Amazon Quick adds default-on smart approvals for agent actions

AWS announced smart approvals for Amazon Quick on October 28, 2026. The feature uses a separate review model to approve routine agent actions automatically and refer consequential actions to users. It is enabled by default for all users, according to AWS’s launch announcement.

Existing policies remain the boundary

According to AWS, the review layer applies only to actions for which the user’s existing setting is “ask” each time. Denied actions remain denied, and smart approvals does not grant additional access. The review model, called the classifier, evaluates each eligible action against the user’s request. Each automatic approval covers only the exact action reviewed.

AWS says the classifier routes higher-impact actions to users, including sending content outside the organization, changing permissions, deleting content, making payments and going beyond the user’s request. If a review fails or times out, the action also goes to the user for review, rather than receiving automatic approval. These boundaries are described in the launch notice.

Controls and regional availability

Administrators can control who uses smart approvals through custom permissions. Users can turn it off for conversations and scheduled runs in chat options. AWS says CloudTrail records each action review made through smart approvals and each change to a user’s smart approvals setting.

The feature is available in all AWS Regions where Amazon Quick’s agentic capabilities are supported, according to the announcement.

What engineers should evaluate

The important distinction is between authorization and confirmation: existing policies set the access boundary, while a model determines which eligible actions still need user confirmation. The stated failure behavior keeps an unsuccessful review from becoming an automatic approval; it does not establish how accurately completed reviews classify actions.

CloudTrail review records offer a starting point for auditing approval decisions. Engineers evaluating the default-on behavior should examine which actions receive automatic approval, rather than judging the feature solely by fewer prompts. AWS’s launch announcement reports no classification-accuracy or prompt-reduction measurements.