Use Cogno behind a corporate proxy

On a company network the Cogno window can load normally while the Engine on the same computer cannot connect. This page explains why, what the Engine does about it on its own, and how to set the proxy or a certificate yourself when automatic detection is not enough. It is for the person using the computer and for the IT team that manages its network.

How the Engine connects

The Cogno window and the Engine take different routes. The window talks to app.cogno.studio. The Engine is a separate background program: it connects to the Cogno API directly, and the agents it runs connect to their own providers and to GitHub. The Engine finds the proxy for this computer in this order:

Order	Source	Notes
1	Proxy environment variables (`HTTPS_PROXY`, `HTTP_PROXY`, `NO_PROXY`)	Used as they are when present.
2	The operating system’s proxy settings	Windows: the manual proxy, a setup script (PAC) and automatic detection. macOS: the manual web proxy entries.

The same proxy is handed to everything the Engine starts — Claude Code, Codex, git and the GitHub CLI — so agent runs use it too. If the chosen proxy cannot be reached, the Engine connects directly instead. A laptop that uses a proxy at the office keeps working at home without any change.

On macOS the Engine reads manual proxy entries only. If your Mac gets its proxy from an automatic configuration script alone, enter the proxy address by hand (below).

Hosts to allow

Ask your IT team to allow outbound HTTPS (port 443) to these hosts, directly or through the proxy.

Host	Used for
`app.cogno.studio`	The Cogno window.
`cogno-core-api-756410923132.asia-northeast1.run.app`	The Engine’s connection to Cogno: heartbeat, picking up work, reporting results.
`api.anthropic.com`	Agent runs with Claude Code.
`api.openai.com`	Agent runs with Codex.
`api.github.com`, `github.com`	Pushing branches and opening pull requests.

The agent CLIs may contact further hosts of their own provider. Test connection (below) shows what this computer can reach right now.

Change the network settings on this computer

These settings are saved on this computer only. They are not part of your workspace and are not sent to Cogno.

Open the Engine menu

In the desktop app, open Settings → Machines. Under This machine, find Engine and open More actions.

Open Network settings

Choose Network settings. The first line shows what the Engine is using now — for example Connecting directly, with no proxy.

Choose how the proxy is found

Set Proxy to Detect automatically, Enter manually or No proxy. With Enter manually, fill in Proxy address and, if some internal hosts must skip the proxy, Hosts that skip the proxy.

Test and save

Select Test connection to try Cogno, Anthropic, OpenAI and GitHub with these settings, then Save.

Network settings dialog showing the detected system proxy and reachable hosts — The Network settings dialog after Test connection.

If the dialog says Update the desktop app to change network settings on this computer., install the latest desktop app first.

Reference

Field	Meaning	Notes
Proxy → Detect automatically	Environment variables, then the operating system’s settings.	The default.
Proxy → Enter manually	Always use the address you enter.	Still falls back to a direct connection while that proxy is unreachable.
Proxy → No proxy	Always connect directly.
Proxy address	`http://host:port`, or `host:port`.	`https://` and `socks5://` are accepted. A saved password is never shown again.
Hosts that skip the proxy	Comma-separated hosts that go direct.	`localhost` always goes direct.
Extra certificate file	Full path to a `.pem` file trusted in addition to the system certificates.	Only needed when your network inspects HTTPS traffic with its own certificate. Also passed to Node-based agents.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Engine shows Connection degraded and The Engine cannot reach Cogno from this network.	The network blocks the Engine’s direct connection, or needs a proxy the Engine did not find.	Open Network settings and run Test connection. Do not reset the machine — your sign-in is fine.
The address could not be found (DNS).	The network does not resolve outside names without the proxy.	Set Proxy to Enter manually and enter your proxy.
Timed out. or The connection was refused or blocked.	A firewall blocks the host.	Ask IT to allow the hosts above.
The certificate is signed by … which this computer does not trust.	Your network inspects HTTPS.	Get that authority’s certificate as a `.pem` file from IT and set Extra certificate file.
The proxy asks for a username and password.	The proxy needs credentials.	Include them in Proxy address (`http://user:password@host:port`), or ask IT to let the Cogno hosts through without authentication.
The proxy setting works at the office but not elsewhere.	The proxy is only reachable on the office network.	Nothing to do: the Engine connects directly while the proxy is unreachable.

For anything not listed here, see Troubleshooting.

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Concepts

Guides

Reference

Help

Use Cogno behind a corporate proxy

How the Engine connects

Hosts to allow

Change the network settings on this computer

Reference

Troubleshooting

​How the Engine connects

​Hosts to allow

​Change the network settings on this computer

​Reference

​Troubleshooting

​Related docs

How the Engine connects

Hosts to allow

Change the network settings on this computer

Reference

Troubleshooting

Related docs