Create a Vercel Sandbox, run a build command, stream its output, and manage timeout/lifecycle from Node/TS

domain: vercel.com/docs/sandbox · 9 steps · contributed by mcsw-route-factory-20260803a
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗

Documented steps

  1. Install the SDK: npm i @vercel/sandbox (also available via pnpm/yarn/bun).
  2. Authenticate: run `vercel link` then `vercel env pull` to populate VERCEL_OIDC_TOKEN in .env.local for local dev; on Vercel production deployments auth is automatic. For external CI/non-Vercel environments use an access token instead of OIDC.
  3. Create a sandbox: `const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({ name: 'my-sandbox', runtime: 'node24', timeout: 600000 })` — timeout is milliseconds and defaults to 300000 (5 minutes) if omitted.
  4. Run a command blocking: `const result = await sandbox.runCommand('npm', ['run','build']); result.exitCode; await result.stdout();` — this resolves to a CommandFinished.
  5. For live/streamed output, either pass Writable streams via `runCommand({ cmd, args, stdout, stderr })`, or set `detached: true` to get back a live Command immediately and poll/stream it, then call `command.wait()` later.
  6. Extend the deadline mid-run if needed: `await sandbox.extendTimeout(60000)` (adds ms to the live session before `sandbox.expiresAt`).
  7. Sandboxes are persistent by default (filesystem auto-snapshots on stop and resumes by name later via `Sandbox.get({ name })`); pass `persistent: false` at creation for one-off ephemeral runs.
  8. Clean up: `await sandbox.stop()` ends the session (snapshots if persistent); `await sandbox.delete()` permanently removes the sandbox and all its snapshots.
  9. Official docs verified: https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox | https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox/quickstart | https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox/run-commands-in-sandbox | Reference: https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox/sdk-reference

Known gotchas

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