[ cloud sandboxes · the primitive ]
Cloud sandboxes for coding agents and developers
A cloud sandbox is an isolated Linux environment you create through an API, use for a while, and throw away. CrowNest gives you sandboxes with a workspace, commands, authenticated previews, and durable artifacts.
[ definition ]
What a cloud sandbox is
Think of it as a fresh Linux machine you rent for a few seconds or a few minutes. Your code, or an agent's code, runs inside it with a real filesystem and real processes. It cannot see your infrastructure or other sandboxes, and it disappears when its TTL ends. You keep the logs and any artifacts you chose to collect.
[ lifecycle ]
Create. Run. Collect. Kill.
01 · Create
Spin up a sandbox from a template. It gets a /workspace, a TTL, and nothing else.
02 · Run
Execute commands, stream stdout, and declare which outputs to collect on success.
03 · Collect
Declared files become artifacts: durable, indexed, and readable after teardown.
04 · Kill
Tear it down or let the TTL do it. Logs and artifacts stay; the tombstone is audited.
[ where they fit ]
What people build with them
Agent code execution
Run the code an AI agent writes in a box it cannot escape, then stream results back into the loop.
Code interpreters
Back a notebook or chat tool with real Python and shell execution instead of a fragile local eval.
Preview environments
Start a server inside the sandbox and expose it as an authenticated URL for review.
Batch and data jobs
Run scripted work on a clean machine, collect the outputs as artifacts, and pay only for the seconds used.
[ questions ]
Cloud sandboxes FAQ
- What is a cloud sandbox?
- A cloud sandbox is an isolated Linux environment you create through an API, use for a while, and throw away. It has its own filesystem, processes, and compute, separate from your servers and from every other sandbox.
- What are cloud sandboxes used for?
- Running code you do not fully trust: AI agents executing generated code, code interpreters, CI-style jobs, data scripts, and short-lived preview servers. Anywhere you want real compute without giving it access to your stack.
- How long does a sandbox live?
- As long as the TTL you request, returned as expiresAt. You can extend a live sandbox, and it is torn down when the TTL expires or when you kill it. Logs and collected artifacts outlive the sandbox.
- How are cloud sandboxes priced?
- CrowNest meters compute in compute_unit_seconds and bills per second of sandbox runtime, around $0.12 per sandbox-hour on the standard runtime. The free tier starts with a one-time $10 credit.
Create a sandbox in seconds
Free $10 credit, no card. Create your first sandbox and run a command in minutes.