Choose an Execution Target
Every project runs on one of three execution targets. The choice comes down to two things: whether your application is reachable from the public internet, and where you want the AI-generated test code to run.
If your site is reachable from the internet, there is nothing to decide — the default cloud target just works.
Quick Decision Guide
| Situation | Execution target |
|---|---|
| Your target site is public or a normal staging URL | Cloud — runs work out of the box in an isolated sandbox. |
| Your app is private, and you'd rather not host any runner | Tunneled — connect a tunnel device inside your network; the sandbox reaches the app through it. |
| Your app is private and its traffic must never leave your network | Private runner — host the runner inside your firewall. |
The site is on localhost of your own machine | Tunneled — run the tvtunnel agent on that machine so the sandbox can reach it. |
Cloud vs Tunneled vs Private Runner
| Cloud (default) | Tunneled | Private runner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where test code runs | TestVibe's isolated sandbox | TestVibe's isolated sandbox | Your own infrastructure |
| What you install | Nothing | The small tvtunnel agent | The runner image |
| App reachable from the internet? | Required | Not required | Not required |
| App traffic | Direct from the cloud | Relayed (encrypted end-to-end) | Stays in your network |
| App URL | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
info
Tunneled vs private runner for private apps. Both let you test an app the internet can't reach. With a tunnel, the untrusted AI-generated test code stays in TestVibe's sandbox and only a small signed agent runs on your side. With a private runner, that test code runs on your own infrastructure — so review and approve generated tests before running them there.
What To Check
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Can you open the site URL from outside your network? | If yes, the cloud target works — no setup needed. |
| Is the URL private or internal? | Use a tunnel device or a private runner. |
| Must the app's traffic stay inside your network? | Use a private runner; nothing transits TestVibe. |
| Is the tunnel device or private runner online? | Offline devices and runners can't accept runs; runs against private apps will not start. |
Next Step
- Public app: nothing to do — start a run.
- Private app via a tunnel: see Tunnel devices, then Set a project's execution target.
- Private app on your own infrastructure: see Private runners.