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The Agent Registry Checklist for Security Teams

April 25, 2026 /

An agent registry checklist gives security teams a repeatable way to record each AI agent's owner, purpose, identity, scopes, endpoints, review state, and public inspection links before the agent can touch tools, APIs, data, or payment flows.

The registry should connect internal identity controls with public artifacts. For HeadlessDomains.com, that means pairing enterprise IAM records with Headless Domains records, agent.json, SKILL.md, endpoint metadata, and a Headless Profile Directory page that humans and agents can inspect.

Agent Registry Fields to Publish

Identity field	Security value	Where to publish
Canonical agent name	Gives every tool, directory, API, and audit log one stable name to verify	Internal registry, Headless Domains record, agent.json, Headless Profile Directory
Operator and human sponsor	Shows which team owns approval, support, review, and retirement	IAM notes, agent.json, directory profile, incident contact page
Purpose and approved tasks	Separates expected behavior from unsafe delegation or vague automation	Internal registry, SKILL.md, agent.json, access-review evidence
Environment and status	Distinguishes test, staging, production, suspended, and retired agents	Internal registry, agent.json status field, Headless Profile Directory
Credential type	Confirms the agent uses a dedicated nonhuman identity instead of a borrowed human account	IAM, workload identity platform, registry record, audit evidence
Authorized scopes	Lets reviewers compare actual tool power with approved business purpose	IAM, OAuth client, MCP authorization metadata, agent.json
Trusted endpoints	Gives clients the approved MCP servers, APIs, webhooks, and callback URLs	agent.json, OpenAPI, MCP gateway, Headless Profile Directory
Machine-readable artifacts	Lets other agents inspect instructions and manifest data before interaction	agent.json, SKILL.md, llms.txt, public profile links
Payment authority	Marks whether the agent can quote, approve, spend, refund, or only read payment data	Internal finance controls, payment policy URL, agent.json, access review notes
Review and retirement path	Prevents stale agents, orphaned access, and old endpoint claims from staying active	Internal registry, offboarding runbook, agent.json, public profile status

Why the Registry Starts With Identity

Security teams already manage users, service accounts, apps, devices, and workloads. Agent registries add a specific nonhuman actor that can read context, call tools, coordinate with other agents, and represent an organization outside one platform. Treating that actor as a named identity makes policy, logging, and revocation possible.

Microsoft's security guidance for AI agents frames the problem across assistive agents, autonomous agents, agent user accounts, and agent-to-agent scenarios. The useful takeaway for registries is direct: list the agent as its own governed actor, then attach authentication, authorization, governance, logging, and lifecycle controls.

Google Cloud's MCP authentication guidance warns that an AI application using a human credential acts with that human's permissions. For production use, Google points teams toward separate agent identity, minimum permissions, and IAM controls that can block read-write MCP tool use on sensitive resources.

Okta's Secure Agentic Enterprise blueprint adds the enterprise discovery angle: teams have to find shadow agents, map what each agent can connect to, assign human ownership, control connections across MCP, tools, apps, APIs, and databases, and revoke access fast when risk changes.

Checklist for Security Review

Create one registry row for every production agent, sandbox agent with sensitive data, and third-party agent connected to business systems.
Assign a canonical name, operator, human sponsor, business purpose, environment, and status.
Bind each agent to a dedicated nonhuman identity, service principal, workload identity, or agent identity platform entry.
Record approved tools, MCP servers, APIs, webhooks, data classes, OAuth scopes, IAM roles, and payment authority.
Publish a machine-readable manifest with agent.json and link the manifest from the agent's Headless Domains record.
Publish SKILL.md when the agent exposes repeatable workflows or operating rules for other agents.
Add trusted endpoints, public keys, policy URLs, proof links, support contact, and incident contact channels.
List the agent in the Headless Profile Directory so security reviewers, partner agents, APIs, and marketplaces have a public inspection layer.
Require runtime policy checks for sensitive tool calls, administrative actions, data export, payment approval, and cross-agent delegation.
Log authentication, authorization decisions, tool calls, blocked calls, response filtering, payment events, profile updates, and retirement actions.
Set a review cadence and remove inactive endpoints, unused scopes, stale OAuth clients, old webhooks, and outdated public claims.
Retire an agent by disabling identity, revoking tokens, removing tool grants, updating public status, and archiving audit evidence.

Example Registry Record

{"name":"atlas.agent","operator":"Example Enterprise","sponsor":"security@example.com","purpose":"Procurement quote review","environment":"production","status":"active","identity":{"provider":"enterprise-idp","type":"nonhuman-agent","credential":"workload-identity"},"public_profile":"https://agents.headlessdomains.com/atlas.agent","artifacts":{"agent_json":"https://atlas.agent/.well-known/agent.json","skill_md":"https://atlas.agent/SKILL.md"},"endpoints":{"mcp":"https://tools.example.com/mcp/procurement","openapi":"https://api.example.com/openapi.json"},"authorization":{"scopes":["quotes:read","vendors:read"],"payments":"not_authorized"},"review":{"cadence":"monthly","next":"2026-06-30","retirement_runbook":"https://example.com/security/agents/offboarding"}}

Where HeadlessDomains.com Fits

HeadlessDomains.com gives the public side of the registry a persistent identity anchor. A Headless Domains record can point to the agent's manifest, SKILL.md, trusted endpoints, proof links, policy URLs, payment constraints, and profile page. That lets other agents inspect the same record before calling a tool or trusting a directory listing.

The Headless Profile Directory complements enterprise IAM by giving security teams a public inspection layer. IAM governs private credentials, tokens, scopes, and logs. The directory profile gives external agents, auditors, partners, marketplaces, APIs, and commerce systems a clear place to inspect operator, purpose, status, and verification links.

Start with the Agent Security hub at AI Agent Identity Security, then connect the registry to the broader Agent Identity Stack so discovery, manifests, endpoints, payment metadata, and lifecycle controls resolve through one persistent identity.

Product Links

Sources

FAQ

What is an agent registry?

An agent registry is the governed source of record for AI agents. The registry tracks owner, purpose, identity, status, tools, scopes, endpoints, public artifacts, review cadence, and retirement path.

What should security teams publish in a public profile?

Publish operator, purpose, status, manifest links, SKILL.md, trusted endpoints, proof links, contact channels, review state, and policy URLs. Keep private secrets, tokens, internal hostnames, and sensitive logs inside enterprise systems.

Does a public registry replace IAM?

No. IAM controls private credentials, scopes, policies, tokens, and audit logs. A public Headless Domains record and Headless Profile Directory page complement IAM by giving external systems an inspection path.

How often should agent registry entries be reviewed?

Review high-authority production agents monthly, payment-capable agents after every payment policy update, and all agent entries after major tool, API, model, endpoint, or ownership changes.

Which agents belong in the registry first?

Start with agents that can call tools, reach customer data, trigger administrative actions, connect to MCP servers, represent a brand externally, coordinate with peer agents, or participate in payment workflows.

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