Long-running autonomous agents

Why it pays

• State that lasts Files, installed tools, browser profiles and the agent's conversation stay on the disk across stops.
• Pause without losing your place Sleep keeps memory and processes for a quick return; stop ends the bill when the gap is long.
• No babysitting Schedules wake the agent, webhooks tell you when it's done, and budgets stop it if it loops.

Step by step

1. Start the agent's machine with no auto-stop

   Long jobs shouldn't be cut off by the default one-hour timer.

   CLI

   ID=$(harebox new --name analyst --no-auto-stop --label role=analyst | jq -r .id)

   Python

   box = hb.create(name="analyst", ttl_seconds=None, labels={"role": "analyst"})

   TypeScript

   const box = await hb.create({ name: "analyst", ttl_seconds: null, labels: { role: "analyst" } });

2. Give it the job and a budget

   Detach, so the turn runs on while you're away.

   CLI

   harebox prompt "$ID" "Each morning, read the new filings and update report.md" --harness claude --budget 5 --detach

   Python

   hb.create_prompt(box.id, body={"prompt": "Each morning, read the new filings and update report.md",
                                  "harness": "claude", "budget_usd": 5})

   TypeScript

   await hb.createPrompt(box.id, { body: { prompt: "Each morning, read the new filings and update report.md",
     harness: "claude", budget_usd: 5 } });

3. Get told when it finishes

   A signed webhook fires on every finished turn.

   CLI

   harebox webhook new --url https://example.com/hooks/harebox --events '["prompt.finished"]'

   Python

   hb.create_webhook(body={"url": "https://example.com/hooks/harebox", "events": ["prompt.finished"]})

   TypeScript

   await hb.createWebhook({ body: { url: "https://example.com/hooks/harebox", events: ["prompt.finished"] } });

4. Wake it on a schedule

   Stop it between runs, and let a schedule bring it back every weekday morning.

   CLI

   harebox stop "$ID"
   harebox schedule new --action resume --cron "0 7 * * 1-5" --target "$ID"

   Python

   box.stop()
   hb.create_schedule(body={"action": "resume", "cron": "0 7 * * 1-5", "target": box.id})

   TypeScript

   await hb.stopSandbox(box.id);
   await hb.createSchedule({ body: { action: "resume", cron: "0 7 * * 1-5", target: box.id } });

Tips

• Timers inside a sleeping VM don't fire. Use a HareBox schedule instead of cron for anything that must run on time.
• A detached dev server doesn't restart after a stop. Run it as a systemd service so it comes back on resume.
• Put a monthly budget on the label, so a looping agent stops at a ceiling you chose.