> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.enact.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Enact Works

> The foreman analogy — policies, workflows, receipts, and rollback explained.

## The Foreman Analogy

Think of Enact like a **foreman supervising an AI carpenter**. The carpenter is capable and fast, but needs oversight. When the carpenter says "I want to tear down this wall":

1. **Permit check** — Before any tool is picked up, the foreman checks the plans. Load-bearing? Utilities inside? Approved? If not: work stops, written reason recorded.
2. **Blueprint** — If approved, the carpenter follows exact step-by-step instructions — not just "tear down the wall" but each specific action in order. No improvising.
3. **Work log** — A signed record of every nail pulled, every stud removed, exact before-and-after state. Cryptographically sealed so it can't be altered later.
4. **Change order** — If the carpenter tore down the WRONG wall, the foreman issues a change order. Enact uses the work log to reverse every step and put it back.

## The Four Pieces

| Piece        | What it is                                  | Analogy                             |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Policy**   | A Python function that returns pass/fail    | The permit check                    |
| **Workflow** | A Python function that does the actual work | The blueprint the carpenter follows |
| **Receipt**  | A signed JSON record of what happened       | The signed work log                 |
| **Rollback** | One call that reverses an entire run        | The change order + teardown         |

## How They Fit Together

```
Agent wants to do something
         |
         v
    +----------+
    | POLICIES |  <-- "Is this approved?" (permit check)
    +----------+
         |
    PASS |  BLOCK --> Receipt (denied + reason)
         v
    +-----------+
    | WORKFLOW  |  <-- "Follow the blueprint, step by step"
    +-----------+
         |
         v
    +----------+
    | RECEIPT  |  <-- "Signed work log — what happened, what changed"
    +----------+
         |
    if needed:
         v
    +----------+
    | ROLLBACK |  <-- "Change order — reverse every step using the work log"
    +----------+
```

## Why This Matters

These weren't bugs — the agents did exactly what they were told. The problem was no permit check, no work log, no way to undo it:

| Incident        | What Happened                                                             | Source                                                                                                                     |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Replit**      | Agent deleted a production database containing data for 2,400+ executives | [Fortune, Jul 2025](https://fortune.com/2025/07/23/ai-coding-tool-replit-wiped-database-called-it-a-catastrophic-failure/) |
| **Amazon Kiro** | Agent deleted an EC2 environment → 13-hour AWS outage                     | [Awesome Agents, Feb 2026](https://awesomeagents.ai/news/amazon-kiro-ai-aws-outages/)                                      |
| **Claude Code** | Agent ran `rm -rf ~/` — wiped developer's entire home directory           | [ByteIota, Dec 2025](https://byteiota.com/claude-codes-rm-rf-bug-deleted-my-home-directory/)                               |

## Dive Deeper

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connectors" icon="plug" href="/concepts/connectors">
    Wrap external systems. Limit what the agent can call.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Policies" icon="shield-check" href="/concepts/policies">
    Python functions that decide whether a run should proceed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Receipts" icon="receipt" href="/concepts/receipts">
    Signed JSON records of every run — PASS or BLOCK.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rollback" icon="rotate-left" href="/concepts/rollback">
    One call that reverses everything in the correct order.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>