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Use --backend-only to start a local backend. Each backend runs behind an ingress proxy on its own port.

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Start a Backend

agent-canvas --backend-only
This starts the backend on 127.0.0.1:8000. No frontend is served.

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Running Multiple Backends

You can run several backends at the same time on different ports — for example, one per project or toolchain: 
agent-canvas --backend-only --port 8001
agent-canvas --backend-only --port 8002
agent-canvas --backend-only --port 8003
Each instance gets its own backend and ingress proxy.

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Connect the Frontend

Start the frontend separately: 
agent-canvas --frontend-only
Then add your backends through Manage Backends:
  1. Click the backend switcher → Manage Backends → Add Backend.
  2. Fill in the Host / Base URL (e.g. http://localhost:8001) and API Key.
  3. Repeat for each backend you started.
Switch between them from the backend selector depending on what you’re working on.
If you just want a quick single-machine setup, running agent-canvas without any flags starts the full stack (frontend + backend) on one port. The split approach above is useful when you want multiple backends or want to keep the frontend and backends on separate processes.