OpenHands Software Agent SDK – An open-source framework for building production-grade coding AI agents

Summary: OpenHands Software Agent SDK is an open-source, model-agnostic toolkit for creating coding AI agents and background tasks that integrate with any LLM. It supports custom tools, state persistence, safe execution in Docker, and flexible job triggers, enabling automation across software development workflows.

What it does

The SDK provides a composable framework to build agents capable of precise file edits, safe shell command execution, test analysis, structured refactoring, and domain-specific workflows. It features a clear agent lifecycle, extensible tool interfaces, workspace abstractions, and execution safety controls, accessible via a Python API.

Who it's for

It targets engineers, teams, researchers, and startups seeking to automate development tasks, reduce repetitive work, and build custom AI-driven engineering workflows.

Why it matters

It addresses the lack of reliable, customizable, and secure AI agent frameworks suitable for real-world software repositories and production environments.