Master CodeSandbox with our step-by-step tutorial, detailed feature walkthrough, and expert tips.
Sign up at codesandbox.io and create your first sandbox by importing a GitHub repository or selecting a starter template. Explore the browser IDE: edit files, open a terminal, and preview your running app via the built
in preview pane and unique preview URL. Invite a teammate to your sandbox to try real
time collaborative editing with live cursors and shared terminals. Install the VS Code extension or JetBrains plugin to connect your local editor to a CodeSandbox microVM for a familiar workflow. To use the Sandbox SDK, install the @codesandbox/sdk package (Node.js) or codesandbox
sdk (Python), authenticate with your API key, and programmatically create, fork, and manage sandboxes from your application.
💡 Quick Start: Follow these 4 steps in order to get up and running with CodeSandbox quickly.
Explore the key features that make CodeSandbox powerful for deployment & hosting workflows.
CodeSandbox runs each project inside a Firecracker microVM and snapshots the full VM state — memory, running processes, open ports, and installed dependencies — to disk. When you reopen a sandbox, the platform restores from the snapshot instead of cold-booting and reinstalling, so your dev server, database, and build tools resume in roughly two seconds.
The Sandbox SDK is a Node.js and Python library that lets developers programmatically create, fork, and destroy CodeSandbox microVMs from their own applications. It's primarily aimed at AI product teams that need to execute LLM-generated code in isolated environments — for example, coding agents, data-analysis copilots, or interactive tutorials — and want kernel-level VM isolation rather than shared-container sandboxing.
Codespaces and Gitpod use container-based dev environments with cold starts measured in tens of seconds to minutes. CodeSandbox uses snapshotted Firecracker microVMs that resume in seconds and supports environment branching (forking a running VM). It also offers a programmatic SDK for agent use cases, which Codespaces and Gitpod do not natively expose.
Yes. CodeSandbox provides a VS Code extension and JetBrains plugin (Cloud Containers) that connect your local IDE to a remote microVM. You get the same microVM infrastructure and real-time collaboration features while keeping your local extensions, keybindings, and editor configuration.
CodeSandbox isolates each sandbox in its own Firecracker microVM with a separate kernel, which is a stronger boundary than the shared-kernel containers used by many code-execution services. This makes it a common choice for AI products that need to execute model-generated code on behalf of end users without exposing the host environment.
Now that you know how to use CodeSandbox, it's time to put this knowledge into practice.
Sign up and follow the tutorial steps
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Follow our tutorial and master this powerful deployment & hosting tool in minutes.
Tutorial updated March 2026