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Sandbox mode runs the entire agent inside a Docker container instead of directly on the host system. All tool operations — shell commands, file reads and writes, network access — happen inside the container, limiting the potential impact of unintended or malicious actions.
Sandbox mode requires Docker to be installed and running on the host system.

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Enabling sandbox mode

Pass the --sandbox flag when running an agent: 
docker agent run --sandbox agent.yaml
1

Write your agent config

A normal agent config. No special configuration is needed to support sandboxing:
agent.yaml
agents:
  root:
    model: openai/gpt-4o
    description: Agent with sandboxed shell access
    instruction: You are a helpful assistant with access to a sandboxed shell environment.
    toolsets:
      - type: shell
      - type: filesystem
2

Run with --sandbox

Pass the flag at runtime:
docker agent run --sandbox agent.yaml

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How it works

1

Container launch

docker-agent starts a Docker container when the session begins.
2

Workspace mount

The current working directory is mounted into the container, giving the agent access to your project files.
3

Isolated execution

All tool operations (shell commands, file edits, network requests) execute inside the container, not on the host.
4

Automatic cleanup

When the session ends, the container is automatically stopped and removed.

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Shebang shorthand

Add a shebang line to your config file to make it directly executable with sandbox mode:
sandbox_agent.yaml
#!/usr/bin/env docker agent run --sandbox

agents:
  root:
    model: openai/gpt-4o
    description: Agent running in a sandboxed environment
    instruction: You are a helpful assistant with access to a sandboxed shell environment.
    toolsets:
      - type: shell
Then run it directly: 
chmod +x sandbox_agent.yaml
./sandbox_agent.yaml
Limitations:
  • The container starts fresh each session — there is no persistence between sessions
  • Any files created inside the container (outside the mounted workspace) are lost when the session ends

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