Create Sandbox

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There are several ways to create a Sandbox in Buddy. You can do it through a pipeline action, by going to the Sandboxes tab and clicking New Sandbox in the upper-right corner or through REST API

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Creating a new Sandbox

Sandbox configuration

Image loading... Sandbox creation window

When creating a new Sandbox you can configure the following parameters:

Name - The name of the Sandbox, which automatically generates a unique identifier (ID).
Resources - Configure resources available for the sandbox in CPU x RAM format. Default is 2CPU and 4GB of RAM.
Clean OS or Snapshot - Select a clean operating system (e.g., Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS) or an existing snapshot.
App directory - Set the default app directory (e.g., /var/www/html for nginx). Default: /buddy.
First boot commands - Add installation commands to be executed during Sandbox setup.
Apps - Enter the command running the app (e.g., npm start, nginx -t).
Variables, Keys & Assets - Manage variables, assets, SSH keys, public SSH keys, and add files to your Sandbox.
Public Network Endpoint - Configuration of access points. Two endpoints are added by default. Learn more in Endpoints.
Tags - Assign tags to the Sandbox (e.g., staging, testing, demo).
Sandbox timeout - Time in seconds after which the sandbox is automatically stopped since the last start.

Copying existing Sandbox

Image loading... "Copy Existing" option

This option allows you to create a new Sandbox based on an existing one.

Name: Provide a name of a new Sandbox
Base Sandbox: Select a sandbox to copy

Buddy will automatically create a new Sandbox using the configuration of an existing one.

Import YAML

You can import the target configuration using YAML.

From Git repository

Image loading... Import YAML from Git

You can import the Sandbox configuration from a YAML file located in your Git repository

Select the Import YAML option
Choose the From Git tab
Select project, and branch
Enter the YAML path (e.g., .buddy/sandbox.fixed.yml)
Click Import sandbox

Inline YAML

Alternatively, you can paste the YAML configuration:

Select the Import YAML option
Choose the Inline YAML tab
Paste your YAML configuration or upload from your device:

yaml
- sandbox: my-sandbox
  name: My Test Environment
  os: ubuntu:24.04
  resources: 3x6
  first_boot_commands: |-
    apt-get update
    apt-get install -y nginx
  tags:
  - testing
  - staging
  app_dir: /var/www/html
  apps:
  - nginx -v
  endpoints:
  - name: my-sandboxers
    endpoint: 80
    region: EU

Optionally provide a salt for encrypted secrets
Click Import sandbox

Managing sandboxes via API

You can also create and manage Sandboxes programmatically using the REST API:

Managing sandboxes via Pipeline Actions

You can also create and manage Sandboxes using pipeline actions:

Last modified on Mar 23, 2026

Introduction Endpoints