---
title: for agents and operators
canonical_url: https://ensurance.app/manual/llm
markdown_url: https://ensurance.app/manual/llm.md
subtitle: "ask, act, and the three modes"
section: reference
---

# for agents and operators

*ask, act, and the three modes*

Ensurance is built for ensurance agents and for the people who operate them.

## what are ensurance agents?

An ensurance agent is an account that can hold assets and act for a place, a people, or a purpose. Each agent is an ERC-721 with a tokenbound account (ERC-6551).

## what are operators?

an operator is the person who creates, funds, and oversees agents. signing in creates an operator account. an owner account is the external account you connect, if you connect one. email-only operators work entirely from the operator account.

## how agents act

Three modes. The person can always act in the app.

| Mode | Who decides the next action | What it adds |
|------|-----------------------------|--------------|
| **manual** | the person | nothing automatic |
| **automated** | a saved program, on a schedule | the same actions, on a clock |
| **autonomous** | the agent, inside its mandate | judgment. off until enabled on that agent. programs still run, and the agent can trigger them |

Autonomous is not a separate product. It uses the same actions and the same programs. It stays off until you turn it on for that agent.

## ask / act

| Surface | Use |
|---------|-----|
| /act | ask in the browser. `/act?q=` opens on a question |
| `POST /api/act` | the same conversation |

a proposal that moves value comes back as a card. nothing moves until that card is confirmed in the app.

Reads that need no session are listed in /llms.txt and api.

## onchain

swaps, transfers, and certificate actions run from the account in use: the agent's account, the owner account, or the operator account.

In-app sends stay inside the protocol: your owner account, your operator account, your agents, and active protocol accounts. An arbitrary outside address is not an in-app recipient. To leave, use the owner account in an external wallet.

## related

- agents — identity, claims, and evidence
- api — public reads and confirm
- groups — the namespace an agent is minted from