curl -X POST 'https://api.openai.com/v1/containers' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "name": "example-name"
}'

# POST /containers (OpenAI API)
Base URL: https://api.openai.com/v1
Auth: Authorization; OpenAI API key; required.
Request formats: application/json.
Last verified: 2026-10-20

> Create container

## Critical Gotchas
* The Responses API is the primary interface for new text and tool workflows; Chat Completions remains a separate compatibility API.
* Audio transcription uploads use multipart form data rather than a JSON request body.

## cURL
curl -X POST 'https://api.openai.com/v1/containers' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "name": "example-name"
}'

## Parameters
| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| name | body | string | Yes | Name of the container to create. |
| file_ids | body | string[] | No | IDs of files to copy to the container. |
| expires_after | body | object | No | Container expiration time in seconds relative to the 'anchor' time. |
| skills | body | object[] | No | An optional list of skills referenced by id or inline data. |
| memory_limit | body | string | No | Optional memory limit for the container. Defaults to "1g". |
| network_policy | body | object | No | Network access policy for the container. |

## Response example
{"id":"string","object":"string"}

---
Need an API key? Get one at https://platform.openai.com/api-keys

POST

POST /containers — OpenAI API

OpenAI API key (required); https://api.openai.com/v1

OpenAI API

Create container

Base URL: https://api.openai.com/v1
Auth: Authorization: Bearer <OPENAI_API_KEY>
Last verified: 2026-10-20 · upstream hash matched

Actions Try in browser→

Agents: curl -H "Accept: text/markdown" this URL
→ 298 tokens · Vary: Accept

Critical gotchas

The Responses API is the primary interface for new text and tool workflows; Chat Completions remains a separate compatibility API.

Audio transcription uploads use multipart form data rather than a JSON request body.

cURL

curl -X POST 'https://api.openai.com/v1/containers' \  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY" \  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \  -d '{  "name": "example-name"}'

Parameters

Name	In	Type	Required	Description
name	body	string	Yes	Name of the container to create.
file_ids	body	string[]	No	IDs of files to copy to the container.
expires_after	body	object	No	Container expiration time in seconds relative to the 'anchor' time.
skills	body	object[]	No	An optional list of skills referenced by id or inline data.
memory_limit	body	string	No	Optional memory limit for the container. Defaults to "1g".
network_policy	body	object	No	Network access policy for the container.

Response 200 OK

{
  "id": "string",
  "object": "string",
  "name": "string",
  "created_at": 0,
  "status": "string",
  "last_active_at": 0,
  "expires_after": {
    "anchor": "last_active_at",
    "minutes": 0
  },
  "memory_limit": "1g",
  "network_policy": {
    "type": "allowlist",
    "allowed_domains": [
      "string"
    ]
  }
}

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