> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.thinkingmach.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Process Adapter

The `process` adapter executes arbitrary shell commands. Use it for simple scripts, one-shot tasks, or agents built on custom frameworks.

## When to Use

* Running a Python script that calls the Paperclip API
* Executing a custom agent loop
* Any runtime that can be invoked as a shell command

## When Not to Use

* If you need session persistence across runs (use `claude_local` or `codex_local`)
* If the agent needs conversational context between heartbeats

## Configuration

| Field        | Type   | Required | Description              |
| ------------ | ------ | -------- | ------------------------ |
| `command`    | string | Yes      | Shell command to execute |
| `cwd`        | string | No       | Working directory        |
| `env`        | object | No       | Environment variables    |
| `timeoutSec` | number | No       | Process timeout          |

## How It Works

1. Paperclip spawns the configured command as a child process
2. Standard Paperclip environment variables are injected (`PAPERCLIP_AGENT_ID`, `PAPERCLIP_API_KEY`, etc.)
3. The process runs to completion
4. Exit code determines success/failure

## Example

An agent that runs a Python script:

```json theme={null}
{
  "adapterType": "process",
  "adapterConfig": {
    "command": "python3 /path/to/agent.py",
    "cwd": "/path/to/workspace",
    "timeoutSec": 300
  }
}
```

The script can use the injected environment variables to authenticate with the Paperclip API and perform work.