Approval

Control when agents pause for approval by setting each tool to auto-approve, require approval, or disabled

Approval settings control when an agent must pause and ask you before running a tool. You set each tool to auto-approve, require approval, or disabled — balancing automation speed against safety.

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Why approval

• Trust builds incrementally. Start with write tools set to require approval, then auto-approve routine operations once you’ve verified agent behavior.
• Reads stay fast, writes stay safe. Read-only tools run without prompts; anything that changes infrastructure can be gated.
• You see the exact command first. Every approval prompt shows the command or script before it runs, so nothing executes sight unseen.
• Every decision is logged. Approvals create an audit trail that answers “who approved what change and why” for compliance reviews.
• High-risk operations stay gated. Keep IAM changes and database schema modifications permanently approval-required.

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Configure tool permissions

Set the approval mode per tool, per connection.

1. Open Connections

   Navigate to Connections and select the Built-in Connections tab.

2. Select a connection

   Find the connection you want to configure, such as Amazon Web Services.

3. Open Tool Settings

   Click Tool Settings to open the configuration modal.

4. Configure each tool

   For each tool, set:

   • Enabled — allow or disallow agents from using this tool
   • Requires User Approval — require manual approval before execution

The same per-tool flags also appear under Approval in workspace settings, on the Tool Permissions tab.

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Approval modes

Each tool runs in one of three modes:

Mode	What happens	Use for
Auto-approved	The agent executes without asking	Read-only analysis, safe operations
Requires approval	The agent pauses and waits for your confirmation	Write operations, infrastructure changes
Disabled	The agent cannot use this tool at all	Sensitive capabilities you want off-limits

A safe starting configuration separates reads from writes:

Tool type	Recommended setting	Examples
Read-only	Auto-approved	aws_use_cli_read_only, gcp_use_cli_read_only, azure_use_cli_read_only
Write	Requires approval	aws_use_cli_write_only, gcp_use_cli_write_only, azure_use_cli_write_only

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The approval prompt

When an agent attempts an operation that requires approval, it pauses and presents a prompt.

Element	Description
Operation	What the agent wants to do, such as “Restart EC2 instance”
Reasoning	Why the agent is taking this action
Details	The exact command or script to be executed
Proceed	Approve the operation and let the agent continue
Cancel	Stop the operation and notify the agent

Expand Details before deciding. Verify the exact command matches your expectations — approve the command, not just the summary.

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When agents ask for approval

Tools set to require approval pause the agent for operations like these:

Category	Examples
Infrastructure changes	Restart instances, resize resources, modify configurations
Write operations	Create, update, or delete cloud resources
Security actions	IAM changes, security group modifications
Database operations	Schema changes, data modifications
Kubernetes changes	Scale deployments, modify configurations

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Approval, Auto Mode, and agent autonomy

Per-tool approval is a static rule: the same tool always asks, always runs, or is always blocked. Two other settings interact with it.

Auto Mode replaces the static Requires approval flag with a classifier that reviews each write against what you asked for:

Tool setting	Auto Mode off	Auto Mode on
Auto-approved	Runs without asking	Runs without asking
Requires approval	Always asks	Classifier decides case-by-case
Disabled	Never runs	Never runs — Auto Mode never enables a disabled tool

Turn Auto Mode off and your per-tool rules resume unchanged.

Agent autonomy applies when agents run on their own, outside a live chat:

Mode	What happens
Manual	The agent proposes the action and waits for a person to approve it before running.
Auto	The agent runs the action on its own and reports the result.

Per-tool approval governs individual tool calls; autonomy mode governs whether an agent’s proposed actions wait for a person at all.

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FAQ

Which setting should I start with?

When first connecting a new service, set all write tools to require approval. As you build confidence in agent behavior, selectively auto-approve routine operations.

Do approvals help with compliance?

Yes. Every approval is logged, showing who approved which change and why — a change-management record without the overhead of a full ITSM workflow.

Can I stop an operation after approving?

You can cancel an operation from the approval prompt before it runs. Once approved, the command executes as shown in Details.

What happens to these settings when Auto Mode is on?

The Requires approval flags are paused while the classifier decides case-by-case. Disabled tools stay disabled. Turning Auto Mode off restores your rules exactly as configured.

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Related

Auto Mode

Let a classifier auto-approve safe agent actions so chats flow without stopping

Agents

Learn how agents work and collaborate

Connections

Set up cloud and service connections