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You can run Claude Code or Codex as a teammate on its own computer. Overlay starts the computer, keeps the agent signed in with your account, and gives it your workspace as tools. Overlay Cloud agents need a paid plan.

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Create one

  1. Agents → New agent → Other agent.
  2. Choose Claude Code or Codex, and Overlay Cloud.
  3. Choose the account it runs on. If you have none, the dialog offers Connect right there, and the account is also saved under Settings → Agents → Agent accounts:
    • Claude Code: paste a token from running claude setup-token on your own computer (for a subscription), or an Anthropic API key.
    • Codex: sign in with ChatGPT (Settings → Agents shows a code and a link to enter it), or an OpenAI API key.
    • OpenCode, Cursor (experimental): an OpenRouter key (OpenCode) or a Cursor key. Secrets are stored encrypted and are never shown again.
  4. Choose a model (Claude Code and Codex): leave it on Default, or pick one. Codex also has a Reasoning level. You can change it later on the agent page; it applies from the next message.
  5. Choose a size: Small (2 vCPU, 4 GB), Default (4 vCPU, 8 GB), or Large (8 vCPU, 16 GB).
  6. Create. The dialog shows the steps (allocating, booting, connecting) and opens the conversation when the agent is ready, usually within a minute.
You need enough Overlay credit to run the computer (at least $1); without it Overlay will not start one.

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The computer

  • It pauses itself after about 10 minutes idle and wakes when you message the agent. A wake can take up to a minute or two; if the message says the environment went offline, send it again.
  • On the agent’s page: Pause, Resume, Restart, and the size and account it uses. Restart also recovers a computer that stopped answering. Do not pause or restart while the agent is replying: the interrupted answer is stopped and you will need to send it again.
  • Needs sign-in means the account was rejected. Use Reconnect and enter a fresh token.
  • Unavailable means the computer is gone, usually because credit ran low. Add credit, then archive the agent and create it again.
  • Compute is charged to your Overlay credit while the computer runs. Model use on your own subscription or key is not charged by Overlay.

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Give it your Overlay workspace

The page’s Overlay access control decides what the agent can do in Overlay: None, Read only, Read and write, or Everything (the default). The agent reaches Overlay through its MCP server and acts as whoever messages it. See Tools.

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Bring your setup (Config)

The Config section copies your Claude Code or Codex configuration onto the computer: instructions (CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md), skills, commands, subagents, output styles, prompts, settings, and MCP servers. What is never copied: sign-in credentials, history, plugins, and caches. Secret-looking values (an MCP server’s token) are replaced by names, and you enter each value once; it is stored encrypted and given to the agent only while it runs. Hooks and notify or status commands are listed and stay off until you turn them on. Permission modes that skip or deny Overlay’s approval prompts (bypassPermissions, acceptEdits, dontAsk) are not imported. Two ways in:
  • From your computer: choose Import from your computer, copy the command, and run it in a terminal on the computer that has your setup. It needs Node 24 (the command fetches it). It lists what it found, and --dry-run sends nothing.
  • Upload a folder: choose Upload .claude folder (or .codex) and pick the folder.
Then review: counts of what was found, what was left out and why, the values it needs, and any hooks. Apply to the machine writes it. Each import is a version; Earlier versions → Restore goes back, removing what a later version added. The agent reads skills and settings when a session starts, so changes show on its next message.

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Agents of your own

Both kinds can ask each other for help. See Agents.

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If something goes wrong

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How replies read

An agent’s reply shows its final answer, with its tool calls and the text it wrote between them folded behind Worked for…; click it to see everything in order. Agents are asked to end with a short summary of what they did. Turn this off in Settings → Agents (Collapse working details in responses) to show the whole response. Chats with Overlay’s own models are not affected.