Agent Configuration - Shinzo Platform

Overview

Agents on the Shinzo Platform run in isolated Kubernetes environments with persistent storage, MCP server connectivity, and webhook support. Each agent operates as an independent deployment with its own filesystem, message queue, and configurable toolset. You can create agents with minimal configuration and progressively add capabilities as your use case evolves.

Prerequisites

Before creating an agent, make sure you have:

A Shinzo Platform account with the AI Agents feature enabled
An authentication token (passed via Authorization: Bearer <token> header)
An Anthropic API key (either stored in your account settings or provided per-agent)

Quick Start

Create a basic agent with a single API call:

curl -X POST https://api.app.shinzo.ai/v1/agent/create \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "my-first-agent",
    "configuration": {}
  }'

This creates an agent with default settings: 1 GiB of persistent storage, a 1-hour task timeout, and hierarchical memory. The agent uses your stored Anthropic API key if you do not provide one explicitly.

Configuration Reference

Top-Level Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`name`	string	✅	—	Agent name, 1-100 characters
`description`	string	❌	—	Purpose description, max 500 characters
`pvc_size`	string	❌	`"1Gi"`	Persistent volume size for agent workspace
`anthropic_api_key`	string	❌	—	Anthropic API key. If omitted, your stored account key is used
`system_prompt`	string	❌	—	Custom system prompt for the agent
`system_prompt_type`	enum	❌	`"append"`	`"replace"` overwrites the default prompt; `"append"` adds to it
`configuration`	object	✅	—	Agent configuration object (see below)
`initial_files`	array	❌	—	Files to create in the agent workspace on startup

Configuration Object

The configuration object controls runtime behavior, tooling, memory, and notifications.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`timeout_seconds`	number	`3600`	Maximum time in seconds for a single task
`model`	string	—	Model name to use for the agent. Supported models: `claude-3-7-sonnet-latest`, `claude-haiku-4-5`, `claude-opus-4-0`, `claude-opus-4-1`, `claude-opus-4-5`, `claude-opus-4-6`, `claude-sonnet-4-0`, `claude-sonnet-4-5`, `claude-sonnet-4-6`
`mcp_servers`	object	—	MCP server configurations keyed by server name
`memory_config`	object	—	Memory type, size, and persistence settings
`webhooks`	object	—	URLs for event notifications
`compaction`	object	—	Context compaction settings
`custom_env`	object	—	Key-value pairs injected as environment variables

Memory Configuration

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`type`	enum	`"hierarchical"`	`"hierarchical"` or `"flat"` memory structure
`max_size_mb`	number	`1024`	Maximum memory size in megabytes
`persistence`	enum	`"persistent"`	`"persistent"` retains memory across restarts; `"ephemeral"` clears on restart

Webhooks

Parameter	Type	Description
`message_complete`	string	URL called when the agent finishes processing a message
`message_failed`	string	URL called when message processing fails
`agent_error`	string	URL called when the agent encounters an error

Compaction

Compaction automatically summarizes long conversation histories to keep context within model limits.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`enabled`	boolean	`true`	Enable or disable automatic compaction
`model`	string	`"claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"`	Model used for summarization
`threshold_trigger`	number	`120000`	Input token count that triggers compaction

Initial Files

You can pre-populate the agent workspace with files at creation time. Each file entry accepts:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`path`	string	✅	File path in the agent workspace
`content`	string	✅	File content
`encoding`	enum	❌	`"utf-8"` (default) or `"base64"` for binary content

Example Configurations

Development Agent

A lightweight agent for testing and iteration:

{
  "name": "dev-assistant",
  "description": "Development and testing agent",
  "pvc_size": "1Gi",
  "system_prompt": "You are a development assistant. Be concise.",
  "system_prompt_type": "append",
  "configuration": {
    "timeout_seconds": 1800,
    "memory_config": {
      "type": "flat",
      "max_size_mb": 256,
      "persistence": "ephemeral"
    }
  }
}

Production Agent

A fully configured agent with webhooks, MCP servers, and persistent memory:

{
  "name": "production-agent",
  "description": "Customer-facing production agent",
  "pvc_size": "5Gi",
  "configuration": {
    "timeout_seconds": 3600,
    "memory_config": {
      "type": "hierarchical",
      "max_size_mb": 1024,
      "persistence": "persistent"
    },
    "webhooks": {
      "message_complete": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/complete",
      "message_failed": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/failed",
      "agent_error": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/error"
    },
    "compaction": {
      "enabled": true,
      "threshold_trigger": 100000
    },
    "custom_env": {
      "APP_ENV": "production",
      "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
    }
  },
  "initial_files": [
    {
      "path": "config/settings.json",
      "content": "{\"mode\": \"production\"}"
    }
  ]
}

Deployment Patterns

Async Processing

Create agents that process tasks in the background and notify your application via webhooks when complete. Use the message_complete webhook to receive results without polling.

Interactive

Use the API or Discord channel to have real-time conversations with your agent. The collect queue mode batches incoming messages while the agent is busy, so nothing is lost.

Integration

Connect agents to external services through MCP servers. Register tools like GitHub, databases, or custom APIs, then grant your agent access to use them autonomously.

Agent States

Agents transition through the following states during their lifecycle:

State	Description
`active`	Agent is running and processing messages
`paused`	Agent is temporarily suspended; messages queue but are not processed
`stopped`	Agent is fully stopped and not accepting messages
`error`	Agent encountered a fatal error and requires attention

State Transitions

From	To	How
`active`	`paused`	Call `POST /v1/agent/pause/:id`
`paused`	`active`	Call `POST /v1/agent/resume/:id`
`active`	`stopped`	Delete the agent
`active`	`error`	Automatic on fatal error
`error`	`active`	Resolve the issue and resume

Updating Agents

Update an existing agent’s configuration, metadata, or files with POST /v1/agent/update/:id:

curl -X POST https://api.app.shinzo.ai/v1/agent/update/AGENT_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "updated-agent-name",
    "description": "Updated description",
    "system_prompt": "New instructions for the agent.",
    "configuration": {
      "timeout_seconds": 7200
    },
    "files": {
      "add": [
        { "path": "new-file.txt", "content": "Hello" }
      ],
      "update": [
        { "path": "config/settings.json", "content": "{\"mode\": \"debug\"}" }
      ],
      "delete": ["old-file.txt"]
    }
  }'

You can update any combination of fields. Only the fields you include in the request body are modified.

Deleting Agents

Delete an agent and all associated data with POST /v1/agent/delete/:id:

curl -X POST https://api.app.shinzo.ai/v1/agent/delete/AGENT_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Deleting an agent permanently removes its workspace, message history, and all associated data. This action cannot be undone.

Best Practices

Start small. Begin with minimal configuration and add capabilities as you understand your agent’s needs.
Use ephemeral memory for development. Switch to persistent memory only when you need state across restarts.
Set appropriate timeouts. Avoid excessively long timeouts that could waste resources on stuck tasks.
Configure webhooks for production. Webhooks let you react to agent events without polling.
Store API keys at the account level. This avoids embedding keys in every agent creation request.
Use system_prompt_type: "append" unless you have a specific reason to replace the default prompt entirely.
Pre-populate workspaces with initial_files to give agents the context they need from the start.

Next Steps

Agent Messaging

Send messages to your agents and manage conversations.

MCP Server Management

Connect external tools and services to your agents.

Filesystem Management

Manage files in agent workspaces programmatically.

Shinzo Agents

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Quick Start

​Configuration Reference

​Top-Level Parameters

​Configuration Object

​Memory Configuration

​Webhooks

​Compaction

​Initial Files

​Example Configurations

​Development Agent

​Production Agent

​Deployment Patterns

​Async Processing

​Interactive

​Integration

​Agent States

​State Transitions

​Updating Agents

​Deleting Agents

​Best Practices

​Next Steps

Agent Messaging

MCP Server Management

Filesystem Management

Overview

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Configuration Reference

Top-Level Parameters

Configuration Object

Memory Configuration

Webhooks

Compaction

Initial Files

Example Configurations

Development Agent

Production Agent

Deployment Patterns

Async Processing

Interactive

Integration

Agent States

State Transitions

Updating Agents

Deleting Agents

Best Practices

Next Steps