# Sessions

A session is a git branch and a sandbox where the agent works.

Canonical page: https://kortix.com/docs/work/sessions

A session is one unit of agent work. Kortix cuts a git branch and provisions
a sandbox for it. The session id, the branch name, and the sandbox id are the
same value.

## Status

A session reaches one of 4 states in practice.

| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `provisioning` | Kortix cuts the branch and requests the sandbox. |
| `running` | The sandbox is live and reachable. |
| `stopped` | The session is paused, by you or by idle auto-stop. |
| `failed` | Provisioning failed. |

The database defines 3 more values (`queued`, `branching`, `completed`).
Kortix does not write them for a session today.

## Stop, resume, and idle auto-stop

You can stop a session yourself. Resume brings back the same sandbox with the
same filesystem: code, dependencies, and OpenCode state. Only the running
processes and memory reset.

Kortix also stops an idle session for you:

- After 15 minutes idle, for a normal session.
- After 5 minutes idle, for a session a trigger started.

An open dashboard tab does not keep a session alive. A busy agent turn blocks
the stop.

## What stop and delete keep

> **Deletion is permanent**
> Deleting a session destroys its sandbox for good. Kortix keeps the session
> record and the git branch, so you can still recover pushed work. Anything not
> pushed is gone.

Stop and resume keep the sandbox's identity and filesystem. Delete destroys
the sandbox. Git is the only durable record: work the agent commits and
pushes survives; everything else does not.

## Sharing a preview

You can share a session's live preview with a public link, in view-only or
interactive mode.

## Providers

Kortix runs sessions on Daytona, Platinum, or E2B Cloud. A project follows
the platform default, or requests a provider switch through the SDK — see
[SDK reference](/docs/sdk/reference). A switch to a different provider is
durable: the current provider keeps serving while the target warms, then
activates. Every provider runs the same sandbox image.

For the full status enum, injected environment variables, and daemon
endpoints, see [Runtime](/docs/work/runtime). For how a session picks its
agent, see [Agents](/docs/project/agents). For sessions a schedule or webhook
starts, see [Triggers](/docs/connect/triggers). To land session work on the
default branch, see [Change requests](/docs/work/change-requests).