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

# Understand the five action classes

> How Trellis separates reading, drafting, changing, delivering, and spending — and where approvals protect you

## What this helps you do

Predict which actions in Trellis run immediately and which pause for a person,
so you can set up permissions and agent access with confidence. Every action a
teammate or AI agent takes belongs to one of five classes, and the controls in
**Settings > Team & Permissions** and each agent's **Access & Safety** follow
the same model.

## The five classes

| Class   | What it covers                                                            | Typical controls                                                                             |
| ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Read    | Viewing records                                                           | The **View** permission in the role matrix; agent **View** access                            |
| Draft   | Composing something not yet sent, like a suggested reply                  | Always safe; drafts wait for review                                                          |
| Change  | Editing records inside Trellis — property fields, task details, schedules | **Create**, **Edit**, **Delete**, and **Assign** in the role matrix; agent **Change** access |
| Deliver | Sending to the outside world — a guest message, a provider update         | **Approve & send** on replies; **Ask first** on agent tools                                  |
| Spend   | Money — refunds, costs above limits                                       | The **Approve** permission; cost approvals on tasks                                          |

A wrong change can be corrected inside Trellis. A wrong delivery has already
reached a guest or an external system. That is why reads, drafts, and changes
run at full speed while deliveries and spending pause for review.

## Where the controls live

<Steps>
  <Step title="Roles">
    Go to **Settings > Team & Permissions**. Each role is a matrix of resources
    and actions — **View**, **Create**, **Edit**, **Delete**, **Assign**, and
    **Approve**. Property access notes: "Restrict which properties this role
    can see and act on. Empty selection = all properties."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Agent tool access">
    In an agent's **Access & Safety**, every tool is **Allowed**, **Ask
    first**, or **Off**, with **View** and **Change** access set separately
    per work area.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Agent autonomy">
    Above tool access sits the autonomy mode: **Observe only**, **Ask before
    acting**, **Act within limits**, or **Paused**. Even in **Act within
    limits**, tools set to **Ask first** still stop for a person.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deliveries">
    Drafted guest replies wait as suggested replies for **Approve & send**.
    Agent actions set to **Ask first** stop at a **Requires approval** prompt
    showing exactly what would run.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Judge each request on its class

Before an unfamiliar action, ask which class it is. If the answer is deliver
or spend, expect an approval — and treat declining as normal operation, not a
failure. The prompt shows the exact content and input, so judge each item on
its own evidence.

## Common problems

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="An agent action ran without asking">
    Review the tool's setting in **Access & Safety**. Tools set to **Allowed**
    run without a prompt in **Act within limits**; move sensitive tools to
    **Ask first**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A teammate cannot edit a record they can see">
    Their role grants **View** but not **Edit** on that resource. Review the
    role matrix in **Settings > Team & Permissions**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Approvals feel constant">
    Reads, drafts, and changes never require approval. If routine internal
    edits are prompting, the affected tools or permissions are set more
    strictly than the action class requires.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related articles

* [Choose roles and property access](/guides/roles-and-property-access)
* [Approve a sensitive message](/guides/approve-sensitive-message)
* [Settings & Admin](/platform/settings)