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How It Works

Human & AI Action Gateway

⚡ 6 min read

Transcodes governs risky actions by humans and AI agents — same roles, same rules, one audit trail.

WhoPasskey login (no passwords)
WhatRBAC per resource:action — deny / allow / allow + step-up
ProofBiometric step-up before dangerous actions
RecordStep-up MFA, SDK events, and guard outcomes in audit log

Connect via transcodes-guard (AI Agent) or the browser SDK (web app). Both use the same Transcodes Cloud backend, RBAC, and audit log.


Start

# macOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/transcodings/transcodes-guard/prod/cli/install.sh | bash && transcodes install # Windows (PowerShell): # irm …/install.ps1 | iex; transcodes install
PathForDocs
AAI Agent — guard risky shell / MCP callsAI Agent
BWeb app — redirectToSignIn · redirectToStepUp · redirectToConsole (Coming Soon)Admin Back-office

The three actors

ActorSurface
End userTranscodes Auth — login, manage passkeys
OperatorConsole — roles, tokens, RBAC matrix
Human approverTranscodes Auth — step-up before risky actions
AI agentMCP in IDE — same RBAC as the token holder

Login, step-up, and credential management share Transcodes Auth (sign-in · step-up · console). Your app redirects with ?sid=…; no embedded auth UI.


Login

SDK: redirectToSignIn({ redirectUri })handleSignInCallback() on return. Private keys stay on device; the server stores only public keys.


Step-up

Already logged in, but the action is dangerous — prove it again with biometrics (delete member, change roles, AI calling retire_member).

SDK: redirectToStepUp({ resource, action }). Session TTL: 10 minutes. Full guide: Step-up Auth.


RBAC

LevelMeaning
0Deny
1Allow
2Allow + step-up

Resources (members, roles, …) × actions (create, read, update, delete). Same matrix for SDK and MCP — backend is the authority. See RBAC.


AI agents

The agent acts as the member in its token. Read/list operations proceed; tier-2 actions are blocked until a human completes step-up.

Store tokens in {{HOME_DIR}}/.transcodes/config.json via the CLI — never paste into chat.


Auth methods

Passkey (primary) · TOTP · hardware key · email OTP · passcode (recovery). Register at least two methods per member.


What you still own

TranscodesYou
WebAuthn, hosted auth page, JWT issuanceApp UI and business logic
RBAC storage & enforcementRole/resource setup in Console
Audit log storageOptional trackUserAction from your app
MCP tools & guardHost plugin install, token security

Transcodes is not a full app-security platform — you still own CSP, XSS prevention, and HTTPS.


Next steps

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