Crabbox is a CLI tool that runs commands inside a remote box from your local machine. This guide shows how to use it with Upstash Box to run your test suite in a clean cloud environment without touching your local setup.
1. Install Crabbox#
2. Get Your API Key#
Go to the Upstash Console and create a Box API key. Then export it in your terminal:
3. Warm Up a Box#
Create a box with the warmup command. This provisions the box ahead of time so it's ready when you need it.
You can customize the box to match your project's needs:
| Flag | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
--upstash-box-runtime | Runtime environment | node, python, golang, ruby, rust (or -alpine variants) |
--upstash-box-size | Box size | small, medium, large |
--upstash-box-workdir | Working directory inside the box | Any path (default: /workspace/home/crabbox) |
--upstash-box-keep-alive | Keep the box up and running at all times | true / false |
4. Run Your Tests#
Run your test command inside the box. Use --env-from-profile to load environment variables from a local .env file — they'll be injected into the box without being stored anywhere.
You can use any package manager or test runner:
For the full list of commands and options, see the Upstash Box provider reference.