Academy
3. Choosing and Managing Execution Profiles
Select the right sandbox runtime for your project type and configure execution profiles from the builder settings.
An execution profile defines the sandbox runtime environment your Code Builder project runs in — think of it as the combination of language runtime, available system capabilities, and resource constraints that shape how your generated app behaves during live preview. Different project types (a static front-end site vs. a back-end API, for example) need different runtimes, so choosing the right profile up front avoids wasted iterations caused by runtime mismatches. You select a profile when you start a project and can manage your profiles from the builder settings at any time.
Because every iteration refreshes the live sandbox preview, the execution profile you pick directly affects what the preview can render and execute. If you choose a profile that doesn't match your project type, the preview may fail or behave unexpectedly — and each failed iteration still consumes AI credits and sandbox execution time. Selecting the correct profile before your first prompt is therefore both a technical and a cost-efficiency decision. Costs are always visible as you go, so you can monitor the impact of profile switches in real time.
Treat profile selection as part of your project brief. Before you describe the app, decide the project type (static site, server-rendered app, API, etc.) and pick the matching execution profile in builder settings. This prevents mid-project profile changes that force unnecessary re-generation and extra credit spend.
If you need to switch profiles mid-project, do it before your next iteration prompt — not after. The sandbox environment resets on profile change, so any pending preview state will be rebuilt from the current code on the next refresh.
All code execution happens in an isolated cloud sandbox, completely separated from your local machine and from other users' workspaces. This means you can experiment freely with different execution profiles without any risk to your own environment. The sandbox has no access to your local files; the only artifacts it works with are the generated project files, which you can review in the workspace and download at any time.
Open Code Builder (dashboard.user.codebuilder.index). Before writing a prompt, navigate to the builder settings and browse the available execution profiles. Select the profile that matches a project type you want to build, then describe a small app. Watch the live preview render in the sandbox using that profile. Try switching to a different profile and observe how the environment changes.
Execution profiles control the sandbox runtime your Code Builder project uses. Choose the profile matching your project type before writing your first prompt to avoid mismatches and unnecessary credit consumption. Manage profiles from builder settings; switch profiles before — not after — your next iteration. All execution is sandboxed and isolated, so experimenting is safe. Generated files are always yours to review and export.