diff --git a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/__tests__/snapshot.test.ts b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/__tests__/snapshot.test.ts
index 0b5dc4d67ae..30098980585 100644
--- a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/__tests__/snapshot.test.ts
+++ b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/__tests__/snapshot.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ jest.mock('ssh2-sftp-client', () => {
   return jest.fn(() => sftpClient)
 })
 
+jest.mock('../audienceEnteredSftp/sftp', () => ({
+  ...jest.requireActual('../audienceEnteredSftp/sftp'),
+  testAuthenticationSFTP: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(true)
+}))
+
 describe(`Testing snapshot for ${destinationSlug}'s audienceEnteredS3 destination action:`, () => {
   const actionSlug = 'audienceEnteredS3'
   const seedName = `${destinationSlug}#${actionSlug}`
diff --git a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/audienceEnteredSftp/index.ts b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/audienceEnteredSftp/index.ts
index adddcc7331f..1fa942d1c66 100644
--- a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/audienceEnteredSftp/index.ts
+++ b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/audienceEnteredSftp/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import { ActionDefinition, PayloadValidationError } from '@segment/actions-core'
-import { uploadSFTP, validateSFTP, Client as ClientSFTP } from './sftp'
+import { ActionDefinition, InvalidAuthenticationError, PayloadValidationError } from '@segment/actions-core'
+import { uploadSFTP, validateSFTP, Client as ClientSFTP, testAuthenticationSFTP } from './sftp'
 import { generateFile } from '../operations'
 import { sendEventToAWS } from '../awsClient'
-import { LIVERAMP_MIN_RECORD_COUNT, LIVERAMP_LEGACY_FLOW_FLAG_NAME } from '../properties'
+import { LIVERAMP_LEGACY_FLOW_FLAG_NAME, LIVERAMP_MIN_RECORD_COUNT } from '../properties'
 
 import type { Settings } from '../generated-types'
 import type { Payload } from './generated-types'
@@ -87,28 +87,30 @@ const action: ActionDefinition<Settings, Payload> = {
   },
   perform: async (
     request,
-    { payload, features, rawData, subscriptionMetadata }: ExecuteInputRaw<Settings, Payload, RawData>
+    { payload, features, rawData, subscriptionMetadata, settings }: ExecuteInputRaw<Settings, Payload, RawData>
   ) => {
     return processData(
       {
         request,
         payloads: [payload],
         features,
-        rawData: rawData ? [rawData] : []
+        rawData: rawData ? [rawData] : [],
+        settings
       },
       subscriptionMetadata
     )
   },
   performBatch: (
     request,
-    { payload, features, rawData, subscriptionMetadata }: ExecuteInputRaw<Settings, Payload[], RawData[]>
+    { payload, features, rawData, subscriptionMetadata, settings }: ExecuteInputRaw<Settings, Payload[], RawData[]>
   ) => {
     return processData(
       {
         request,
         payloads: payload,
         features,
-        rawData
+        rawData,
+        settings
       },
       subscriptionMetadata
     )
@@ -116,6 +118,26 @@ const action: ActionDefinition<Settings, Payload> = {
 }
 
 async function processData(input: ProcessDataInput<Payload>, subscriptionMetadata?: SubscriptionMetadata) {
+  // Check if this request is from the event tester first
+  if (input.settings && input.settings.__segment_internal_from_event_tester === true) {
+    try {
+      // Create a new SFTP client for authentication
+      const authSftpClient = new ClientSFTP()
+      await testAuthenticationSFTP(authSftpClient, input.payloads[0])
+
+      // Return early with a validation-only response
+      return {
+        status: 200,
+        data: {
+          message:
+            'SFTP credentials validated successfully. Event not delivered as this is a validation-only request from the event tester.'
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new InvalidAuthenticationError(`SFTP authentication failed: ${error.message}`)
+    }
+  }
+
   if (input.payloads.length < LIVERAMP_MIN_RECORD_COUNT) {
     throw new PayloadValidationError(
       `received payload count below LiveRamp's ingestion limits. expected: >=${LIVERAMP_MIN_RECORD_COUNT} actual: ${input.payloads.length}`
@@ -130,8 +152,10 @@ async function processData(input: ProcessDataInput<Payload>, subscriptionMetadat
     //------------
     // LEGACY FLOW
     // -----------
-    const sftpClient = new ClientSFTP()
-    return uploadSFTP(sftpClient, input.payloads[0], filename, fileContents)
+
+    // Create a new SFTP client for the actual upload operation
+    const uploadSftpClient = new ClientSFTP()
+    return uploadSFTP(uploadSftpClient, input.payloads[0], filename, fileContents)
   } else {
     //------------
     // AWS FLOW
diff --git a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/generated-types.ts b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/generated-types.ts
index b0221b5a79d..d5c82674bfd 100644
--- a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/generated-types.ts
+++ b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/generated-types.ts
@@ -3,4 +3,8 @@
 export interface Settings {
   __segment_internal_engage_force_full_sync: boolean
   __segment_internal_engage_batch_sync: boolean
+  /**
+   * Flag to indicate if the request is coming from the event tester
+   */
+  __segment_internal_from_event_tester: boolean
 }
diff --git a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/index.ts b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/index.ts
index f7d5123fccc..dfca8e27ea6 100644
--- a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/index.ts
+++ b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/index.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ const destination: DestinationDefinition<Settings> = {
         type: 'boolean',
         required: true,
         default: true
+      },
+      __segment_internal_from_event_tester: {
+        label: 'From Event Tester',
+        description: 'Flag to indicate if the request is coming from the event tester',
+        type: 'boolean',
+        required: true,
+        default: false
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/operations.ts b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/operations.ts
index 165b167ca71..3576665aa53 100644
--- a/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/operations.ts
+++ b/packages/destination-actions/src/destinations/liveramp-audiences/operations.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { RequestClient, ExecuteInput } from '@segment/actions-core'
 import type { Payload as s3Payload } from './audienceEnteredS3/generated-types'
 import type { Payload as sftpPayload } from './audienceEnteredSftp/generated-types'
+import type { Settings } from './generated-types'
 import { processHashing } from '../../lib/hashing-utils'
 
 // Type definitions
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ export type ProcessDataInput<T extends s3Payload | sftpPayload> = {
   payloads: T[]
   features?: Record<string, boolean>
   rawData?: RawData[]
+  settings?: Settings
 }
 
 export type ExecuteInputRaw<Settings, Payload, RawData, AudienceSettings = unknown> = ExecuteInput<