster model in dev, high-quality in prod
    modelId: env === "production"
      ?     
      : ,       
    : process.. || ,
    : ,  
  };
}