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

# Production Readiness

> Moving from local development to a production-grade gateway

Before you launch your LLM Gateway to real users, follow this checklist to ensure stability, security, and performance.

## 1. Monitoring & Logging

Never run in the dark. The gateway supports structured logging that integrates with your existing tools.

* **Enable Verbose Logging**: In production, set `LOG_LEVEL=info`.
* **Trace IDs**: Use the `X-Request-Id` header to trace a single user question through the gateway and into your backends.
* **Analytics**: Connect the [Built-in Analytics](/reference/observability) to PostHog or Google Analytics to track tool usage patterns.

## 2. Infrastructure

* **Redis for Sessions**: Do not use the default in-memory storage for production. Use a managed Redis like Upstash or AWS ElastiCache.
* **Rate Limiting**: Protect your backends from "aggressive" LLMs by enabling the per-client rate limiter.
* **Concurrency**: Set `MAX_CONCURRENT_CALLS` to prevent a single user from overwhelming your system.

## 3. Security

* **API Key Rotation**: Document a process for rotating your gateway secrets.
* **Backend Secrets**: Ensure your Shopify/Square secrets are never logged or exposed in the frontend.
* **Audit Logs**: The gateway can be configured to log every tool call and its arguments for compliance and debugging.

## 4. LLM Hallucination Prevention

A common risk in conversational commerce is the AI making up features or prices.

* **Strict Schemas**: Use the most restrictive Zod schemas possible.
* **Tool Descriptions**: Provide very clear descriptions to the model. e.g., instead of "Search", use "Search our live product catalog. Only return items that are currently in stock."
* **Confirmation Steps**: For destructive or high-value actions (like `place_order`), always require a tool-based confirmation or a link to a verified web page.

## Scaling

For high-traffic environments, consider using the **Better Data Hosted Cloud**, which handles these production concerns automatically, providing 99.9% uptime and global edge deployment.

[Explore Hosted Features ->](/hosted/overview)