Service stages
Every service carries a stage. It is shown on the service's page and in the
services catalog, and services_list and services_describe report it. The
stage tells you how settled the service is. It never changes what you pay: a
service is billed as its prices show, at any stage.
| Stage | Badge | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Generally available | none | Settled. Changes come with notice. |
| Experimental | Experimental | Works and is billed, but may still change. |
| Not yet available | Not yet available | Listed ahead of release. Not ready to rely on. |
Generally available
The service is finished and supported, and its tools are stable. A price rise or the service's removal is announced by email at least 14 days ahead, as the terms of service describe. A generally available service carries no badge.
Experimental
The tools work and are billed as shown, but how they work may still change before the service is generally available. An experimental service may:
- change its tools, their inputs or their answers;
- lose features, or be withdrawn;
- change at shorter notice than a generally available service.
It is provided as is. Do not rely on it for critical work, and keep your own copy of anything important you store in it. Its free trial, where it has one, works the same as any other service's.
Not yet available
The service is listed so you can see what is coming. Its tools may be incomplete or not work at all, and anything about it, including its prices, may change before it is released. Do not build on it yet; it moves to Experimental or Generally available when it is ready.