Sandboxing
Isolating agent execution in a restricted environment so security failures cannot affect the rest of the system.
Last updated: April 26, 2026
Definition
Sandboxing means running parts of your agent in an environment where what the agent can do is structurally constrained. Common applications: code-execution tools that run in ephemeral containers with no network access, file-write tools that operate in a per-session temp directory, browser-use agents in headless browsers without persistent cookies. The principle: if the agent does something wrong, the blast radius is the sandbox, not your production system. Sandboxing is the layer that catches failures the prompt-level guardrails miss.
When To Use
Required for any agent with code-execution or file-write capabilities. Use ephemeral containers (Modal, E2B, Daytona) for code execution; never run model-generated code in your production environment directly.
Related Terms
Building with Sandboxing?
I've shipped this pattern in real production systems. If you want a second pair of eyes on your architecture, that's what I do.