AI Agent Production Deployment Checklist: 27 Things to Verify

AI Agent Production Deployment Checklist: 27 Things to Verify

Deploying an AI agent to production is different from running it locally. This checklist covers everything you need to verify before your agent goes live.

Use this as a pre-flight check. If you can't check every box, you're not ready.

Authentication & Access Control

1. [ ] Authentication is required

No anonymous access to your agent. Every request must authenticate.

Verify:

• Admin panel requires login
• API endpoints require tokens
• WebSocket connections authenticate

Red flag: If you can access the agent UI from a fresh browser with no credentials.

2. [ ] Strong authentication mechanism

Basic auth isn't enough for production.

Verify:

• Token-based or OAuth authentication
• Tokens are long enough (256+ bits)
• Tokens rotate or expire
• Failed attempts are rate-limited

3. [ ] Role-based access control

Not everyone needs the same permissions.

Verify:

• Different roles defined (admin, user, viewer)
• Permissions enforced server-side
• Least privilege applied

4. [ ] Session management

Sessions should timeout and be revocable.

Verify:

• Sessions expire after inactivity
• Active sessions can be listed
• Sessions can be revoked

Network Security

5. [ ] Not bound to 0.0.0.0

Binding to all interfaces exposes your agent to the network.

Verify:

• Agent binds to localhost only
• External access via gateway/proxy
• Firewall blocks direct access

6. [ ] HTTPS only

All traffic must be encrypted.

Verify:

• TLS 1.2+ required
• HTTP redirects to HTTPS
• Certificates valid and renewed

7. [ ] Egress controls configured

Your agent shouldn't call arbitrary domains.

Verify:

• Allowlist of permitted domains
• Default-deny for unlisted domains
• Blocked requests logged

8. [ ] Network isolation

Your agent should be isolated from other systems.

Verify:

• Agent in separate network segment
• Access to internal systems restricted
• Firewall rules documented

Credential Security

9. [ ] No plaintext credentials

API keys and passwords must be encrypted.

Verify:

• Credentials encrypted at rest
• No credentials in config files
• No credentials in logs
• No credentials in error messages

10. [ ] Credentials injected at runtime

Credentials shouldn't be stored where the agent runs.

Verify:

• Credentials fetched from secrets manager
• Injected as environment variables at runtime
• Never written to disk

11. [ ] LLM API keys protected

Your most valuable credentials need extra protection.

Verify:

• Anthropic/OpenAI keys encrypted
• Keys not visible in admin UI
• Usage monitored for anomalies

12. [ ] Credential rotation possible

You should be able to rotate credentials without downtime.

Verify:

• Rotation procedure documented
• Rotation tested
• Old credentials revocable

Audit & Logging

13. [ ] All actions logged

Every agent action must be recorded.

Verify:

• Prompts logged
• Tool calls logged
• Outputs logged
• Timestamps included

14. [ ] Logs are searchable

You need to find specific events quickly.

Verify:

• Search by time range
• Search by action type
• Search by user/session

15. [ ] Logs are exportable

You'll need to share logs with security, compliance, or debugging.

Verify:

• Export to JSON/CSV
• API access available
• SIEM integration possible

16. [ ] Log retention configured

Keep logs long enough for compliance, not forever.

Verify:

• Retention period defined
• Automatic cleanup
• Meets compliance requirements

Operational Controls

17. [ ] Kill switch available

You must be able to stop the agent immediately.

Verify:

• Single command/click to stop
• Stops all running operations
• Resume possible without data loss

18. [ ] Human-in-the-loop configured

Sensitive actions should require approval.

Verify:

• High-risk actions identified
• Approval workflow configured
• Approvals logged

19. [ ] Rate limits configured

Prevent runaway agents and abuse.

Verify:

• Rate limits on API calls
• Rate limits on tool usage
• Alerts on limit approach

20. [ ] Resource limits set

Agents shouldn't consume unlimited resources.

Verify:

• CPU/memory limits
• Execution time limits
• Storage limits

Data Protection

21. [ ] Data classification understood

Know what data your agent accesses.

Verify:

• Data types documented
• Sensitivity levels identified
• Handling requirements clear

22. [ ] Data encrypted at rest

Stored data must be encrypted.

Verify:

• Database encryption enabled
• File system encryption (if applicable)
• Backup encryption

23. [ ] Data retention policy defined

Don't keep data longer than needed.

Verify:

• Retention periods defined
• Automatic deletion configured
• Deletion verified

Compliance & Documentation

24. [ ] Security documentation complete

Document your security controls.

Verify:

• Architecture diagram
• Control descriptions
• Data flow documented
• Threat model created

25. [ ] Compliance requirements identified

Know what regulations apply.

Verify:

• SOC 2 requirements (if applicable)
• GDPR requirements (if applicable)
• Industry-specific requirements

26. [ ] Incident response plan exists

Know what to do when things go wrong.

Verify:

• Response procedures documented
• Contacts identified
• Communication plan ready
• Recovery procedures tested

27. [ ] Regular review scheduled

Security isn't one-and-done.

Verify:

• Security review cadence set
• Patch management process
• Access review scheduled

The Quick Version

Must-Haves (Deploy Blockers)

• Authentication required
• HTTPS only
• Not bound to 0.0.0.0
• Credentials encrypted
• Kill switch available
• Basic logging enabled

Should-Haves (Production Quality)

• Egress controls
• Human-in-the-loop
• Comprehensive audit logging
• Rate limiting
• Security documentation

Nice-to-Haves (Enterprise Ready)

• SSO integration
• SIEM export
• Compliance certifications
• Custom retention policies

How Many Can You Check?

The Shortcut: Clawctl

Building all 27 controls takes weeks. Clawctl includes them by default:

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need all 27 items?

For production with real users or sensitive data? Yes. For internal experimentation? You can skip some, but understand the risks.

What's the minimum for a pilot?

Must-haves: Authentication, HTTPS, not 0.0.0.0, basic logging, kill switch. That's the minimum responsible deployment.

How often should I review this checklist?

Before initial deployment, after major changes, and quarterly for ongoing deployments.

What if my security team has additional requirements?

This checklist is a foundation. Your organization may have additional requirements based on industry, compliance, or risk tolerance.

Download the Checklist

Print this checklist and verify each item before deployment:

AI AGENT PRODUCTION DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST

AUTHENTICATION & ACCESS
[ ] 1. Authentication required
[ ] 2. Strong auth mechanism
[ ] 3. Role-based access
[ ] 4. Session management

NETWORK SECURITY
[ ] 5. Not bound to 0.0.0.0
[ ] 6. HTTPS only
[ ] 7. Egress controls
[ ] 8. Network isolation

CREDENTIAL SECURITY
[ ] 9. No plaintext credentials
[ ] 10. Runtime injection
[ ] 11. LLM keys protected
[ ] 12. Rotation possible

AUDIT & LOGGING
[ ] 13. All actions logged
[ ] 14. Logs searchable
[ ] 15. Logs exportable
[ ] 16. Retention configured

OPERATIONAL CONTROLS
[ ] 17. Kill switch available
[ ] 18. Human-in-the-loop
[ ] 19. Rate limits set
[ ] 20. Resource limits set

DATA PROTECTION
[ ] 21. Data classification
[ ] 22. Encryption at rest
[ ] 23. Retention policy

COMPLIANCE
[ ] 24. Documentation complete
[ ] 25. Requirements identified
[ ] 26. Incident response plan
[ ] 27. Review scheduled

Score: ___/27

Deploy with all 27 controls built-in → | Security deep dive →