Spend caps for autonomous workers

Agent spending limits should stop the next request, not explain the last bill

Autonomous agents need hard spending limits that apply per task, workflow, delegated sub-agent, model, tool, API route, and time window. SatGate enforces those limits before requests execute.

The control point is before the call

Autonomous agents can generate real costs through model calls, API requests, MCP tools, delegated sub-agents, retries, and background workflows. If the policy check happens after the request, the money is already spent.

SatGate enforces economic policy at the gateway boundary. Every important request can be evaluated against budget, scope, identity, revocation, route, tool, and audit rules before upstream access.

That is the difference between cost reporting and economic control.

What good policy includes

Per-agent budgets

Track and limit spend by agent identity, tenant, task, workflow, route, model, and MCP tool.

Delegated sub-agent limits

Give sub-agents smaller budgets, narrower tools, shorter expiry, and separate audit trails than their parent.

Kill switches and revocation

Stop future spend by revoking or narrowing credentials before the next API or MCP request.

From Observe to Control

Start by measuring real agent spend, then enforce hard caps where risk, cost, or autonomy justifies it.

SatGate controls

Use SatGate to move from Observe to Control: measure real agent economics first, then enforce the limits that matter.

Agent identity

Attribute requests to the tenant, agent, task, workflow, route, model, MCP tool, and delegated sub-agent.

Budget checks

Evaluate remaining spend, per-request ceilings, daily caps, tool caps, and route budgets before forwarding.

Scoped credentials

Use expiring capabilities instead of broad static keys so authority matches the job.

Revocation

Block the next request when a credential, workflow, route, budget, or agent should stop.

Audit trails

Record allow/deny decisions with policy, budget remaining, route, tool, estimated cost, and outcome.

Benchmark risk

Model loops, retry storms, fanout, detection delay, and avoided spend with benchmark-backed scenarios.

Make agent economics enforceable.

SatGate is the economic firewall for AI agents: observe every request, control spend before execution, and charge robot customers when paid API access should unlock.