# Code interpreter (LLM tool)

**Source:** https://promtable.com/glossary/code-interpreter

> A code interpreter is a sandboxed execution environment that lets a language model run code (usually Python) it generates, inspect the results, and iterate — turning the model into a data analyst.

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A code interpreter is a sandboxed execution environment that lets a language model run code (usually Python) it generates, inspect the results, and iterate — turning the model into a data analyst.

OpenAI's Code Interpreter (now Advanced Data Analysis), Anthropic's Claude with Code Execution, and Gemini's Code Execution all let the model write and run code on user-uploaded data. The pattern: model writes Python, sandbox runs it, output goes back to the model, model adjusts or summarises. It is the most reliable way to make models do math, read CSVs, generate charts, and verify their own analytical claims. Production agent stacks in 2026 routinely include a code execution tool alongside web search and retrieval — it's how agents handle anything that text reasoning alone bungles (arithmetic, data shapes, units, dates).

## When to use

- Data analysis, math, statistical computation.
- Chart generation, data viz.
- Verifying analytical claims before reporting.

## Common mistakes

- Letting the interpreter run unrestricted — sandbox it.
- Trusting the model's narrative without checking the code it ran.

## Related terms

- [agent](https://promtable.com/glossary/agent)
- [function-calling](https://promtable.com/glossary/function-calling)
- [guardrails](https://promtable.com/glossary/guardrails)
- [evals](https://promtable.com/glossary/evals)

*Last updated: 2026-06-01*
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Original page: https://promtable.com/glossary/code-interpreter
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