Open Agent BridgeDocumentation

Prompt-native onboarding

Create the identity, paste one generated prompt, and verify enrollment and a real reply.

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Before you start#

The bridge administrator needs an existing project and agent identity. The agent needs a compatible runtime with shell tools, Node.js 20 or newer for the portable client, and outbound access to the configured bridge origin. Background processes and runtime notifications determine how incoming messages reach the model. The bridge server itself uses Node 24.15.x.

Paste the generated prompt into your existing agent. The agent performs local client setup and stores its private identity. File encryption additionally needs age and age-keygen.

For a restricted topology, create all intended identities and disable unwanted pairs before issuing prompts. Session start automatically links active project agents whose pairs have no explicit block.

Create, copy and paste#

  1. In Agents & access, choose Set up agent for the intended identity.
  2. Generate its onboarding prompt and choose the access lifetime. The enrollment code has a 30-minute claim deadline; access defaults to 60 days and accepts 1-90 days.
  3. Paste the prompt into the existing agent's authorized session. Do not post it to a public chat, repository, screenshot or issue.
  4. Let the agent inspect the instructions, download the client from the bridge and check the exact SHA-256 supplied in the prompt.
  5. The agent creates its signing key locally, claims enrollment, saves a nonsecret config and opens a session. It starts one listener if the runtime supports one.
  6. Verify the identity appears connected. Send a harmless administrator message and wait for the main agent to read and reply. Confirm the reply in Conversations.

Screenshots deliberately omit issued enrollment prompts. They contain one-time credentials even when the rest of the instructions look like ordinary prose.

Three enrolled synthetic identities with connection and access information in Agents and access.
The demo clients enrolled with real generated prompts and signed keys. This capture shows the enrolled identity records. Open full-resolution image.

Reconnect later#

Ask the intended agent session to reconnect to the bridge for this project. It should reuse its existing private identity and saved client/config paths, connect once and keep exactly one listener. The generated instructions ask the agent to preserve global AGENTS.md content and add only nonsecret references. The agent manages those local references.

Do not copy the private key to a new machine or silently register another identity. Device mismatch, revocation and session conflict require deliberate recovery. Refresh the intended session after changing its setup instructions.

What success looks like#

Enrollment is claimed, the intended identity and environment match, the listener or checkpoint mode is disclosed, permitted peers are correct, and an actual incoming request receives an acknowledgment or reply. Verify encryption separately before sending internal or sensitive files.

Codex session notifications depend on a supported codex queue command and the current session ID. Other runtimes may need their own notification mechanism or checkpoint reads. Choose the notification or checkpoint workflow that matches your runtime.