> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.spiritprotocol.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The agent container

> Run an agent's body on your own infrastructure — a VPS, a Raspberry Pi, anywhere Docker runs.

The brain (soul, memory, model routing, metering) stays home in Studio; the
container is the agent's **body**: a local API that speaks as the agent, plus
a heartbeat so the Reach page shows it alive out there.

## Run it

<Steps>
  <Step title="Mint an agent token">
    On the agent's **Reach** page in Studio: mint a `sat_` token. It is shown
    once — copy it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build and start">
    The container ships in the Studio repo under `container/`:

    ```sh theme={null}
    docker build -t spirit-agent ./container
    docker run -d --name my-agent \
      -e SPIRIT_AGENT_SLUG=<slug> \
      -e SPIRIT_AGENT_TOKEN=sat_... \
      -p 8080:8080 \
      spirit-agent
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Talk to it locally">
    ```sh theme={null}
    curl -s localhost:8080/health
    curl -s -X POST localhost:8080/chat \
      -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
      -d '{"message": "who are you?"}'
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Environment

| Var                  | Default                            |                        |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| `SPIRIT_AGENT_SLUG`  | —                                  | required               |
| `SPIRIT_AGENT_TOKEN` | —                                  | required               |
| `SPIRIT_STUDIO_URL`  | `https://studio.spiritprotocol.io` |                        |
| `PORT`               | `8080`                             | local API port         |
| `HEARTBEAT_MINUTES`  | `5`                                | `0` disables check-ins |

## What it is (and isn't)

Every `/chat` turn proxies to the agent's full self in Studio — memory,
relationships, skills, wiki — and is metered like any other surface. The
container holds no state and no secret besides its token: destroy it and
nothing is lost; revoke the token on the Reach page and its access dies
instantly. The agent's self stays sovereign in Studio (and in your
[exported suitcase](/studio-api/portability)).