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This example is available on GitHub: examples/01_standalone_sdk/01_hello_world.py
This is the most basic example showing how to set up and run an OpenHands agent:
examples/01_standalone_sdk/01_hello_world.py
import os

from openhands.sdk import LLM, Agent, Conversation, Tool
from openhands.tools.file_editor import FileEditorTool
from openhands.tools.task_tracker import TaskTrackerTool
from openhands.tools.terminal import TerminalTool


llm = LLM(
    model=os.getenv("LLM_MODEL", "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"),
    api_key=os.getenv("LLM_API_KEY"),
    base_url=os.getenv("LLM_BASE_URL", None),
)

agent = Agent(
    llm=llm,
    tools=[
        Tool(name=TerminalTool.name),
        Tool(name=FileEditorTool.name),
        Tool(name=TaskTrackerTool.name),
    ],
)

cwd = os.getcwd()
conversation = Conversation(agent=agent, workspace=cwd)

conversation.send_message("Write 3 facts about the current project into FACTS.txt.")
conversation.run()
print("All done!")
Tip: Model name prefixes depend on your provider
  • Bring-your-own provider key (Anthropic/OpenAI/etc.): use that provider’s prefix like anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
  • OpenHands Cloud: use openhands/-prefixed models like openhands/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
You can set the model via LLM_MODEL env var and run the example code as-is.
Running the Example (Direct provider key)
export LLM_API_KEY="your-api-key"
cd agent-sdk
uv run python examples/01_standalone_sdk/01_hello_world.py
Running the Example (OpenHands Cloud)
export LLM_API_KEY="your-openhands-api-key"  # https://app.all-hands.dev/settings/api-keys
export LLM_MODEL="openhands/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"
cd agent-sdk
uv run python examples/01_standalone_sdk/01_hello_world.py

​
LLM Configuration

Configure the language model that will power your agent: 
llm = LLM(
    model=model,
    api_key=SecretStr(api_key),
    base_url=base_url,  # Optional
    service_id="agent"
)

​
Default Agent

Use the preset agent with common built-in tools: 
agent = get_default_agent(llm=llm, cli_mode=True)
The default agent includes BashTool, FileEditorTool, etc. See the tools package source code for the complete list of available tools.

​
Conversation

Start a conversation to manage the agent’s lifecycle: 
conversation = Conversation(agent=agent, workspace=cwd)
conversation.send_message("Write 3 facts about the current project into FACTS.txt.")
conversation.run()

​
Expected Behavior

When you run this example:
  1. The agent analyzes the current directory
  2. Gathers information about the project
  3. Creates FACTS.txt with 3 relevant facts
  4. Completes and exits
Example output file: 
FACTS.txt
---------
1. This is a Python project using the OpenHands Software Agent SDK.
2. The project includes examples demonstrating various agent capabilities.
3. The SDK provides tools for file manipulation, bash execution, and more.

​
Next Steps