spec

Gates

AOC v0.1.0 classifies each action with two fields:

• effect_class: what kind of effect the action can have.
• gate: what must happen before the action proceeds.

Effect Class

The effect_class enum is closed in v0.1.0:

• read_only: no state change anywhere.
• reversible_internal: state change confined to this app, undoable.
• external: state change reaches outside this app, such as a third-party API, email, or payment surface, even if internally reversible.
• irreversible: state change cannot be undone by the contract author.

Gate

The gate enum is closed in v0.1.0:

• none: agent may act. Maps to host-level consent.
• preview: agent must show evidence of effect before acting.
• review_required: must show and obtain explicit human approve/decline.
• authorization_required: must obtain authorization via an out-of-band flow.
• forbidden: agent must refuse to propose.

Default Posture

Every non-read_only action should declare review_required or stricter.

The validator emits a finding when a non-read_only action declares gate: none. This is a finding, not an error, because v0 separates “valid” from “complete”.

Authorization Rule

If an action declares both:

• gate: authorization_required; and
• effect_class: external or effect_class: irreversible;

then the contract must set:

• human_ask.channel: out_of_band

The validator emits E_OUT_OF_BAND_REQUIRED when that rule is violated.

Runtime Boundary

AOC declares the gate. A runtime, host, or framework must enforce it. A valid contract does not prove that a runtime actually displayed a preview, collected approval, completed an authorization flow, or refused a forbidden action.

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