Functionality

The Code Execution tool allows users to direct models to write and run Python code within a safely containerized execution environment to solve complex problems in subjects such as math, data analysis, and coding. This tool enhances the natural language capabilities of models with deterministic code based logic.

Use Cases

The Code Execution tool lets users run Python against their own data and files directly from chat. Common capabilities:

• Analyze uploaded CSV/XLSX: compute metrics, build charts, forecast trends, detect outliers

• Perform reliable calculations — sums, totals, filters, subtotals — eliminating hallucinated numerical answers

• Read macro-enabled Excel files (.xlsm) as data — macros will not execute

• Export results as XLSX, DOCX, CSV, and PNG

• Generate Word (DOCX) reports with formatted text, figures, and custom templates

• Create Excel models with financial projections and year-over-year growth tables

• Compare two Excel files and generate a structured difference report

• Generate PowerPoint presentations from uploaded templates (quality varies — see Limitations)

• Translate and reformat documents (text-layer PDFs work best; complex layouts are best-effort)

• Upload up to 10 files at once, max 100 MB per file

Triggering Code Execution

The orchestrator automatically invokes Code Execution when appropriate. Users can also explicitly trigger it with phrases such as:

• "Use code to…"

• "Create a file…"

• "Generate a visualisation…"

• "Using code, calculate…"

Common Workflow Examples

Output Rendering

Code Execution outputs are rendered as interactive cards inline in the chat interface. Users can toggle between the Python source code view and the rendered output view using tabs on each card. The following output types are supported:

Each card also includes a Code View with Python syntax highlighting, copy, and expand functionality.

Limitations

• Models are currently restricted to those available through the Azure Responses API. The Unique Quality Assessment team strongly recommends that Code Execution is only used with Azure OpenAI GPT-5 or later.

• Knowledge Base files are not accessible to Code Execution

• The sandbox has no outbound internet access — no external API calls or runtime package installs are possible. Live data (e.g. market prices, news) must be retrieved via the Web Search tool and passed into the code interpreter.

• Upload up to 10 files at once with maximum file size: 100MB. Allowed file types: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, CSV, HTML, MD, TXT, PNG, JPG, JPEG.

• Plotly graphs cannot be directly exported as PNG images for embedding in PDF, Word (DOCX), or PowerPoint (PPTX) files. The Azure OpenAI code execution container does not include the kaleido package, which Plotly requires for static image export. If you need charts embedded as images in exported documents, request that the model use matplotlib instead of Plotly.

What Is Possible vs. Not Possible

All available models

The following models expose the RESPONSES_API capability and are therefore compatible with Code Execution. This list is derived directly from the tool's compatible_models configuration in the codebase.

Azure OpenAI models

• AZURE_GPT_5_2025_0807

• AZURE_GPT_5_MINI_2025_0807

• AZURE_GPT_5_NANO_2025_0807

• AZURE_GPT_5_CHAT_2025_0807

• AZURE_GPT_5_PRO_2025_1006

• AZURE_GPT_51_2025_1113

• AZURE_GPT_51_THINKING_2025_1113

• AZURE_GPT_51_CHAT_2025_1113

• AZURE_GPT_51_CODEX_2025_1113

• AZURE_GPT_51_CODEX_MINI_2025_1113

• AZURE_GPT_52_2025_1211

• AZURE_GPT_52_CHAT_2025_1211

• AZURE_GPT_54_2026_0305

• AZURE_GPT_54_PRO_2026_0305

• AZURE_GPT_55_2026_0424

• AZURE_GPT_55_PRO_2026_0424

• AZURE_GPT_4o_2024_0513 Not recommended

• AZURE_GPT_4o_2024_0806 Not recommended

• AZURE_GPT_4o_2024_1120 Not recommended

• AZURE_GPT_4o_MINI_2024_0718 Not recommended

• AZURE_o1_2024_1217 Not recommended

• AZURE_o3_MINI_2025_0131 Not recommended

• AZURE_o3_2025_0416 Not recommended

• AZURE_o4_MINI_2025_0416 Not recommended

• AZURE_GPT_41_2025_0414 Not recommended

• AZURE_GPT_41_MINI_2025_0414 Not recommended

• AZURE_GPT_41_NANO_2025_0414 Not recommended

• AZURE_MODEL_ROUTER_2025_1118

LiteLLM (OpenAI) models

• litellm:openai-gpt-5

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-mini

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-nano

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-chat

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-pro

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-1

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-1-thinking

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-2

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-2-thinking

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-4

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-4-thinking

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-5

• litellm:openai-gpt-5-5-pro

• litellm:openai-o1

• litellm:openai-o3

• litellm:openai-o3-deep-research

• litellm:openai-o4-mini

• litellm:openai-o4-mini-deep-research

• litellm:openai-gpt-4-1-mini

• litellm:openai-gpt-4-1-nano

Security & Governance

• No outbound internet, no external API calls, no runtime package installs

• Code runs inside Azure's hosted container — part of the Azure Responses API

• Uploaded files are malware-scanned before processing

• The agent cannot overwrite uploaded files — it always creates new output files with a suffix

• Strict file-type allowlist: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, CSV, HTML, MD, TXT, PNG, JPG, JPEG

• Space-level toggle under 'Coding Capabilities' in Space Admin; the orchestrator auto-invokes — there is no manual toggle for end users

• Admins can hide raw Python code from end users via the enable flag in the Code Display configuration

• 20-minute inactivity timeout (Azure maximum)

• All actions, generated code, and outputs are fully auditable; privacy risk classified as Negligible

• SOC2/HITRUST-aligned controls: identity, environment separation, logging, and privileged access management

Configuration

Users MUST use Responses V1 API models in order to enable the Code Execution Tool. The following feature flags MUST also be enabled for complete functionality Feature Flags.

The Code Execution tool is located under a dedicated "Coding Capabilities" subsection within the Sources & Tools configuration in Space Admin. Code execution is by default turned on for compatible models. Admins can also toggle Code Execution on/off as desired. The tool will display an error if an incompatible model is selected for the space.

The fields in this schema define the essential parameters and configurations required for conducting queries with code execution. Each field contributes to the overall functionality specifying tool calling instructions, file upload and download handling, container lifecycle, and error handling behavior. These configurations ensure a comprehensive and tailored code execution user experience.

Generated Files

Code Display

Tool

Feature Flags

The following feature flags must be set for code execution to function: