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

# Link Updates

> New releases and improvements of Link.

<Update label="July 17, 2026" tags={["New Release", "Improvement"]}>
  ## Run Link Within SAQ A and SAQ A-EP Scope

  Link now runs on instances assessed at SAQ A or SAQ A-EP — you no longer
  need a SAQ-D environment to invoke protocols. Below SAQ-D, Link enforces the
  boundary that keeps your assessment scope small: invoke request bodies
  carrying a raw card number (PAN) are rejected with a `422` validation error.
  At SAQ-D and above, your protocol schema decides which attributes
  legitimately carry card data. Admin routes are exempt at every level, so
  backend mappings and protocol specs can keep example card numbers.

  The platform test-card policy applies on every instance: on the Test tier,
  only known test cards pass; on the Production tier, test cards are rejected
  while real card numbers flow as your protocol allows.
</Update>

<Update label="July 6, 2026" tags={["New Release"]}>
  ## Link Is Live

  Link — the protocol-abstraction runtime of the
  [Composable Payment Architecture](/platform/cpa) — is now generally available
  on the Test and Production tiers. Define a versioned API contract (a
  [protocol](/products/link/concepts/protocols)) once and bind it to any
  provider through declarative [backends](/products/link/concepts/backends),
  so a new provider integration becomes configuration instead of code. It is
  the connectivity layer [Commerce](/products/commerce/v2/overview) routes
  through to reach acquirers and PSPs, and that
  [Specter](/products/specter/overview) reaches through to call external risk
  engines.

  Start with the [overview](/products/link/overview), the
  [quickstart](/products/link/quickstart), and the
  [API reference](/products/link/api-reference/getting-started).
</Update>