> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.atlasent.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Override

> A break-glass path for when the policy says deny but a human says yes.

Overrides are AtlaSent's formal break-glass mechanism. They exist because regulated environments sometimes have legitimate emergencies (for example, a patient safety event) where the policy's `deny` is wrong in the specific moment.

Overrides are:

* **Authorized by role.** Only users with the `approver` or `admin` role can issue one.
* **Time-boxed.** Default TTL: 5 minutes. Configurable per org.
* **Reason-required.** Free text, stored in the audit chain alongside the override.
* **Attributed.** The human who authorized the override is named in the audit chain.
* **Counted.** The console surfaces override frequency per policy — an override that fires every day is a policy that needs rewriting.

## Shape

```json theme={null}
{
  "override_id": "ovr_01HX7...",
  "issued_by": "user_sarah@acmebio.com",
  "reason": "Patient safety event — emergency amendment to trial record, reviewed by PI",
  "valid_until": "2026-04-19T14:12:00Z",
  "applies_to": {
    "action_type": "ehr:amend",
    "target_id": "patient-42"
  }
}
```

## Not a bypass

An override does not silence the audit chain. The chain records both:

1. The original `deny` decision from policy evaluation.
2. The override that superseded it, with the human's identity and reason.

An inspector can always reconstruct: "policy said no → human Sarah said yes at 14:07 for reason X → action executed."

## When not to use

If you find your team issuing overrides regularly for the same action class, that's a sign the policy is wrong — rewrite the rule and version the policy, don't override your way through it.


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