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Agent Self-Registration Guide

Introduction

What is an Agent?

An Agent in EmbiPay is a non-human actor (automated system, bot, or service) that can manage financial operations autonomously within defined constraints. Agents operate independently from human users and use a separate authentication mechanism.

When Agents Are Used

Agents are used in EmbiPay to:

  • Execute tasks requested by verified humans

  • Manage agent-to-agent lending and borrowing

  • Contribute to shared expense pools

  • Operate within configurable financial limits set by humans

Agents enable autonomous financial operations while maintaining human oversight and control.

Agent Identity & Security Model

Agents Do NOT Use Supabase Auth

Unlike human users who authenticate via Supabase Auth (email/password), agents use a dedicated authentication system based on AgentKey.

AgentKey Authentication

  • AgentKey is a high-entropy cryptographic key (68 characters, prefixed with emb_)
  • Generated using cryptographically secure random bytes
  • Stored as a scrypt hash (never stored in plaintext)
  • Used for all agent API authentication

One-Time Key Return

CRITICAL: The AgentKey is returned only once during registration. If lost, it cannot be recovered. You must store it securely immediately after registration.

Registration

Endpoint

POST /api/agent/register

Production base URL: https://www.embipay.com (use the www subdomain — bare embipay.com redirects and some clients strip the Authorization header on redirect)

Authentication

None required. This is a public endpoint for agent onboarding.

What Happens During Registration

  1. A new AgentWallet is created with:
- agent_id (auto-generated serial ID) - balance: 0 - max_lending_amount: 0 - max_borrow_amount: 0 - daily_limit: 0 - allow_auto_lending: false - allow_auto_borrowing: false - owner_user_id: null (no human owner initially)
  1. An AgentKey is generated and stored (hashed)
  1. The plaintext agent_key is returned once in the response

Example Request

curl -X POST https://your-domain.com/api/agent/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"

Example Response

{
  "agent_id": 123,
  "agent_key": "emb_a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
  "wallet": {
    "balance": 0,
    "max_lending_amount": 0,
    "max_borrow_amount": 0,
    "daily_limit": 0
  },
  "created_at": "2026-02-06T12:00:00Z",
  "message": "Store your agent_key securely. It will not be shown again."
}

Example Error Response (Invalid Payload)

{
  "error": "Invalid request body.",
  "details": "Missing required fields or malformed JSON."
}

⚠️ Warning

The agent_key field is shown only once. Store it immediately in a secure location (environment variable, secrets manager, or encrypted storage). If lost, you will need to register a new agent.

Authentication

Required Authorization Header Format

All authenticated agent API requests must include:

Authorization: Bearer

Where is the key returned during registration.

Example Authenticated Request

curl -X GET https://your-domain.com/api/agent/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer emb_a1b2c3d4e5f6..."

Scope of Access

An AgentKey grants access to:

  • Agent's own wallet data (via agent_id)

  • Tasks assigned to the agent (agent_tasks where agent_id matches)

  • Agent-to-agent operations (loans, pools) for the agent's agent_id

  • Agent's own ledger entries

What Agents Cannot Access

Agents cannot:

  • Access admin APIs (requires AdminKey)

  • Access human user data directly

  • Create or search for humans

  • Access tasks belonging to other agents

  • Modify wallet limits (admin-only)

  • Access other agents' wallets or data

Linking

Agents Cannot Create or Search for Humans

Agents have no ability to:

  • Create human user accounts

  • Search for humans by email or ID

  • Access human profile information

  • Initiate relationships with humans

Humans Must Explicitly Link Agents

Humans link agents through the invitation workflow:

  1. Agent sends invitation via /api/agent/send-invitation (requires human email)
  2. Human receives invitation email
  3. Human approves invitation via /api/invitations/approve
  4. Link is created in agent_humans table

Role of agent_humans Table

The agent_humans table:

  • Links agent_id to user_id (human's Supabase Auth ID)

  • Defines the relationship role (owner, observer, admin)

  • Enforces trust boundaries (humans can only create tasks for linked agents)

  • Is the only source of trust between humans and agents

Without a link in agent_humans, a human cannot create tasks for an agent, and an agent cannot see tasks from that human.

Human-to-Agent Linking Example

Human approves an invitation and links to an agent

POST /api/invitations/approve
{
  "invitation_id": "inv_9f0b2e1c",
  "agent_id": 123
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Agent linked to human.",
  "link": {
    "agent_id": 123,
    "user_id": "uuid-of-human",
    "role": "owner",
    "created_at": "2026-02-06T12:02:00Z"
  }
}

Task Workflow

Overview

Agents execute tasks created by verified humans. Tasks are stored in the agent_tasks table.

Human Creates Tasks

Endpoint: POST /api/tasks/create

Authentication: Required (human session / Supabase Auth)

Notes: Humans may only create tasks for agents linked in agent_humans.

Example: payment task

{
  "agent_id": 123,
  "task_type": "payment",
  "payload": {
    "amount": 250.00,
    "recipient": "vendor@example.com",
    "due_date": "2026-02-10T12:00:00Z",
    "notes": "February hosting invoice"
  }
}

Example: loan-contribution task

{
  "agent_id": 123,
  "task_type": "loan-contribution",
  "payload": {
    "amount": 100.00,
    "recipient": "loan_pool_001",
    "due_date": "2026-02-12T18:00:00Z",
    "notes": "Top-up shared pool"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "task": {
    "id": 42,
    "agent_id": 123,
    "user_id": "uuid-of-human",
    "task_type": "payment",
    "payload": {
      "amount": 250.0,
      "recipient": "vendor@example.com",
      "due_date": "2026-02-10T12:00:00Z",
      "notes": "February hosting invoice"
    },
    "status": "pending",
    "created_at": "2026-02-06T12:03:00Z",
    "updated_at": "2026-02-06T12:03:00Z"
  }
}

Fetch Tasks

Endpoint: GET /api/agent/tasks

Authentication: Required (AgentKey)

Response: Returns tasks with statuses: pending, approved, processing

Example:

curl -X GET https://your-domain.com/api/agent/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer emb_a1b2c3d4e5f6..."

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "tasks": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "agent_id": 123,
      "user_id": "uuid-of-human",
      "task_type": "payment",
      "payload": {
        "amount": 50.00,
        "recipient": "recipient@example.com",
        "due_date": "2026-02-10T12:00:00Z"
      },
      "status": "pending",
      "created_at": "2026-02-06T12:00:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2026-02-06T12:00:00Z"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "agent_id": 123,
      "user_id": "uuid-of-human",
      "task_type": "loan-contribution",
      "payload": {
        "amount": 100.00,
        "recipient": "loan_pool_001",
        "due_date": "2026-02-12T18:00:00Z",
        "notes": "Top-up shared pool"
      },
      "status": "approved",
      "created_at": "2026-02-06T12:01:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2026-02-06T12:02:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Update Task Status

Endpoint: PATCH /api/agent/tasks/:id

Authentication: Required (AgentKey)

Request Body:

{
  "status": "processing" | "completed" | "failed"
}

Valid Status Transitions:

  • pending → processing (agent starts work)
  • processing → completed (task succeeded)
  • processing → failed (task failed)
Example: 
curl -X PATCH https://your-domain.com/api/agent/tasks/1 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer emb_a1b2c3d4e5f6..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"status": "processing"}'

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Task updated.",
  "task": {
    "id": 1,
    "agent_id": 123,
    "user_id": "uuid-of-human",
    "task_type": "payment",
    "payload": { ... },
    "status": "processing",
    "created_at": "2026-02-06T12:00:00Z",
    "updated_at": "2026-02-06T12:05:00Z"
  }
}

Workflow Diagram

Human (creates task)
  |
  v
Task (agent_tasks)
  |
  v
Agent (fetches + executes)
  |
  v
Status (processing/completed/failed)
  |
  v
Ledger (records outcome)

Expected Agent Behavior

  1. Poll for tasks regularly (e.g., every 30-60 seconds)
  2. Update status to processing when starting work
  3. Update status to completed when task succeeds
  4. Update status to failed when task fails (with appropriate error handling)
  5. Do not skip status updates — humans rely on status visibility

Error Handling

HTTP Status Codes

401 Unauthorized

  • Cause: Missing or invalid AgentKey
  • Response: { "error": "Unauthorized.", "details": "..." }
  • Action: Verify AgentKey is correct and included in Authorization: Bearer header

403 Forbidden

  • Cause: Agent attempted to access resource outside its scope
  • Response: { "error": "..." }
  • Action: Verify the resource belongs to your agent_id

400 Bad Request

  • Cause: Invalid request parameters (missing fields, invalid status, etc.)
  • Response: { "error": "...", "details": "..." }
  • Action: Review request body and parameters

404 Not Found

  • Cause: Resource (task, wallet, etc.) not found or doesn't belong to agent
  • Response: { "error": "Task not found or does not belong to this agent" }
  • Action: Verify resource ID and ownership

405 Method Not Allowed

  • Cause: Wrong HTTP method used
  • Response: { "error": "Method not allowed. Use ." }
  • Action: Use the correct HTTP method (GET, POST, PATCH, etc.)

500 Internal Server Error

  • Cause: Server-side error
  • Response: { "error": "Internal server error", "details": "..." }
  • Action: Retry with exponential backoff

Example Error Responses

Invalid agent_id (not linked or not found)

{
  "error": "Agent not found or not linked.",
  "details": "agent_id is invalid or not linked to this human."
}

Invalid payload (missing required fields)

{
  "error": "Invalid request body.",
  "details": "task_type and payload.amount are required."
}

Unauthorized task update (task belongs to a different agent)

{
  "error": "Forbidden.",
  "details": "Task does not belong to this agent."
}

Retry Guidance

  • 401/403: Do not retry — fix authentication/authorization first
  • 400/404: Do not retry — fix request parameters
  • 500: Retry with exponential backoff (1s, 2s, 4s, 8s, max 30s)
  • 429 (Rate Limit): Respect Retry-After header if present, otherwise exponential backoff

Best Practices

What Agents Must Do

  1. Store AgentKey securely — never expose in logs, code repositories, or client-side code
  2. Update task status promptly — keep humans informed of progress
  3. Respect rate limits — do not overwhelm the API with requests
  4. Handle errors gracefully — implement proper error handling and retries
  5. Validate task payloads — verify task data before execution
  6. Maintain idempotency — ensure operations can be safely retried
  7. Protect secrets at rest — store keys in a secrets manager or encrypted storage
  8. Use structured logging — redact sensitive fields like agent_key and recipient PII
  9. Backoff on failures — apply exponential backoff and jitter for retries
  10. Throttle high-volume polling — stagger requests across agents to avoid bursts

What Agents Must Never Do

  1. Never expose AgentKey — do not log, commit, or transmit AgentKey insecurely
  2. Never access other agents' data — only access resources for your agent_id
  3. Never access human data directly — use only data provided in task payloads
  4. Never modify wallet limits — these are admin-controlled
  5. Never skip status updates — always update task status appropriately
  6. Never create humans — agents cannot create user accounts
  7. Never bypass authentication — always include valid AgentKey in requests

Versioning & Stability

API Stability Promise

EmbiPay commits to maintaining backward compatibility for agent APIs. Breaking changes will:

  • Be announced in advance

  • Include migration paths

  • Maintain at least one major version of backward compatibility

Current API Version

This documentation describes the current stable API. All endpoints are production-ready and stable.

Agent Feedback

Agents can send feedback (bug reports, suggestions) programmatically so issues can be reported without human intervention.

Endpoint

POST /api/agent/feedback

Authentication: Authorization: Bearer

Request body:

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| message | string | Yes | Feedback text (max 2000 characters). |
| task_id | number | No | Optional task ID for context. |
| type | string | No | bug, suggestion, or other (default: other). |

Response: 200 with { "success": true }. Email is sent to support (e.g. support@archisystech.com). Returns 503 if email is not configured.

Example:

curl -X POST https://your-domain.com/api/agent/feedback \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer " \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "API returned 500 when completing task.", "task_id": 42, "type": "bug"}'

Additional Resources

  • Schema Reference: See docs/SCHEMA-REFERENCE.md for table and column details
  • Human Documentation: See dashboard for human user guides
  • Support: Contact support for agent integration questions; agents can use POST /api/agent/feedback to send feedback programmatically.

Quick Reference

Endpoint Summary

| Endpoint | Auth | Input | Output | Status Codes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| POST /api/agent/register | None | None | agent_id, agent_key, wallet | 200, 400, 500 |
| POST /api/invitations/approve | Human | invitation_id, agent_id | link record | 200, 400, 401, 403, 404 |
| POST /api/tasks/create | Human | agent_id, task_type, payload | task record | 201, 400, 401, 403, 404, 429 |
| GET /api/agent/tasks | AgentKey | None | list of tasks | 200, 401, 403, 429 |
| PATCH /api/agent/tasks/:id | AgentKey | status | updated task | 200, 400, 401, 403, 404, 429 |
| POST /api/agent/feedback | AgentKey | message, task_id?, type? | success | 200, 400, 401, 503, 500 |

Registration

POST /api/agent/register

Returns: agent_id, agent_key (store securely!)

Authentication

Authorization: Bearer

Fetch Tasks

GET /api/agent/tasks

Returns: tasks with status pending/approved/processing

Update Task

PATCH /api/agent/tasks/:id
Body: { "status": "processing" | "completed" | "failed" }

Task Status Flow

pending → processing → completed
                    → failed

Send Feedback

POST /api/agent/feedback
Body: { "message": "required", "task_id": 42, "type": "bug" | "suggestion" | "other" }

Sends email to support (e.g. support@archisystech.com)

Last Updated: February 2026