The Identity Standard for AI Agents
Verifiable identity. Scoped authorization. Full accountability. An open standard enabling autonomous agents to operate with trust and traceability.
The Core Questions
When you interact with an autonomous agent, you need answers to fundamental questions:
Who is the agent?
Verifiable identity proving the agent is who it claims to be, issued by a trusted authority.
Who authorized it?
Clear delegation chain showing the principal (human or organization) that authorized the agent's actions.
What can it do?
Explicit scope defining the boundaries of the agent's authority and permitted actions.
Can we revoke it?
Revocable credentials enabling immediate termination of agent authority when needed.
Three Pillars of Trust
APIS establishes a foundation for agent identity and authorization
Identity
Cryptographically verifiable credentials that prove an agent's identity, issued by recognized authorities.
Authorization
Explicit scopes and mandates that define what actions an agent is permitted to take on behalf of its principal.
Accountability
Complete audit trails linking actions back to principals, with revocable credentials for trust enforcement.
How It Works
A trust chain from issuers to principals to delegates
Issuer
Issues credentials
Principal
Authorizes agents
Delegate
Acts with authority
Why Now?
Enterprise and public-sector risk demands standardized agent identity
Autonomous agents are proliferating
Organizations are deploying AI agents for increasingly sensitive operations, from financial transactions to data access.
Regulatory pressure is increasing
Compliance frameworks increasingly require demonstrable control and auditability of automated systems.
No existing standard addresses this
Current identity standards were designed for humans, not autonomous agents. APIS fills this gap.
Built for the Ecosystem
Three roles working together within the APIS framework
Issuers
Trusted authorities that issue verifiable credentials to principals and agents.
Learn about issuing →Developers
Build agent systems that implement APIS for identity and authorization.
Start building →Verifiers
Systems that validate credentials and enforce authorization policies.
Understand the standard →Ready to get started?
Join the effort to establish identity and authorization standards for AI agents.