E2B SDK

2.20.0 · active · verified Thu Apr 09

E2B is an open-source infrastructure that provides isolated cloud sandboxes for AI agents to safely execute code, process data, and run tools. The Python SDK, currently at version 2.20.0, enables starting and managing these environments. Releases are frequent, often weekly or bi-weekly, addressing minor changes, patch fixes, and new features.

Warnings

breaking The method for creating a Sandbox instance changed in v2. Instead of direct instantiation `Sandbox()`, you must now use the class method `Sandbox.create()`.
Fix: Replace `sandbox = Sandbox()` with `sandbox = Sandbox.create()`.
breaking File operation APIs were updated in v2 for consistency. Single file writes now use `sandbox.files.write()`, and multiple file writes use `sandbox.files.write_files()`.
Fix: Migrate file write operations from older patterns to `sandbox.files.write(path, content)` or `sandbox.files.write_files([{'path': ..., 'data': ...}])`.
gotcha An E2B API Key is required for most operations and must be provided, typically via the `E2B_API_KEY` environment variable or explicitly passed during sandbox creation. Failing to provide it will result in errors or limited functionality.
Fix: Sign up on the E2B dashboard, obtain your API key, and set it as an environment variable (`export E2B_API_KEY=e2b_***`) or pass it as an argument (`Sandbox.create(api_key='e2b_***')`).
gotcha There are two distinct Python packages for E2B: `e2b` (for general sandbox management and commands) and `e2b-code-interpreter` (specifically for `run_code()` functionality). Both can export a `Sandbox` class, leading to potential import confusion if not installed and used correctly.
Fix: Install `e2b-code-interpreter` separately if `run_code()` is needed. Pay attention to the import statements: `from e2b import Sandbox` for core SDK, and `from e2b_code_interpreter import Sandbox` for code interpretation.
gotcha In v2, sandboxes are secure by default. If you are using custom templates created before `envd v0.2.0`, you might need to rebuild them to enable secure communication, or you may encounter errors.
Fix: Rebuild older custom templates or temporarily disable secure communication by setting `secure=False` during sandbox creation (not recommended for production). Check template `envd` version using `e2b template list` CLI command.

Install

pip install e2b Core SDK
pip install e2b-code-interpreter Code Interpreter SDK (for run_code)

Imports

Sandbox
```
from e2b import Sandbox
```
Use this for general sandbox management (commands, files, lifecycle).
Sandbox
```
from e2b_code_interpreter import Sandbox
```
Use this specifically when you need `run_code()` functionality. Requires the `e2b-code-interpreter` package. In v2, the synchronous SDK's primary Sandbox class is imported from here.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to create an E2B sandbox, run a shell command inside it, and print the output. It highlights the importance of setting the E2B_API_KEY environment variable for authentication.

import os
from e2b import Sandbox

# Ensure E2B_API_KEY is set in your environment
# You can get your API key from the E2B dashboard: https://e2b.dev/docs/quickstart/running-your-first-sandbox
api_key = os.environ.get('E2B_API_KEY', '')
if not api_key:
    print("Warning: E2B_API_KEY environment variable not set. Sandbox creation may fail or default to a limited scope.")

with Sandbox.create(api_key=api_key) as sandbox:
    print(f"Sandbox created with ID: {sandbox.sandbox_id}")
    result = sandbox.commands.run('echo "Hello from E2B!"')
    print(f"Stdout: {result.stdout}")
    if result.stderr:
        print(f"Stderr: {result.stderr}")

print("Sandbox session ended.")

view raw JSON →