diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 6f64a57..b800d86 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v4
diff --git a/backtracepython/__init__.py b/backtracepython/__init__.py
index c4a8028..5782668 100644
--- a/backtracepython/__init__.py
+++ b/backtracepython/__init__.py
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
 
 import simplejson as json
 
+if sys.version_info.major >= 3:
+    from urllib.parse import urlencode
+else:
+    from urllib import urlencode
+
 __all__ = ["BacktraceReport", "initialize", "finalize", "terminate", "version", "version_string", "send_last_exception", "send_report"]
 
 class version:
@@ -20,7 +25,6 @@ class version:
 
 class globs:
     endpoint = None
-    token = None
     next_except_hook = None
     debug_backtrace = False
     timeout = None
@@ -199,7 +203,6 @@ def send(self):
             'report': self.report,
             'context_line_count': globs.context_line_count,
             'timeout': globs.timeout,
-            'token': globs.token,
             'endpoint': globs.endpoint,
             'tab_width': globs.tab_width,
             'debug_backtrace': globs.debug_backtrace,
@@ -234,8 +237,7 @@ def bt_except_hook(ex_type, ex_value, ex_traceback):
     globs.next_except_hook(ex_type, ex_value, ex_traceback)
 
 def initialize(**kwargs):
-    globs.endpoint = kwargs['endpoint']
-    globs.token = kwargs['token']
+    globs.endpoint = construct_submission_url(kwargs['endpoint'], kwargs.get('token', None))
     globs.debug_backtrace = kwargs.get('debug_backtrace', False)
     globs.timeout = kwargs.get('timeout', 4)
     globs.tab_width = kwargs.get('tab_width', 8)
@@ -251,6 +253,15 @@ def initialize(**kwargs):
         globs.next_except_hook = sys.excepthook
         sys.excepthook = bt_except_hook
 
+def construct_submission_url(endpoint, token):
+    if "submit.backtrace.io" in endpoint or token is None:
+        return endpoint
+
+    return  "{}/post?{}".format(endpoint, urlencode({
+        'token': token,
+        'format': "json",
+    }))
+    
 def finalize():
     send_worker_msg({ 'id': 'terminate' })
     if not globs.debug_backtrace:
diff --git a/backtracepython/child.py b/backtracepython/child.py
index dc3ccb9..99ba8d9 100644
--- a/backtracepython/child.py
+++ b/backtracepython/child.py
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
-import sys
+
 import os
+import sys
+
 import simplejson as json
 
 if sys.version_info.major >= 3:
-    from urllib.parse import urlencode
     from urllib.request import Request
     from urllib.request import urlopen
 else:
-    from urllib import urlencode
     from urllib2 import urlopen
     from urllib2 import Request
 
@@ -20,16 +20,15 @@ class globs:
 def eprint(*args, **kwargs):
     print(*args, file=sys.stderr, **kwargs)
 
-def post_json(endpoint, path, query, obj):
+def post_json(full_url, obj):
     if globs.debug_backtrace:
+        eprint(full_url)
         eprint(json.dumps(obj, indent=2, ignore_nan=True))
     payload = json.dumps(obj, ignore_nan=True).encode('utf-8')
-    query = urlencode(query)
     headers = {
         'Content-Type': "application/json",
         'Content-Length': len(payload),
     }
-    full_url = "{}/post?{}".format(endpoint, query)
     req = Request(full_url, payload, headers)
     resp = urlopen(req)
     if resp.code != 200:
@@ -75,13 +74,7 @@ def prepare_and_send_report(msg):
     source_code = msg['source_code']
     collect_source_code(report, source_code)
 
-    endpoint = msg['endpoint']
-    token = msg['token']
-    query = {
-        'token': token,
-        'format': "json",
-    }
-    post_json(endpoint, "/post", query, report)
+    post_json(msg['endpoint'], report)
 
 for line in sys.stdin:
     msg = json.loads(line)
@@ -90,4 +83,4 @@ def prepare_and_send_report(msg):
     elif msg['id'] == 'send':
         prepare_and_send_report(msg)
     else:
-        raise Error("invalid message id", msg['id'])
+        raise Exception("invalid message id", msg['id'])
diff --git a/example/__init__.py b/example/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a26ece
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import os
+
+import backtracepython as backtrace
+
+
+def open_file(name):
+    open(name).read()
+
+def main():
+    backtrace.initialize(
+        endpoint= os.getenv('BACKTRACE_SUBMISSION_URL', '"https://submit.backtrace.io/your-universe/token/json"'),
+        attributes = {
+            'application': 'example-app', 
+            'application.version': '1.0.0', 
+            'version': '1.0.0'
+        }
+    )
+
+    # send an exception from the try/catch block
+    try:
+        open_file("not existing file")
+    except:
+        backtrace.send_last_exception()
+
+    # send a message 
+    backtrace.send_report("test message")
+
+    # generate and send unhandled exception
+    open_file("not existing file")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/tests/test_submission_url.py b/tests/test_submission_url.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e70c9f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_submission_url.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from backtracepython import construct_submission_url
+
+universe = "test"
+hostname = "https://{}.sp.backtrace.io".format(universe)
+token = "1234567812345678123456781234567812345678123456781234567812345678"
+
+submit_url = "https://submit.backtrace.io/{}/{}/json".format(universe, token)
+def test_direct_submission_url():
+    expected_direct_submission_url = "{}/post?token={}&format=json".format(hostname, token)
+    assert construct_submission_url(hostname, token) == expected_direct_submission_url
+
+def test_submit_submission_url():
+    assert construct_submission_url(submit_url, None) == submit_url
+
+def test_submit_submission_url_when_token_available():
+    assert construct_submission_url(submit_url, token) == submit_url