A sandbox is a secure virtual space—such as a terminal, code editor, or cloud console—where you can experiment, practice, and learn in a controlled environment.
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Important: Use our IP allowlist article to ensure your allowlist and firewall permissions allow access to sandbox domains.
About sandboxes
A sandbox is designed to help you:
- Practice a new skill in a low-pressure setting
- Focus on the task at hand without installing anything
- Try a new tool without cluttering your local environment
Whereas labs guide you through a specific task or emulate a real-world scenario, sandboxes are open environments with little to no guidance that you can use to follow along as you learn or simply explore.
There are several different types of sandboxes in Skills, including cloud sandboxes, code sandboxes, and IT ops/security sandboxes.
Cloud sandboxes
Note: This feature is available for learners with a Skills Everything plan license, ACG Business plan license, or ACG Personal Plus subscription. This excludes free trials.
Cloud sandboxes allow you to get hands-on practice in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud through the Hands-on playground. Starting a sandbox generates a set of credentials to use to sign in to a practice cloud environment.
For details on finding, starting, and using cloud sandboxes, see Cloud sandboxes: getting started and supported services for AWS, Azure, and GCP sandbox environments. See AI sandboxes for more about the Prompt sandbox, AI cloud sandboxes, and SageMaker Studio Notebook within the Hands-on playground.
Code sandboxes
Code sandboxes are included within select data and software development courses. If a sandbox exists, you'll see a Launch Sandbox button on the course details page. You can use the sandbox to follow along with the course.
Using a code sandbox
The following are the main components of the code sandbox environment.
- The instructional sidebar tells you what you need to do to follow along with the course in the sandbox. This isn’t required to complete the course.
- The filetree allows you to interact with the files in the sandbox. In addition to viewing files and directories, you can create new ones, rename them, delete them, and download and duplicate individual files.
- The Show filetree toggle collapses and expands the filetree.
- The Show sidebar toggle collapses and expands the sidebar.
- The work area consists of the code editor, the terminal, and the web browser.
- The code editor allows you to write new code or edit the starting code.
- The terminal allows you to compile and execute programs, navigate your coding environment, and other functions in a standard command-line interface.
- The refresh icon in the web browser allows you to see your changes.
- The run button allows you to compile and execute your project code.
Note: Each sandbox is unique, and the default view of your sandbox may look different than the one pictured here. You can adjust the layout of the work area sections in the settings menu (see below).
Use the help and settings controls to further customize your sandbox.
- Help provides you with a step-by-step tour of the sandbox.
- Settings lets you customize the interface to your preferences. You can also reset the sandbox environment to its initial state if you want a fresh start.
IT ops and security sandboxes
Sandboxes relating to IT ops or security topics are standalone practice environments, rather than embedded within courses.
Finding a sandbox
You’ll find IT ops and security sandboxes in the Labs content type when searching the Skills library or exploring the Browse all page (opens in new tab):
- Use the search bar in Skills to enter a search query that includes the word sandbox.
- Use Filters to select Labs as the content type and IT Ops or Security as the category to narrow your search.
Opening a sandbox
- Open the sandbox. You’ll arrive at a landing page with a description, table of contents, and author bio.
- Click Start Lab.
- Wait for the sandbox environment to load—this may take several minutes.
- Once your sandbox has finished loading, click Open environment. The sandbox environment will open in a new tab.