Decide whether an action is allowed
Evaluate request context against explicit policy to return a permission decision.
Desired outcome
An allow or deny decision for a named request that the calling application can enforce.
Explore from the outcome
Where this function can lead
These documented connections are starting points for selection, not a ranked list.
Ways to do it
Methods that can help achieve this outcome.
- Policy-as-code decision
Evaluate structured requests against declarative policy outside application business logic.
Link evidence: Open Policy Agent documentation overview
Tools and services
Software or services that can put a method to work.
- Open Policy Agent (self-hosted)
Open-source engine that evaluates structured input against policy and returns decisions.
Link evidence: Open Policy Agent documentation overview, How to deploy Open Policy Agent
Typical inputs
- Actor, requested action, resource, and relevant context
- Versioned policy and supporting data
Typical outputs
- Policy decision and, where defined, a reason or obligation
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-10-03