A practical starting point
Work through these checks in order. Use the results to decide what needs to change in your own workflow.
- Separate trusted task instructions from external content.
- Validate requested actions against the authorized workflow.
- Test documents that ask the agent to disclose data or change its objective.
A web page saying send your credentials elsewhere should never become an instruction merely because it was retrieved.
A mistake to avoid
Do not assume a warning in the prompt is sufficient protection for unrestricted tools.
How to check progress
Measure whether adversarial content causes unauthorized actions or data exposure.
Your action checklist
Use this checklist while reviewing your own setup. Checkmarks are temporary and stay in this open page.
Need the wider workflow?
This quick note covers one decision. For a worked example, decision table and a fuller implementation workflow, read Choosing an agent when a workflow is not a fixed script.
Further reading
Official background resources for this topic. The workflow above is general guidance, not a guarantee of a particular result.
AI-assisted editorial content. Examples are illustrative, not client case studies. Read our editorial policy or report a correction.
