Sandboxes

A sandbox is an isolated runtime on Docker-managed cloud infrastructure. Docker hosts and meters the sandbox and provides a live terminal for interacting with it.

Docker Agentic Platform provides predefined sandbox types for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Copilot, Gemini CLI, and Shell. All sandbox types run Ubuntu on x86-64 compute with Docker pre-installed. Each sandbox has its own compute, filesystem, network access, and terminal. The compute size that you select determines its CPU and memory resources.

The Shell type opens a Bash shell without a pre-installed agent. It uses the same agent-less environment as sbx run shell and is useful for working manually or installing your own agent.

A sandbox continues running independently of your connection to the Console until it is paused, stopped by its lifecycle timer, or deleted.

Source code and files#

A sandbox starts with a fresh filesystem. Docker Agentic Platform does not mount a repository, local directory, or workspace from your computer into the sandbox by default.

A sandbox does not synchronize its filesystem with your computer or a remote repository. Work remains only in the sandbox unless you commit and push it to a remote repository. Push work that you want to keep before deleting the sandbox; files that exist only in a deleted sandbox are not available from a later sandbox.

Docker Agentic Platform supports GitHub repositories for bringing source into a sandbox and preserving changes. GITHUB_TOKEN authenticates both Copilot and GitHub repository operations. Copilot uses the same token for both. To clone a private repository or push changes from another sandbox type, select or add GITHUB_TOKEN in the launcher. The token must have the required repository permissions. Public repositories can be cloned without a GitHub credential, but writing to them still requires authentication.

Open a sandbox#

After you select Run, Docker creates the sandbox and opens its detail page. Use the terminal to interact with the sandbox.

Open Sandboxes to review each sandbox's name, type, status, hourly rate, expiration, and age. Select a sandbox to reopen its detail page and terminal.

Manage the lifecycle#

A sandbox can be running or paused:

• Pause a running sandbox to stop its compute without deleting it.
• Resume a paused sandbox to continue working with it.
• Delete a sandbox when you no longer need it.

When you create a sandbox, set a lifecycle timer from 1 to 24 hours and choose what happens when it expires. Stop stops the sandbox, while Delete deletes the sandbox and its files. When a sandbox stops, all processes running inside it stop too, including background processes.

The sandbox's authentication, tools, access policy, and compute size are fixed when the sandbox is created and cannot be changed while it runs.

Docker bills sandbox compute per second while the sandbox runs. Model inference uses your external provider credential and is metered by that provider. For account, usage, and payment information, see Docker Billing.

Check sandbox configuration#

If the sandbox cannot reach a service or use a tool, check the configuration that applies to the request:

• Confirm that the network policies permit the destination.
• If the sandbox needs an MCP tool, confirm that its server is connected and authorized.
• If the destination requires authentication, confirm that the sandbox was created with the service credential.