Work environments

Choose no compute, a SessionSandbox, or a future durable Computer from provider-neutral requirements.

A work environment describes the compute and state an agent task needs. Start with the smallest environment that fits the product:

• conversation_only uses model calls and connected tools without allocating a machine.
• sandbox_ephemeral uses the Session’s existing SessionSandbox for shell and file work.
• Durable, visual, shared, or connected requirements resolve to a Computer.

Presets are conveniences. The resolver returns the normalized requirements, so you can inspect the exact placement, isolation, network, retention, recovery, and resource request before any allocation.

Resolve an environment

The resolver is read-only. It does not create a Session, reserve usage, wake a machine, or contact a provider.

cURL

curl --request POST \
  "https://api.checkfu.com/v1/work-environments/resolve" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $CHECKFU_API_KEY" \
  --header "Checkfu-Version: 2026-08-27" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "input_type": "preset",
    "preset": "sandbox_ephemeral"
  }'

The same endpoint accepts explicit requirements when a preset is too broad. Invalid combinations return a typed validation error. Valid Computer intent can return a successful response with disposition: "refused" and stable reasons when no provider can meet the request.

Product minimums

These rows come from the same pinned manifests used by Checkfu’s product acceptance checks.

Product shape	Minimum preset	Resolver result	Minimum resolution
Team Assistants	conversation_only	No compute	Resolves
Personal Assistants	conversation_only	No compute	Resolves
Coding Agent Orchestrators	sandbox_ephemeral	SessionSandbox	Resolves
Multiplayer AI Workspaces	conversation_only	No compute	Resolves
Agent Builders	conversation_only	No compute	Resolves
Agent Native Applications	conversation_only	No compute	Resolves
Bot reference	browser_isolated	Computer requested; refused with no_qualified_provider	Refuses

The Bot reference row is intentionally unavailable today. Checkfu does not substitute a SessionSandbox or weaken browser, durability, or Screen requirements to make it pass.

Create a direct Session

Direct Session creation accepts the same optional work_environment input. It freezes the normalized, allocation-free decision in the Session and its session.admitted event. conversation_only resolves to no additional compute, while sandbox_ephemeral keeps the existing SessionSandbox execution path.

Computer intent currently refuses before the Session is created because no qualified Computer provider is installed. Installed and template Session modes do not yet accept this field. Omitting it preserves the existing Session resource and event shape.

Resolution explains the intended path; it does not authorize later allocation. Checkfu still re-evaluates live authorization, policy, approval, usage, retention, locality, and provider evidence before waking paid compute.

See capability status before depending on a managed runtime in production.