Properties

01Create a property

Property creation now includes a required default-environment step. Add an environment name and URL during setup so the property starts with a usable default environment.

1. Enter the primary domain for the property.
2. Add a clear property name so issues and runs are easy to attribute.
3. Choose the default environment during setup.
4. Select a preset environment name such as production or staging, or enter a custom name.
5. Reuse a custom environment name as a preset the next time you create a property.
6. Enter the default environment URL.
7. Finish creating the property, then open the Environments tab to review all available property environments in one place.
8. Find sandbox-backed ephemeral environments in the same table as permanent, local, and VPC-backed environments. Use them to open temporary sandbox URLs without switching to a separate workflow.
9. Check the expiry shown on ephemeral environment rows so you know when a temporary sandbox URL is scheduled to expire.
10. Use the Application Context tab in the property navigation to add and review structured context for the property after you create it. Open the dedicated reference page for details: /docs/reference/application-context.
11. Use Site Graph to review how pages connect across the property after Canary observes activity. Open the dedicated reference page for details: /docs/reference/site-graph.

The creation flow now guides you through the default environment instead of requiring you to configure it later. If your team uses custom environment names, save one during property creation and select it again as a preset for future properties.

The Environments tab automatically includes sandbox-backed ephemeral environments when a sandbox is running for the property. Ephemeral rows appear alongside your other environments and show their temporary status and expiry directly in the table.

The Environments tab also shows which environments are eligible for workflow execution at the property level. Review the environment type before you start or troubleshoot a run. If a workflow is limited to specific environment types, only matching property environments are eligible for selection.

Use the environment list to confirm whether a workflow can run in production, staging, sandbox-backed ephemeral, local, or other configured environment types for that property. When a workflow is skipped because the selected environment is not eligible, update the environment selection or adjust the workflow settings before you run again.

Use the property header and configuration views to move between Environments, Credentials, and workflow settings. Review these areas together when you set up a new property so the default environment, available credentials, and workflow constraints stay aligned.

02Archiving and ownership

• Archive properties you no longer test to reduce noise.
• Keep credentials and crawl settings scoped to the correct property.
• Review the Environments tab before handing off ownership or archiving a property so you can confirm whether any sandbox-backed ephemeral environments are still active.
• Expect ephemeral environments to disappear automatically after the linked sandbox expires or is cleaned up. If a temporary sandbox is removed, its property environment entry is removed as part of the same cleanup.
• Use the expiry shown in the Environments tab to understand how long a temporary sandbox URL remains available.
• Find Application Context in the property navigation when you need to review live findings, update context manually, or restore an earlier version before handing off ownership or revisiting an archived property. For complete guidance, see /docs/reference/application-context.
• Review Site Graph before handing off ownership or revisiting a property so you can understand the observed page structure and relationships. For complete guidance, see /docs/reference/site-graph.

03Property tabs and navigation

Use property tabs to move between configuration, testing, and knowledge workflows for a single property.

Tab	Use it to
Application Context	Open the dedicated area for structured property knowledge, review generated context, organize information into sections, and make manual updates.

Open the Application Context tab when you need to manage property knowledge. For full instructions, see /docs/reference/application-context.

04Managing property knowledge

Manage structured property knowledge from the Application Context tab in the property UI.

1. Open your property.
2. Click Application Context.
3. Review or update the property's structured knowledge.
4. Use the full reference for detailed workflows: /docs/reference/application-context.

05Configuration

Use property configuration to keep environments and credentials aligned for repeatable runs.

• Review the Environments tab when you add or update a property environment.
• Use the refreshed environment list to scan environment names, types, VPC status, update time, and expiration details for temporary environments from one place.
• Set the default environment for the property so workflows and manual runs open with the environment you use most often.
• Set a default sandbox for the property when you want one-click ad hoc tests to launch against a preferred sandbox environment.
• Confirm the environment type matches how you plan to run workflows. Property-level environment selection respects workflow environment constraints, so a workflow can use only eligible environment types.
• Use clear environment names so you can distinguish long-lived production and staging environments from local, VPC-backed, or sandbox-backed ephemeral environments.
• Enter environment URLs in the property configuration even if you omit http:// or https://. Canary fills in a missing protocol automatically and shows clearer validation feedback if the URL is invalid or unsafe.
• Re-check environment eligibility when a run is skipped or a workflow does not appear for the selected environment.
• Review workflow settings alongside the property environment list when you troubleshoot environment constraints or update which environments a workflow can use.
• Use credential templates when you need the same workflow to run across multiple environments with different credentials. Link environment-specific credentials to a shared template for the property. For setup details, see /docs/reference/credential-templates.

06Environments

Manage all property environments from the Environments tab.

1. Open your property.
2. Click Environments.
3. Review each environment's name, type, VPC status, and status details in the list.
4. Use the environment details to check when an environment was last updated and when a temporary environment expires.
5. Set the default environment for the property when you want new runs and workflows to start with a preferred environment.
6. Set the default sandbox for the property when you want ad hoc tests to use a preferred sandbox by default.
7. Check for sandbox-backed ephemeral environments when you need a temporary sandbox URL.
8. Review expiry details on ephemeral rows before you run or share a temporary environment.
9. Open the detailed environment documentation when you need more guidance on managing environments: /docs/reference/environments.

The Environments tab groups long-lived and temporary environments in one place, so you can compare permanent production and staging environments with local, VPC-backed, and ephemeral options without leaving the property.

Every property now starts with a default environment from the creation flow. If the property does not have a default environment URL yet, Canary shows that state more clearly so you can add or update the URL from Environments before you run workflows that depend on it.

Use the cleaner list view to scan key details quickly, including environment type, whether the environment uses a VPC, when it was updated, and whether a temporary environment is still active.

Set a property-level default sandbox to control where one-click ad hoc tests run. When a default sandbox is available, Canary uses it for ad hoc launches from the property and from downstream entry points such as Slack. You can still choose a different sandbox when you start an ad hoc test.

When you add or edit an environment URL, enter the hostname or full URL. Canary adds a missing protocol automatically and shows more helpful validation feedback if the value is invalid or unsafe.

If a workflow does not run in the environment you expect, compare the selected property environment with the workflow's environment constraints. Update the selected environment or adjust the workflow settings, then run again.

For complete environment setup and management guidance, see /docs/reference/environments.

07URL requirements and validation

URL validation is stricter during property creation and environment updates. If a URL is invalid or unsafe, correct it before you save the property or environment.

Use a valid hostname or full URL for the default environment and any additional property environments.

• Enter the full URL when you want to control the exact protocol.
• Enter the hostname alone when you want Canary to add the protocol automatically.
• Update the URL from Environments if the property was created without a usable default environment URL.
• Expect clearer validation feedback when a URL is malformed or unsafe.
• Review the default environment before you start workflows or manual runs that depend on a property URL.

If no default environment URL exists, Canary handles that state more clearly in the UI instead of treating the property like it already has a runnable default URL. Add the URL from Environments before you rely on the default environment for runs or workflow setup.

08Credentials and access

Manage property-scoped credentials from the Credentials area of the property UI.

1. Open your property.
2. Click Credentials.
3. Review which credentials are available for the property and which environments they support.
4. Check whether a credential is ephemeral, verified, or linked to a recent run when you troubleshoot access.
5. Update or replace credentials that no longer match the property's environments.

Keep credentials aligned with your property environments so workflows can sign in consistently across production, staging, local, VPC-backed, and ephemeral environments.

When you use credential templates, map each environment-specific credential to the correct template for the property. This keeps shared workflows reusable across environments while preserving the right access for each property environment. For template setup details, see /docs/reference/credential-templates.

09Related

• /docs/reference/environments
• /docs/reference/application-context
• /docs/reference/site-graph
• /docs/reference/credential-templates