What is GOVMODE?
GOVMODE is a governance layer that sits between an agent's intent and its execution. Before an agent takes a high-impact action — sending a message, creating a record, modifying data — GOVMODE evaluates the action against your policies and, if required, pauses for human approval.
It is designed for teams that want the productivity benefits of autonomous agents without the risk of unreviewed side effects in production systems.
How it works
Every agent action is scored against three dimensions before execution:
| Dimension | What it checks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Does the action fall within the agent's declared permissions? | Agent with read-only GitHub tries to push a commit → blocked |
| Risk level | What is the blast radius if this action goes wrong? | Deleting a database record scores higher risk than reading one |
| Policy | Does your workspace governance policy permit this action type? | Policy blocks external email sends without approval |
Actions that pass all three dimensions execute immediately. Actions that fail or score above your configured risk threshold are held in the Approvals queue.
Enable or disable
GOVMODE can be toggled at three levels, each overriding the level below it:
- Platform level — always enforced for P1 security actions regardless of any other setting. Cannot be disabled.
- Workspace level — configured by workspace admins in Guardian Console → Governance → Policies. Applies to all agents in the workspace.
- Agent level — each agent can have a stricter policy than the workspace default but cannot have a looser one. Set this in the agent's permission panel during creation.
Approvals and overrides
When an action is held for approval you will see a notification in the Approvals tab (and optionally an email or push notification depending on your alert settings).
From the approval card you can:
- Approve — the agent executes the action immediately
- Reject — the agent skips this action and continues (or stops, depending on how it was designed)
- Request changes — leave a comment; the agent re-evaluates and resubmits
Enterprise accounts can configure auto-approval rules for low-risk actions from trusted agents, reducing approval fatigue while keeping high-risk actions human-reviewed.
Common questions
My agent is stuck waiting for approval. Where do I approve it?
Open the Approvals tab in the main navigation. All pending approvals are listed there with context about what the agent is trying to do.
Can I approve actions from mobile?
Yes. The TaurusX mobile app shows Approval notifications and lets you approve, reject, or request changes directly from the notification or from the Approvals screen.
GOVMODE is blocking an action I know is safe. Can I whitelist it?
Yes. Workspace admins can create an allow-list rule in Guardian Console → Governance → Policies. Specify the action type, the agent, and the target service.
What happens to an agent if I never approve its pending action?
The action stays in the queue indefinitely. The agent will not proceed past that step until you approve or reject. Pending approvals older than 7 days send a reminder notification.
Still need help?
Our support team usually responds within a few hours.