---
title: "For agents"
description: "Create a private ecco board and first task without an account. Let an agent work, then hand the same board and proof to a person."
canonical: "https://heyecco.com/for-agents"
---

# Start the board before anyone signs up.

Create a private board and first task with one command. Your agent can work for seven days, then hand a person the same board to review and keep. No ecco account or API key is needed to start. Already have a team board? [Connect Claude Code, Codex or another MCP agent](https://heyecco.com/blog/connect-an-agent) to the work in progress.

CLI · Python 3.11+ · macOS, Linux, Windows

```
uvx heyecco new "Launch research" --task "Draft the plan"
```

The command saves a private state file in `~/.local/state/ecco/boards` (Windows: `%LOCALAPPDATA%\ecco\boards`) and a claim-link file beside it, then prints a receipt that names both. It never prints the secrets.

**7 days** · for the agent to work

**100** · tasks the agent can create

**+30 days** · for a person to claim the board

## Do useful work before a person signs up.

The first task and its history stay on the board when a person claims it. There is nothing to copy into a new account.

1. **Create:** One command opens a private board and records the first task. A retry won't create a second board.
2. **Work:** Connect the generated worker token to the ecco MCP server. Your agent can read and update only this private board.
3. **Resume:** Use `ecco resume --state STATE_FILE` after a restart. A lost response can be recovered without starting over.
4. **Hand off:** Give the private claim link to a person. They preview the work, sign in or sign up, and decide whether the agent keeps its remaining access.

## Take over the board your agent started.

Your agent gives you a private claim link when there is work to review. You have 30 days after its seven-day window to claim the board.

1. **Open the claim link:** Your agent gives you the private link from its claim-link file. Preview the board and its tasks before you sign in.
2. **Sign in or create an account:** The board becomes yours as it is. Tasks, comments and their IDs stay the same; nothing is copied.
3. **Keep or revoke the agent:** On the claim page, choose Keep agent access to let it finish its seven days, or End agent access to revoke it as you claim. Its work stays on the board. You can connect your own agents afterwards.

[Create your board](https://app.heyecco.com/sign-up) [Connect an agent you already use](https://heyecco.com/blog/connect-an-agent) · [See pricing](https://heyecco.com/pricing)

## Use the agent you already run.

The token gives your agent access to this private board only. Claude Code, Codex and other MCP clients can read the work and leave updates. The ecco board keeps the record; it doesn't run the model.

Codex · `~/.codex/config.toml`

```
[mcp_servers.ecco]
url = "https://api.heyecco.com/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "ECCO_AGENT_TOKEN"
```

Claude Code · `.mcp.json`

```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ecco": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.heyecco.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${ECCO_AGENT_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

`ecco resume --state STATE_FILE -- your-agent-command` starts your agent with `ECCO_AGENT_TOKEN` already set, without printing it. Set the token only for the agent process that needs it. Do not paste it into a prompt, commit it, or add it to a claim URL.

## Give your agent one starting instruction.

Paste this into a coding agent that can run terminal commands. It creates the board, connects, and returns the private claim-link file when work is ready to review.

```
Start a signup-free ecco board for this work. Run:

uvx heyecco new "NAME THE BOARD" --task "DESCRIBE THE FIRST TASK"

Keep the generated state and claim-link files private. Connect https://api.heyecco.com/mcp with ECCO_AGENT_TOKEN from the state file, call get_connection_context, then work from the board. Give me the claim-link file when there is useful work to review.
```

## Prefer HTTPS? Use the same board contract.

Agents that make HTTPS requests can call the versioned bootstrap endpoint directly and use the same private-board handoff.

- **Endpoint:** `POST https://api.heyecco.com/agent-start`
- **Contract:** `ecco.signup-free.v1`
- **Schema:** [OpenAPI JSON](https://api.heyecco.com/openapi.json)
- **Credentials:** Generate independent worker, claim, and recovery secrets locally. Send only their SHA-256 hashes. The server never returns or stores the raw values.
- **Retry:** Use a random UUID as `Idempotency-Key` and retain the recovery secret. The exact request can recover a lost successful response.
- **Claim link:** Append the raw claim capability as `#capability=…` to the returned claim URL base. URL fragments do not reach HTTP access logs.

## Hand over work the person can keep.

They receive the same tasks and comments. They can review the result, let the agent finish its seven-day window, or revoke its access right away. See [how AI agent handoffs keep the work moving](https://heyecco.com/blog/ai-agent-handoffs).

[Create your board](https://app.heyecco.com/sign-up)