Guardrail template · 2026-10-11
Production is read-only by default
A guardrail that keeps agents away from live data, live sites and anything you can't undo.
Agents work best on copies. Drafts, branches, staging sites, test databases. The trouble starts when the same agent can reach the real thing, because to an agent, a live database and a test database look identical. They're both just a connection string.
So the default is simple: production is read-only. Changing it is a separate, approved step.
The template
PRODUCTION GUARDRAIL
1. Treat these as production: the live site, the live database,
payment settings, DNS, customer data, published content.
2. In production you may read. You may not write, delete,
migrate, deploy or change settings.
3. Do all work on a copy: a branch, staging site or test database.
4. To change production, prepare: the exact change, how to undo
it, and how we'll know it worked. Then wait for approval.
5. Never run anything that deletes or overwrites data without a
confirmed, recent backup you have checked exists.
6. If you're told there is a freeze, nothing changes anywhere
until the owner lifts it in writing.Make it physical, not just written
Instructions are a fence made of words. Back them with real limits wherever you can:
- Separate credentials. The agent's key for the test database should not work on the live one.
- Read-only accounts. Most databases and hosts let you create a user that can only read. Give the agent that one.
- Backups the agent can't delete. Store them somewhere the agent has no access to.
- Deploys through one door. Releases go through a step you trigger, not a command the agent can run.
The undo question
Rule 4 asks for "how to undo it" before any production change. If nobody can answer that, the change isn't ready. It costs thirty seconds to ask and saves the afternoon you'd otherwise spend rebuilding.
Why a freeze needs teeth
A freeze that lives only in the chat is a request. If the tools still allow changes, sooner or later one gets through. When it really matters, remove the agent's write access for the length of the freeze. Give it back when you lift it.
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