# Quickstart

Cloud Harnesses are coding environments that let you run coding agents like Claude or Codex in isolated, secure environments on Northflank. Instead of running agents on your local machine or directly against your codebase, a Cloud Harness provides a controlled workspace with its own resources, networking, and configuration.

Run Cloud Harnesses in [Northflank's managed cloud](https://northflank.com/features/managed-cloud) or [in your own cloud infrastructure](https://northflank.com/features/bring-your-own-cloud). You can connect repositories, configure ports and environment variables, and monitor resource usage—all from the Northflank dashboard or your local terminal.

![Cloud Harness on Northflank](https://assets.northflank.com/documentation/v1/application/ai-agents/harnesses/harness.png)

## How Cloud Harness works

When you create a Cloud Harness:

1. Northflank provisions a cloud coding environment in your environment (managed cloud or your own infrastructure).

2. You authenticate your coding agent using an API key or linked account.

3. (Optional) You connect a Git repository for the agent to work with.

4. You configure networking, environment variables, and resources.

5. You access the Cloud Harness from the Northflank dashboard or connect to it locally using SSH.

An active Cloud Harness runs continuously until you pause or delete it. Files in the workspace are preserved when you pause and resume it. You can update its configuration and monitor its resource usage at any time.

Multiple team members can work in the same Cloud Harness simultaneously. Your teammates can see what you're doing in real-time and collaborate together in the same environment.

## Create your first Cloud Harness

> [!note] Prerequisites
> 

- A [Northflank account](https://app.northflank.com/signup) on a Pay As You Go plan

- A coding agent account or API key (Claude, Codex, Pi, or your own agent)

- A [Git integration](/docs/v1/application/getting-started/link-your-git-account) if you want to connect a repository

To create a Cloud Harness:

> [!note] 
> [Click here](https://app.northflank.com/s/project/create/harness) to create a Cloud Harness.

1. In your Northflank dashboard, [create a new project](/docs/v1/application/getting-started/create-a-project) and click **Harnesses**

2. Select your coding agent (Claude, Codex, OpenCode, Pi) or select **Bring Your Own Agent.**

3. Enter a name for your Cloud Harness.

4. Select the environment where you want to run it.

5. Under **Authentication**, select how you want to authenticate your coding agent. You can use an API key or a linked account.

6. Under **Repository**, select an existing repository and branch, create a new repository, or continue without a repository.

7. Optionally, under **Advanced**, configure runtime variables, the runtime image, resources, and workspace storage.

8. Click **Create Harness**.

You'll be redirected to the Cloud Harness terminal. If you didn't use an API key, you may need to sign in to your coding agent when you first open it.

![Creating a Cloud Harness in the Northflank application](https://assets.northflank.com/documentation/v1/application/ai-agents/harnesses/create-harness.png)

## Connect to your Cloud Harness locally

Access your Cloud Harness from your local machine using SSH.

> [!note] Prerequisites
> 

- The [Northflank CLI installed and authenticated](/docs/v1/api/use-the-cli).

- Access to the Cloud Harness you want to connect to.

To connect to your Cloud Harness:

1. Open the Cloud Harness overview.

2. Under **Local access**, click **Connect**.

3. Copy the SSH command shown.

4. Run the command in your terminal.

Example: `northflank dev ssh --projectId harness --harnessId numerous-class`

You can now work in your Cloud Harness environment from your local terminal.

![Connect to your Cloud Harness locally](https://assets.northflank.com/documentation/v1/application/ai-agents/harnesses/connect-harness.png)

> [!note] Questions?
> Reach out to the Northflank team at [[support@northflank.com](mailto:support@northflank.com)](mailto:support@northflank.com) or [book a demo](https://cal.com/team/northflank/northflank-demo?duration=30).

## Next steps

- [Configure and manage Cloud Harnesses: Configure networking, environment variables, resources, and monitor your Cloud Harness.](/v1/application/cloud-harness/configure-and-manage-cloud-harnesses)
- [Get started with Agent skills: Give agents domain-specific knowledge about Northflank infrastructure and APIs.](/v1/application/ai-agents/agent-skills)