Tool Guardrails

Tool guardrails control what tools an AI system can use and how.

They are critical for agentic and autonomous AI systems.

Why tool guardrails matter

Without controls, agents can:

• Execute destructive commands
• Write files unintentionally
• Access unauthorized APIs
• Escalate privileges
• Leak secrets via tools

Common tool guardrails

• Tool Access Control
  Restricts which tools can be invoked.

• IAM Permission Enforcement
  Enforces permission boundaries.

• File Write Restrictions
  Prevents unsafe file system writes.

• Destructive Action Detection
  Blocks irreversible operations.

Enforcement model

Tool guardrails run:

• Before tool execution
• With full context (arguments, user, profile)
• In deterministic order

Example scenario

If an agent attempts to delete a database:

• The request is blocked
• The tool call is denied
• An audit event is emitted

Best practices

• Default to deny
• Explicitly allow tools
• Use separate profiles for agents
• Log every tool invocation

Next steps

• Learn how to write custom guardrails
• Learn about Profiles