> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.permissionslip.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Agents Overview

> Understanding agents in Permission Slip

# Agents

An **agent** is any AI system that connects to Permission Slip to request approval before taking actions. Agents authenticate using Ed25519 key pairs and communicate with Permission Slip through a signed API.

## Agent Lifecycle

Agents move through three statuses:

| Status          | Description                                                              |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Pending**     | Agent has registered but hasn't completed verification yet.              |
| **Registered**  | Agent is verified and can submit approval requests.                      |
| **Deactivated** | Agent has been permanently disabled. All standing approvals are revoked. |

## How Agents Authenticate

When an agent registers, it provides an Ed25519 public key. Every subsequent API request from the agent is signed with the corresponding private key using the `X-Permission-Slip-Signature` header. This ensures:

* **Identity** — Permission Slip knows which agent is making the request.
* **Integrity** — requests can't be tampered with in transit.
* **Replay protection** — timestamps and request IDs prevent replayed requests.

## What Agents Can Do

Once registered and verified, an agent can:

* **Request approvals** — submit an action for your review before executing it.
* **Cancel requests** — withdraw a pending approval request if no longer needed.
* **Verify confirmation codes** — exchange an approval's confirmation code for a single-use execution token.
* **Execute actions** — run an approved action using the execution token.
* **Use standing approvals** — execute pre-authorized actions without per-request approval.

## Managing Agents

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Register" icon="plus" href="/agents/register">
    Add a new agent via invite code.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configure" icon="gear" href="/agents/configure">
    Rename agents, manage connectors, and view credentials.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deactivate" icon="ban" href="/agents/deactivate">
    Permanently disable an agent.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>