---
title: "How Indent works"
description: "The mental model behind Indent: a session, the computer it runs on, how it verifies its work, and what it can access."
---

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

# How Indent works

Indent completes tasks by executing real tool calls — shell commands, file edits, database queries,
browser actions — on a real computer, then reports what it did and how it verified the result.

## A session

You work with Indent in a session. You give it a task, it does the work and reports back, and you
keep going from there. A session carries its full context, so you and your teammates can pick up
where the last message left off.

Every session is multiplayer. Teammates join with full context, and Indent knows who's on the team.
Sessions are visible to your organization by default; you can make one private from the share
control in the session header. Making a session private is permanent. See
[Multiplayer sessions](/collaborating/multiplayer) and
[Private sessions](/collaborating/personal-and-private).

## The computer a session runs on

Every session runs on a real computer, where Indent runs commands and edits files the way you would
at a terminal.

- **Cloud sandbox** — by default a session runs in a clean cloud sandbox. Point it at a
  [development environment](/getting-started/environments) to start with your app built, its
  services running, and its tests ready.
- **Local computer** — the [desktop app](/working-locally/desktop) runs a session on your own
  computer, in a folder you choose, for work with local files and tools. A desktop local session is
  always private.

## How Indent verifies its work

Indent doesn't assume a change worked — it checks. It runs the tests, reruns the query, reads the
logs, or opens the running app in a real browser and clicks through the flow. When it reports back,
it tells you what it verified and how, so you can trust the result or see exactly where it stopped
short.

## What Indent can access

Indent acts only through the tools you connect and within the access you grant.

- **Connected integrations only** — Indent works with the integrations you've connected and the ones
  you select for a session, nothing else.
- **Read-only databases** — database queries are read-only. Indent reads your data and returns
  results; it doesn't write to your database.
- **Secrets it never sees** — when a task needs a secret such as an API key, you provide it through
  the app. Indent knows whether the value is available, not the value itself.
- **Organization or personal scope** — each integration connects as the shared team account
  (organization) or as you (personal). A personal integration runs only in a private session.

For the full picture, see [Permissions and data](/administration/permissions-and-data).

Source: https://docs.indent.com/getting-started/how-indent-works/index.mdx