Build a custom machine

Ownbox SDK 1 · machine.yaml format 2 · Ownbox 1.2 and later · Last reviewed 2026-10-14

A custom machine is a small Python package that gives an Ownbox one new job, with its own schedule, its own pages and its own data. It runs in a locked unit of its own. It reaches the Ownbox through one door, from core import sdk, and the owner approves every permission it asks for before it runs.

This guide is for whoever builds the machine, and is written first for the AI they build it with. It covers how a machine is built, tested, approved, installed and run, and the rules every machine keeps. The SDK reference has the full entry for every call: its arguments, its answer, and an example that runs. Custom machines explains them to anyone, developer or not.

On this page: Overview · Quickstart · Concepts · The rules · Project layout · The manifest · Permissions · SDK at a glance · Entry points · Pages and cards · Lifecycle · Routes and tools · Limits · Errors · Security model · Testing · Versioning and changelog · Glossary