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Enable the chat sandbox

Last validated:
Aperture chat sandbox is currently in alpha.
The chat sandbox requires activation by Tailscale before you can use it. To request access, sign up using this form.

The chat sandbox gives the Aperture assistant access to an isolated Linux environment where it can execute commands, read and edit files, and share downloadable output with users during a conversation.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, confirm the following:

  • You have admin access to edit the Aperture configuration. Refer to set up admin access.
  • Users who need sandbox access can reach the chat interface, which is available by default. Refer to control model access.

Tailscale manages sandbox availability for your Aperture gateway. You do not configure or operate sandbox infrastructure. For more about the feature, refer to Aperture chat sandbox.

Request the chat sandbox for your Aperture gateway

Tailscale enables the chat sandbox for your gateway. There is nothing to add to your Aperture configuration.

To request the sandbox, complete the request form. You can also contact your Tailscale account manager or email aperture@tailscale.com.

The chat sandbox gives the chat assistant its sandbox tools. It is unrelated to the sandboxes configuration block, which controls the separate workstation provisioning feature.

Restrict portal access (optional)

The user portal is available by default, so authorized users can reach chat and its sandbox tools without an extra portal grant. To make matching non-admin users API-only, set enable_portal to false:

{
  "grants": [
    {
      "src": ["group:contractors"],
      "app": {
        "tailscale.com/cap/aperture": [
          { "enable_portal": false }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

This disables the entire user portal for matching non-admin users, including chat and sandbox access. It is not a sandbox-only grant. Admins always retain portal access. An explicit enable_portal: true in any matching grant overrides a matching false.

Verify the sandbox is working

After Tailscale enables the sandbox for your gateway:

  1. Open / or /chat on the Aperture gateway.
  2. Start a new conversation.
  3. Open Tools and confirm Code Sandbox is available and selected.
  4. Ask the assistant to run a command, such as "What is the output of echo hello?"
  5. Confirm the assistant runs the command and returns the result.

If Code Sandbox shows Contact support, contact your Tailscale account manager or email aperture@tailscale.com.

What changes when sandbox is enabled

The assistant can run commands, read and search files, create and edit files, and present output files for viewing or download. Users can select Code Sandbox for a conversation unless a user or project tool policy disables it.

Next steps