# Capabilities and permissions

Source: https://openflow.run/en/docs/design/permissions/
Language: en
Product version: 0.1.0-beta.77

Grant the workflow the account, tools, and runtime capabilities required for its task.

A workflow declaration specifies which capabilities it intends to use. The deployment still checks the authenticated actor, Flow ownership, selected account, and current authorization when admitting and executing work.

## Connections

Connector owns external credentials. A node selects a Connection rather than embedding its access token in a Revision. Two accounts for the same service remain separate authorities; a failure on one account does not grant permission to fall back to another.

A Flow’s shared access configuration is separate from its graph. Publications and Runs fix the required authorization identities and snapshots. Upstream revocation can still prevent a later call.

## Agent tools

An Agent can call only its declared tools. Tool declarations select the Action or workflow, account, fixed parameters, model-provided parameters, and approval policy. The model cannot expand these permissions by writing a prompt.

The [Agent node](https://openflow.run/en/docs/nodes/agent/index.md) and [Connector node](https://openflow.run/en/docs/nodes/connector/index.md) describe these choices.

## Code capabilities

Code runs in an isolated environment. Built-in modules do not grant access to host files, credentials, or arbitrary networking. External Actions, workflow calls, and HTTP hosts must be declared through the supported capability interface.

## Variables and sensitive data

Variables are account-owned configuration. They avoid placing literal values into the workflow definition, but user code can still return, log, or transmit values it receives. They are not a non-exportable secret mechanism.

Only pass data and permissions that the current task needs. Inspect outputs and logging when a workflow processes sensitive values.

## Sources

*   [docs/architecture.md](https://github.com/oomol-lab/open-flow/blob/e25a738d170322734572a0b8a1323cb00b9d355a/docs/architecture.md#4-identity-and-capability-boundaries)
*   [docs/control/flow-authorization.md](https://github.com/oomol-lab/open-flow/blob/e25a738d170322734572a0b8a1323cb00b9d355a/docs/control/flow-authorization.md)