> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mimic-api.gitbook.io/mimic-api-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mimic-api.gitbook.io/mimic-api-docs/guides/concepts/approvals-and-safeguards.md).

# Approvals and safeguards

What the settler is allowed to do with a wallet's funds, and how that is authorized.

Two separate mechanisms control what Mimic can do with a wallet. They arrive together in prepare responses and are easy to confuse.

## The settler

Actions are executed on chain by Mimic's settler contract:

```
0x8be430d29a2c5692f9345a28506b849c6a99edaa
```

For it to move a token, the wallet must have granted it an ERC-20 allowance. `GET /settlers` and `GET /settlers/{chain}` return the current addresses — prefer reading them over hardcoding.

## Approvals — permission to spend

`requiredApprovals` in a prepare response holds raw `approve()` transactions granting that allowance. You never craft them yourself.

They are **raw transactions**, so they are signed with `signTransaction`, not typed-data signing:

```javascript
const signedApprovals = await Promise.all(
  res.requiredApprovals.map((tx) => signer.signTransaction(tx))
);
```

Submit them as `signedApprovals` alongside the action signature. The array is empty when the allowance already exists — a second action on the same wallet and token usually needs no approval.

## Safeguards — limits on what may be done

`policies` is the newer, stronger control. Where an approval says *"the settler may spend this token"*, a safeguard says *"…and only for these operations"*. The safeguard currently set by strategy endpoints allows swaps that pay out to the wallet itself, and denies every other kind of operation.

Policies are EIP-712 payloads, signed like the main payload:

```javascript
const signedPolicies = await Promise.all(
  res.policies.map((p) => signer.signTypedData(p.domain, p.types, p.values))
);
```

{% hint style="danger" %}
When `policies` is non-empty you **must** submit `signedPolicies`. Without them the safeguards are never set and the request is rejected — the strategy is not created.
{% endhint %}

`policies` is empty when the wallet is already safeguarded, so this is typically a one-time cost per wallet.

## Revocations — taking permission back

Stopping a strategy returns `revocations`: raw `approve()` transactions setting the allowance back to zero, so no spending permission is left behind.

Signing them is **optional** — the strategy stops either way. Omitting them just leaves the existing allowance in place.

They come back empty when there is nothing to remove, and also when another strategy on the same wallet and token is still live: the allowance is shared, so zeroing it would break that one.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://mimic-api.gitbook.io/mimic-api-docs/guides/concepts/approvals-and-safeguards.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.