---
sidebar_label: Scopes
doc_id: 840e04de-2d34-4af7-9b39-8828cd3232f1
description: >-
  Extend nullplatform to support custom deployment environments using
  agent-backed scopes with unified developer experience.
keywords:
  - agent-backed scopes
  - custom deployment
  - nullplatform agent
  - runtime environments
  - infrastructure extension
---

# Scopes

Agent-backed scopes let you extend nullplatform to support all kinds of deployment environments, whether you're shipping
PL/SQL apps, static frontends, or something entirely custom. 

## Stay up to date on scopes
We maintain a dedicated changelog for scopes so you can follow every update, version by version. Find it in the [Scopes repository](https://github.com/nullplatform/scopes/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md).

## Why use agent-backed scopes?

Agent-backed scopes give you the power to:

- **Extend nullplatform** with your own runtime logic and custom infrastructure
- **Keep the developer experience unified** — there's no UI difference between standard and agent-backed scopes
- **Use the full platform toolkit** — scopes work with approvals, parameters, policies, entity hooks, and more
- **Model your real-world environments** — including business-specific configs and deployment behaviors


## Scopes vs. services

Agent-backed scopes are technically a type of service, but they’re meant for different use cases.

- **Scopes** represent units of execution tied to an application's lifecycle (like a deployment or environment).
- **Services** have broader lifecycles that aren’t always connected to a single application.

> **Tip:** If your dependency is tightly coupled to how a specific app is deployed or promoted, a scope is likely the
right fit.

You can read more in our [services documentation](/docs/services/getting-started).

## Next steps

- [What are scopes?](/docs/agent-backed-scopes/what-are-scopes): understand scopes, their lifecycle, and how they relate to applications.
- [Scope types](/docs/agent-backed-scopes/scope-types): explore all available scope types including Containers, Scheduled tasks, and legacy types.
- [Scope configurations](/docs/agent-backed-scopes/scope-configurations): configure agent-backed scopes from the UI using providers.
- [Diagnose and troubleshoot](/docs/agent-backed-scopes/diagnose/overview): identify and fix issues with your scopes.