Agents edit the repository where it lives.

A caisson is an online worktree: a working copy that stays on Sailfork. Agents read and write files there directly, so nothing is cloned to a disk and no sandbox has to start first.

sailfork.com/acme-pay/api

  1. open agent/round-totals caisson
  2. read src/billing/invoice.ts
  3. read src/billing/money.ts
  4. edit src/billing/invoice.ts +4 −2
  5. edit src/billing/invoice.test.ts +18
  6. commit Round invoice totals
  7. open pull request #418
One agent's session, from first read to pull request. No clone, and no machine started for it.

What running agents locally costs

Put in your own numbers. Every figure is your inputs multiplied together, not something we measured.

Start from
Your numbers
GB

Files, dependencies and build output

agents

Each holds its own checkout

tasks

Each starts a fresh sandbox

hours

Including time spent waiting

$ / hour

What your provider charges

Running agents locally compared with caissons
MeasureRunning it locallyCaissons
Disk held on your machines24 GB0 GB
Checkouts made each day400
Sandbox hours each day80 h0 h
Sandbox spend over 30 days$360$0

In a sandbox

2 h billed

In a caisson

No machine

  • Starting: clone and install
  • Editing files
  • Waiting on the model
  • Left running
One example task. Only the dark blue needs the files; the dashed line is the agent waiting with nothing running for it.

Built for millions of agents

Adding an agent adds a branch, not a machine.

64 copies

Running locally: a machine and a full checkout for every agent.

1 copy

Caissons: every agent on its own branch of the one repository.

How an agent works in a caisson

From the first read to a change you can review.

  1. Open

    A caisson on a new branch

    open caisson
  2. Edit in place

    Read and write files on Sailfork

    edit invoice.ts
  3. Commit

    Saved to the branch

    commit "Round totals"
  4. Pull request

    Reviewed behind your branch rules

    #418 merged

Questions

Running agents across many repositories? Tell us about it