> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.islo.dev/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.islo.dev/_mcp/server.

# How Islo works

> See how a factory organizes Lines, stages, Agents, Machines, and runs, from incoming engineering work to reviewable results.

An Islo [factory](/getting-started/glossary#factory) turns incoming engineering work into reviewable results. Set it up once, then watch or steer individual runs when you need to.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  factory["factory: your workspace.<br />It holds Lines, Agents, and Machines."]
  line["Line: your workflow.<br />It defines stages and how they connect."]
  stage["Stage: one step in the workflow.<br />It assigns work to an Agent."]
  agent["Agent: a reusable worker.<br />Its instructions define what it does."]
  machine["Machine: the prepared environment.<br />It supplies code, dependencies, and tools."]
  run["Run: one execution of a Line.<br />It records progress, events, and results."]
  factory --> line
  factory --> agent
  factory --> machine
  line --> stage
  stage --> agent
  agent -->|works on| machine
  line -->|executes as| run
  stage -->|progress appears in| run
```

A [Line](/getting-started/glossary#line) can start manually, on a schedule, or from an integration event. Each [stage](/getting-started/glossary#stage) uses an [Agent](/getting-started/glossary#agent) running on a [Machine](/getting-started/glossary#machine). Open the [run](/getting-started/glossary#run) to see its **Timeline** or talk to its Agents in **Chat**.

Connect [GitHub](/integrations/github), [Slack](/integrations/slack), or [Linear](/integrations/linear) to bring work into your Factory and let Agents act in your tools. [Gateways](/cli/gateways) enforce access policies and inject credentials for requests to connected services; a Machine can carry the profile its Agents use. The isolated sandboxes used during Machine execution are underlying infrastructure, covered in the [advanced reference](/concepts/sandbox-lifecycle).

Start with the [onboarding quickstart](/getting-started/quick-start). Use the [glossary](/getting-started/glossary) for definitions and the [factory model](/concepts/factory-model) for workspace and API scopes.