> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://porter-mintlify-e1413518.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Python Sandbox SDK volumes

> Create, mount, list, and delete sandbox volumes with the Python Sandbox SDK

Volumes provide persistent storage that can be mounted into Porter Sandboxes. Create a volume before launching the sandbox, then pass the volume ID in `volume_mounts`.

<Warning>
  Sandboxes are in a private beta. Please reach out to us at [support@porter.run](mailto:support@porter.run) or over Slack if you are interested in joining.
</Warning>

## Create and mount a volume

```python theme={null}
from porter_sandbox import Porter

with Porter() as porter:
    volume = porter.volumes.create(name="agent-workspace")

    sandbox = porter.sandboxes.create(
        image="python:3.12-slim",
        volume_mounts={"/workspace": volume.id},
    )

    try:
        sandbox.exec(["python", "-c", "open('/workspace/result.txt', 'w').write('done')"])
        result = sandbox.exec(["cat", "/workspace/result.txt"])
        print(result.stdout)
    finally:
        sandbox.terminate()
```

`volume_mounts` is a dictionary keyed by the absolute mount path inside the sandbox. Each value is a volume ID.

## List volumes

```python theme={null}
with Porter() as porter:
    response = porter.volumes.list()

    for volume in response.volumes:
        print(volume.id, volume.name, volume.phase, volume.attached_to, volume.path)
```

## Get a volume by name

Volume names are unique within the cluster. Use `get(name)` when you know a volume name:

```python theme={null}
with Porter() as porter:
    volume = porter.volumes.get("agent-workspace")
    print(volume.id)
```

Volume names may contain lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens, and must start and end with a letter or number. A volume name must be unique within the cluster for the lifetime of the volume. After the volume is deleted, the name can be used again.

## Inspect a volume

```python theme={null}
with Porter() as porter:
    volume = porter.volumes.get("agent-workspace")
    print(volume.name, volume.phase, volume.attached_to)
```

## Access volume data from apps

Volumes live on a shared disk that apps on the same cluster can attach. Attach the disk named `sandbox-volumes` to a service in your app; it mounts at `/data/<app-name>/sandbox-volumes` and contains one subdirectory per volume.

Each volume response includes a `path` field with the volume's subdirectory on that disk, so an app reads a volume's data at `/data/<app-name>/sandbox-volumes/<path>`:

```python theme={null}
with Porter() as porter:
    volume = porter.volumes.get("agent-workspace")
    print(volume.path)  # sandbox-vol-2f1c8b7e-...
```

The disk is a live view: writes a sandbox makes to its mounted volume are visible to apps right away, and new volumes show up as new subdirectories without redeploying the app.

<Warning>
  Volume contents are written by sandboxed workloads, which are often running untrusted code. Treat anything your app reads from this disk as untrusted input: hostile file contents, names, or sizes can exploit vulnerabilities in the code that processes them. Porter isolates the sandboxes themselves but does not inspect or sanitize what they write, so validating this data before acting on it is your application's responsibility.
</Warning>

## Delete a volume

Delete volumes by name:

```python theme={null}
with Porter() as porter:
    porter.volumes.delete("agent-workspace")
```

Deleting a volume fails while it is attached to a sandbox. Terminate any attached sandboxes before deleting the volume.

## Async usage

```python theme={null}
from porter_sandbox import AsyncPorter

async with AsyncPorter() as porter:
    volume = await porter.volumes.create(name="async-workspace")

    sandbox = await porter.sandboxes.create(
        image="python:3.12-slim",
        volume_mounts={"/workspace": volume.id},
    )

    try:
        result = await sandbox.exec(["sh", "-lc", "echo hello > /workspace/out.txt && cat /workspace/out.txt"])
        print(result.stdout)
    finally:
        await sandbox.terminate()
```

## Next steps

* [Python Sandbox SDK quickstart](/sandbox/sdk/python/quickstart)
* [Python Sandbox SDK reference](/sandbox/sdk/python/reference)
* [Python Sandbox SDK errors](/sandbox/sdk/python/errors)