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

# Testing & Previewing Content

> How to see your content as a real user before launch, force it to show, and check why it isn't appearing.

Use these steps to test content in your own app before your users see it.

## 1. Publish to a "just me" segment

Create a segment that only matches you (for example a User ID or email condition with your own value), and publish the content to that segment. This is the most reliable test because it uses the real SDK, placement and URL rules.

## 2. Find the user ID Candu sees for you

Open your browser console on a page where Candu is installed and run:

```js theme={null}
Candu.providerProps
```

Check that the `userId` (and traits) match what your test segment expects. Shared test accounts can have more than one user ID.

## 3. Force a piece of content to show

* **Tours:** add `?canduTour=YOUR-TOUR-SLUG` (or `#canduTour=YOUR-TOUR-SLUG`) to the page URL, or call `Candu.triggerTour({ slug: 'your-tour-slug' })`.
* **Modals:** from your app code or the console, call `Candu.triggerModal({ slug: 'your-modal-slug' })`.
* **Inline content:** render it into an element with `Candu.renderContent` (see [Javascript API](/docs/getting-started)).

Programmatic triggers ignore URL placement rules, but segment targeting still applies. The slug is under the content's **Settings > General**.

## 4. Refresh segment membership after changing data

If you change traits or send an event during the session, call:

```js theme={null}
Candu.refreshMembership()
```

so conditions, checklists and targeting re-evaluate without a page reload.

## 5. Things that behave differently in tests

* **Editor preview doesn't fire webhooks.** To test a form-response webhook, publish to your "just me" segment and submit in the live app.
* **Publishing takes a few minutes to reach the browser.** Content and placements are cached for up to 5 minutes (see [CDN & Caching](/docs/caching)).
* **"Until dismissed" is remembered per user.** If you dismissed it once, it won't show again for that user, even after republishing. Use a fresh test user or a new piece of content.

## Still not showing?

Check, in order: the content is published, the placement URL rule matches the page, your user matches the segment, you haven't dismissed it, the SDK is installed in this environment, and the target selector exists on the page. See [Troubleshooting Content Not Showing Up](https://docs.candu.ai/en/articles/5908444-troubleshooting-content-not-showing-up).