Actor
The agent or automation that requested the action
Technical guide · Updated September 2, 2026
Immutable audit receipts for AI agent actions
An immutable audit receipt is a tamper-evident record created for a specific AI agent action. It binds the exact action and payload to the agent, policy decision, named human signer when approval is required, timestamp, and cryptographic signature. It lets an auditor verify who authorized what before execution.
A receipt answers the question a log cannot.
The useful distinction is authorization before execution versus observation after the fact.
EvidenceOrdinary audit logAuthority receipt
Core claimThe action happenedThe exact action was authorized
TimingUsually after executionIssued before execution
Human accountabilityMay show a user or service accountNames the signer who saw the action
Payload bindingOften stores event fieldsCryptographically binds the exact payload
Tamper evidenceDepends on the logging systemSignature verification is part of the artifact
Policy evidenceMay record a resultRecords the policy and decision path
What a verifiable AI agent receipt contains
Intent
The stated purpose and action category
Exact payload
A hash of the command, change, message, or transaction
Scope
The repository, environment, resource, or workflow affected
Policy decision
Cleared, approval required, founder veto, or denied
Signer
The named human who approved a consequential action
Time
Issuance, decision, expiry, and execution timestamps
Signature
Cryptographic proof that detects later modification
The minimum trustworthy flow
The receipt is useful only when enforcement verifies it before the protected action proceeds.
1. Evaluate
Policy evaluates the exact requested action and context.
2. Decide and sign
Low-risk work clears by policy; consequential work routes to a named signer.
3. Verify and execute
The enforcement point verifies the receipt, scope, payload hash, signature, and expiry before execution.
Frequently asked questions
What is an immutable audit receipt for an AI agent action?
An immutable audit receipt is a tamper-evident record created for a specific AI agent action. It binds the exact action and payload to the agent, policy decision, named human signer when approval is required, timestamp, and cryptographic signature. It lets an auditor verify who authorized what before execution.
How is an authority receipt different from an audit log?
An audit log records that an event occurred. An authority receipt proves that a particular action was evaluated and authorized under a specific policy before execution. The receipt binds the signer and decision to the exact action payload, so a later edit or different action cannot reuse the approval undetected.
Does every AI agent action need a human signature?
No. Low-risk actions can be cleared automatically by policy, while consequential actions route to a named human signer and prohibited actions are denied. Every path should still produce evidence showing which policy made the decision.
Can an approval receipt be reused for another action?
A correctly designed receipt cannot authorize a different payload. The receipt includes a cryptographic hash of the approved action and scope. Verification fails when the payload, commit, repository, environment, or other bound context changes.
See what examiner-ready evidence looks like.
Permission Protocol gates consequential agent actions and produces a signed receipt naming the actor, policy, payload, and accountable signer.
Watch the blocked-action flow