If you use the Azure Cosmos DB vNext emulator, you probably know the local development loop: start the emulator, connect to it, create some resources, load test data, run queries, and inspect the results. Each step is straightforward, but together they add setup work before you can test the application you are actually building.
How agents work with the emulator
The emulator includes Cosmos DB Shell, an open-source CLI for working with databases, containers, and items. It runs inside the emulator container and handles the local endpoint and well-known key, giving developers a direct, scriptable way to work with the emulator.
CLIs are well suited to agent workflows because they expose operations as explicit commands and return results the agent can inspect. An agent can discover commands through built-in help, run them non-interactively, respond to errors, and use the output to choose its next action. These characteristics make the CLI a practical interface for agents. Cosmos DB Shell brings that model to the local emulator.
For example, an agent can run Cosmos DB Shell non-interactively inside the emulator container:
