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

# smolvm sandbox stop

> Use smolvm sandbox stop to shut down a running sandbox while keeping its record available for later inspection or restart.

`smolvm sandbox stop` shuts down a running sandbox and releases its live resources. Use snapshots before stopping when you need to preserve memory state exactly.

## Synopsis

```bash theme={null}
smolvm sandbox stop <sandbox> [OPTIONS]
```

## Arguments

<ParamField path="sandbox" type="string" required>
  Name or ID of the sandbox to stop.
</ParamField>

## Options

<ParamField path="--timeout" type="number" default="3.0">
  Seconds to wait before forcing shutdown.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--json" type="flag">
  Print a JSON envelope instead of formatted text.
</ParamField>

## Examples

### Stop one sandbox

```bash theme={null}
smolvm sandbox stop my-sandbox
```

### Stop with a longer graceful window

```bash theme={null}
smolvm sandbox stop my-sandbox --timeout 10
```

### Create, use, and stop a sandbox

```bash theme={null}
smolvm sandbox create --name dev-env
smolvm sandbox shell dev-env
smolvm sandbox stop dev-env
```

## Related commands

* [`smolvm sandbox start`](/smolvm/cli/overview) - Start a stopped sandbox
* [`smolvm sandbox snapshot create`](/smolvm/cli/snapshot) - Save sandbox state
* [`smolvm sandbox delete`](/smolvm/cli/cleanup) - Delete sandbox resources