Agents, tools and controlled automation · Module 1: Agents, tools and controlled automation in practice
Approval gates, logs and rollback
Learning outcome: Make an automated action reviewable and recoverable.
A useful approval gate shows the actual proposed change, its target and the evidence behind it. “Proceed?” without that context gives a reviewer little basis for a decision. Approval should apply to the reviewed action; a later material change may require review again.
Keep logs sufficient to reconstruct what happened without unnecessarily storing sensitive content. Record versions, operation identifiers, decisions and outcomes. Define how to stop the process and what can be reversed. Some actions, such as sending a message, cannot truly be undone even if a record can be deleted. Design those boundaries before releasing the workflow.
Worked example
A fictional assistant proposes updating a knowledge article. The reviewer sees a before-and-after diff, source references and the article ID. After approval, the system writes that version and records the result. If the source changes before publication, the old approval should not silently cover a newly generated article.
Try it yourself
Design an approval card for the article update. Include the rollback route and one case that invalidates the approval.
You can do this exercise on paper. If using an assistant, keep to the fictional material and an approved tool.
Compare your approach
The card should identify the exact content and destination. A changed destination or materially revised text invalidates the reviewed proposal. Retaining the previous article version supports rollback of content, but not erasure of what readers already saw.
Check your understanding
Which approval is meaningful?
- A generic confirmation shown before the draft exists
- Approval of a specific reviewed change to a named target
- Approval of any future action the agent considers useful
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: Approval of a specific reviewed change to a named target. A reviewer needs the exact change and target. A generic advance approval does not establish that later content or destinations have been reviewed.
Workbook
Download the course workbook to record your answer and compare it after the knowledge check.