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Agent Boundary

Reviewed 19 July 2026Canonical definitionPart of: Runtime Control & Guardrail Terms →

An agent boundary is a hard constraint that an agent cannot cross regardless of its reasoning or the user's instructions. Boundaries are distinct from guidelines in that they are enforced at the runtime layer, not merely suggested in the prompt.

§01 / QUESTIONSterm: Agent Boundary
Questions

Common questions.

What is Agent Boundary?

An agent boundary is a hard constraint that an agent cannot cross regardless of its reasoning or the user's instructions.

How is Agent Boundary used in production?

Boundaries are distinct from guidelines in that they are enforced at the runtime layer, not merely suggested in the prompt.

Which terms are related to Agent Boundary?

Closely related concepts include Agent Context Isolation, Jailbreak (AI Agent), Capability Control (AI), Evasion Attack (AI). Each is defined in the Prefactor glossary.

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