V0 to V1 Migration Guide

The V0 API (/api/conversations) is deprecated and scheduled for removal on April 1, 2026. Please migrate to the V1 API as soon as possible.

Overview

This guide helps you migrate from OpenHands V0 APIs to the new V1 APIs. The V1 API introduces significant architectural improvements including decoupled sandboxes and conversations, better reliability, and enhanced developer experience.

Key Architectural Change

In V1, Conversations and Sandboxes are decoupled. Sandboxes (runtime environments) are managed independently, enabling features like:

Pause and resume sandboxes without losing state
Sandbox reuse across conversations
Independent lifecycle management for better resource control

V1 also introduces two levels of API:

App Server API - The main API for managing conversations and sandboxes (focus of this guide)
Agent Server API - Fine-grained control of individual runtimes and sandboxes (see Agent Server API section)

Benefits of V1 APIs

Theme	Key Result
Reliability	61% reduction in system failures — eliminated entire classes of infrastructure errors
Performance	Lighter-weight runtime with co-located execution — removes inter-pod communication overhead
Developer Experience	Modern API patterns — dedicated search, filtering, batch operations, webhooks, and flexible sandbox controls

Detailed Benefits

Reliability

61% reduction in system-attributable failures — Production data showed V1 reduced errors from 78.0 to 30.0 per 1k conversations
Eliminated infrastructure errors — V0’s inter-pod communication caused authentication failures, runtime readiness races, and connection timeouts. V1 eliminates these entirely.
Co-located execution model — Removes dependency on inter-pod HTTP communication, eliminating an entire class of failure modes
Replay-based recovery — Event-sourced state enables recovery via replay after failures

Performance

Lighter-weight agent server — More efficient runtime API reduces resource overhead
Decoupled sandboxes and conversations — Independent lifecycle management for better resource control
Event-sourced state — One-to-one mapping between execution events and LLM messages enables clean integration, persistence, and replay

Developer Experience

Sandbox Controls

Pause and resume sandboxes — Pause when not in use, resume without losing state
Explicit status tracking — Clear states (STARTING, RUNNING, PAUSED, ERROR, MISSING)
Sandbox specs — Reusable templates with custom commands, environment variables, and working directories

Querying & Filtering

Dedicated search endpoints — Enhanced filtering for conversations and events
Count endpoints — Get counts without fetching full data
Batch get operations — Retrieve multiple items by ID in a single request
Enhanced event filtering — Filter by kind, timestamp ranges, with improved pagination

Streaming & Real-time

Stream from start — Stream conversation updates from moment of creation
Start task tracking — Monitor conversation startup progress
Webhook support — Native callbacks for lifecycle events and event stream updates

Export & Portability

Conversation export — Download trajectories as zip files
Workspace portability — Easier portability across environments

App Server API Endpoint Mapping

The following table maps V0 endpoints to their V1 equivalents, organized by typical workflow order.

Health & Status

Operation	V0 Endpoint	V1 Endpoint	Notes
Check server health	`GET /health`	`GET /health`	No change
Check if server is alive	`GET /alive`	`GET /alive`	No change
Check if server is ready	`GET /ready`	`GET /ready`	No change

Conversation Lifecycle

Operation	V0 Endpoint	V1 Endpoint	Notes
Create a new conversation	`POST /api/conversations`	`POST /api/v1/app-conversations`	V1 combines create + start; use `stream-start` for real-time updates
Start conversation (streaming)	`POST /api/conversations/{id}/start`	`POST /api/v1/app-conversations/stream-start`	V1 supports streaming from start
List/search conversations	`GET /api/conversations`	`GET /api/v1/app-conversations/search`	V1 uses dedicated search endpoint
Get conversation by ID	`GET /api/conversations/{id}`	`GET /api/v1/app-conversations`	V1 uses batch get with query params
Get conversation count	N/A	`GET /api/v1/app-conversations/count`	New in V1
Update conversation	`PATCH /api/conversations/{id}`	`PATCH /api/v1/app-conversations/{id}`	Similar functionality
Stop conversation	`POST /api/conversations/{id}/stop`	N/A	In V1, manage via sandbox pause/resume
Delete conversation	`DELETE /api/conversations/{id}`	`DELETE /api/v1/app-conversations/{id}`	V1 conversations tied to sandbox lifecycle

Messaging & Events

Operation	V0 Endpoint	V1 Endpoint	Notes
Send a message	`POST /api/conversations/{id}/messages`	`POST /api/v1/conversation/{id}/events`	V1 uses event-based messaging
Add an event	`POST /api/conversations/{id}/events`	`POST /api/v1/conversation/{id}/events`	Different event model in V1
Search/get events	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/events`	`GET /api/v1/conversation/{id}/events/search`	V1 has dedicated search endpoint with filtering
Get event count	N/A	`GET /api/v1/conversation/{id}/events/count`	New in V1
Batch get events	N/A	`GET /api/v1/conversation/{id}/events`	New in V1

File Operations

Operation	V0 Endpoint	V1 Endpoint	Notes
List files in workspace	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/list-files`	Use Agent Server API	Use `POST /api/bash/execute_bash_command` with `ls`
Read file content	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/select-file`	Use Agent Server API	V1 uses Agent Server for file operations
Upload files	`POST /api/conversations/{id}/upload-files`	Use Agent Server API	Use Agent Server `POST /api/file/upload/{path}`
Get workspace zip	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/zip-directory`	Use Agent Server API	Use Agent Server `GET /api/file/download/{path}`

Sandbox Management (New in V1)

Operation	Endpoint	Notes
Create/start a sandbox	`POST /api/v1/sandboxes`	New: Independent sandbox creation
Search sandboxes	`GET /api/v1/sandboxes/search`	New: Find existing sandboxes
Get sandboxes	`GET /api/v1/sandboxes`	New: Batch get sandboxes
Pause a sandbox	`POST /api/v1/sandboxes/{id}/pause`	New: Suspend sandbox execution
Resume a sandbox	`POST /api/v1/sandboxes/{id}/resume`	New: Resume paused sandbox
Delete a sandbox	`DELETE /api/v1/sandboxes/{id}`	New: Clean up sandbox resources

Development Tools

Operation	V0 Endpoint	V1 Endpoint	Notes
Get VSCode URL	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/vscode-url`	N/A	V1: Look for `VSCODE` in sandbox’s `exposed_urls`
Get web hosts	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/web-hosts`	N/A	V1: Look for `AGENT_SERVER` in sandbox’s `exposed_urls`

Trajectory & Skills

Operation	V0 Endpoint	V1 Endpoint	Notes
Get trajectory	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/trajectory`	Use Agent Server API	Use `GET /api/file/download-trajectory/{conversation_id}`
Get conversation skills	N/A	`GET /api/v1/app-conversations/{id}/skills`	New in V1

Migration Examples

Creating a Conversation

V0 (Deprecated)
V1 (Recommended)

curl -X POST "https://app.all-hands.dev/api/conversations" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "initial_user_msg": "Check the README.md file",
    "repository": "yourusername/your-repo"
  }'

Response:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "conversation_id": "abc1234"
}

curl -X POST "https://app.all-hands.dev/api/v1/app-conversations" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "initial_message": {
      "content": [{"type": "text", "text": "Check the README.md file"}]
    },
    "selected_repository": "yourusername/your-repo"
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "status": "WORKING",
  "app_conversation_id": "660e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440001",
  "sandbox_id": "sandbox-abc123",
  "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

Key Migration Changes

Endpoint URL: /api/conversations → /api/v1/app-conversations
Request body structure:
- repository → selected_repository
- initial_user_msg (string) → initial_message (object with content array)
Response handling: V1 returns a start task object with status tracking. The conversation ID is in app_conversation_id (available when status is READY).

Searching Conversations

V0 (Deprecated)
V1 (Recommended)

curl "https://app.all-hands.dev/api/conversations" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

curl "https://app.all-hands.dev/api/v1/app-conversations/search?limit=20" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Managing Sandbox Lifecycle (New in V1)

V1 introduces explicit sandbox management. Here’s how to pause and resume a sandbox:

# Pause a sandbox
curl -X POST "https://app.all-hands.dev/api/v1/sandboxes/{sandbox_id}/pause" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

# Resume a sandbox
curl -X POST "https://app.all-hands.dev/api/v1/sandboxes/{sandbox_id}/resume" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Agent Server API

In addition to the App Server API (app.all-hands.dev), V1 exposes an Agent Server API on each sandbox runtime. This API provides direct access to workspace and conversation operations.

How to Access

Get sandbox info: GET /api/v1/sandboxes?id={sandbox_id}
Find AGENT_SERVER in the exposed_urls field
Use session_api_key as X-Session-API-Key header
Call Agent Server endpoints on that URL
OpenAPI spec available at {agent_server_url}/openapi.json

Available Endpoints

File Operations

Endpoint	Description
`POST /api/file/upload/{path}`	Upload files to workspace
`GET /api/file/download/{path}`	Download individual files
`GET /api/file/download-trajectory/{conversation_id}`	Download conversation trajectory

Git Operations

Endpoint	Description
`GET /api/git/changes/{path}`	Get git changes
`GET /api/git/diff/{path}`	Get git diff

Conversation Operations

Endpoint	Description
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/events`	Send user message
`GET /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/events/search`	Search events
`GET /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/events/count`	Count events
`DELETE /api/conversations/{conversation_id}`	Delete conversation
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/pause`	Pause conversation
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/run`	Resume/run conversation
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/condense`	Condense conversation history
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/generate_title`	Auto-generate title
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/confirmation_policy`	Set confirmation policy
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/secrets`	Update conversation secrets
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/security_analyzer`	Set security analyzer
`POST /api/conversations/{conversation_id}/ask_agent`	Ask agent directly

Bash Operations

Endpoint	Description
`POST /api/bash/execute_bash_command`	Execute bash command (blocking)
`POST /api/bash/start_bash_command`	Start bash command (async)
`GET /api/bash/bash_events/search`	Search bash events

Development Tools

Endpoint	Description
`GET /api/vscode/url`	Get VSCode URL
`GET /api/vscode/status`	Check VSCode status
`GET /api/desktop/url`	Get desktop URL
`GET /api/tools/`	List available tools

Server Info

Endpoint	Description
`GET /health`	Health check
`GET /alive`	Alive check
`GET /server_info`	Get server info

The Agent Server API requires an active/running sandbox. For operations on inactive sandboxes, use the App Server API.

Known Gaps

The following V0 capabilities do not yet have direct V1 App Server REST API equivalents:

Gap	V0 Endpoint	Workaround
Download workspace as zip	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/zip-directory`	Use Agent Server file download endpoints
Get trajectory (inactive runtime)	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/trajectory`	Trajectory available while sandbox is active via Agent Server
List files in workspace	`GET /api/conversations/{id}/list-files`	Use Agent Server `POST /api/bash/execute_bash_command` with `ls`, or Agent SDK `workspace.list_files()`

Authentication

API keys created via /api/keys work for both V0 and V1 App Server APIs
Agent Server uses per-sandbox session_api_key with X-Session-API-Key header

Additional Resources

V1 REST API Overview
Cloud API Guide
OpenHands Agent SDK - Provides workspace.read_file(), workspace.write_file(), workspace.list_files(), and workspace.get_workspace_zip() methods
V1 API Swagger Docs

Get Started

Essential Guidelines

Onboarding OpenHands

Product Guides

Integrations

CLI

Additional Documentation

OpenHands Community

Overview

Key Architectural Change

Benefits of V1 APIs

Reliability

Performance

Developer Experience

App Server API Endpoint Mapping

Health & Status

Conversation Lifecycle

Messaging & Events

File Operations

Sandbox Management (New in V1)

Development Tools

Trajectory & Skills

Migration Examples

Creating a Conversation

Key Migration Changes

Searching Conversations

Managing Sandbox Lifecycle (New in V1)

Agent Server API

How to Access

Available Endpoints

Known Gaps

Authentication

Additional Resources

Get Started

Essential Guidelines

Onboarding OpenHands

Product Guides

Integrations

CLI

Additional Documentation

OpenHands Community

​Overview

​Key Architectural Change

​Benefits of V1 APIs

​Reliability

​Performance

​Developer Experience

​App Server API Endpoint Mapping

​Health & Status

​Conversation Lifecycle

​Messaging & Events

​File Operations

​Sandbox Management (New in V1)

​Development Tools

​Trajectory & Skills

​Migration Examples

​Creating a Conversation

​Key Migration Changes

​Searching Conversations

​Managing Sandbox Lifecycle (New in V1)

​Agent Server API

​How to Access

​Available Endpoints

​Known Gaps

​Authentication

​Additional Resources

Overview

Key Architectural Change

Benefits of V1 APIs

Reliability

Performance

Developer Experience

App Server API Endpoint Mapping

Health & Status

Conversation Lifecycle

Messaging & Events

File Operations

Sandbox Management (New in V1)

Development Tools

Trajectory & Skills

Migration Examples

Creating a Conversation

Key Migration Changes

Searching Conversations

Managing Sandbox Lifecycle (New in V1)

Agent Server API

How to Access

Available Endpoints

Known Gaps

Authentication

Additional Resources