---
kind: guide
status: active
---

# Fleet Role Classes and Authority

A fleet role class is a machine identity resolved from the persona library. Resolution uses the
canonical class before consulting the baseline `fleet/roles/` and operator `fleet/roles.local/`
layers. A readable role contract is required; an index entry alone is not semantic success.

## Canonicalization

Only these legacy class aliases are recognized:

| Requested class        | Canonical class |
| ---------------------- | --------------- |
| `implementer`          | `code`          |
| `reviewer`             | `review`        |
| `operator-interaction` | `interaction`   |

No other alias is inferred. In particular, `worker`, `analyst`, and `canary` are custom classes only
when an operator supplies a readable contract for that exact class. Tess and Ultron are instance
names, not classes. agents[].alias is display-only and cannot grant authority.

Canonicalization happens before role lookup. For example, requesting `implementer` resolves
`code.md`; a separate `roles.local/implementer.md` cannot redefine the legacy alias. A canonical
`roles.local/code.md` still overrides the baseline `roles/code.md` contract.

## Protected authority

Protected authority is immutable metadata derived only from canonical class. Role prose, instance
name, display alias, tool policy, runtime, and custom role files cannot grant it.

| Canonical class   | Granted authority                                  | Explicit limits                                                                   |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `merge-gate`      | Sole approve-to-land and merge authority           | No authority is inferred by similarly named custom roles or policies.             |
| `validator`       | May issue a validation certificate                 | Cannot approve-to-land or merge.                                                  |
| `orchestrator`    | May orchestrate, manage topology, and issue leases | Cannot approve-to-land or merge.                                                  |
| `team-leader`     | May use orchestrator-leased capacity               | Cannot issue leases or mutate roster, configuration, credentials, or merge state. |
| `interaction`     | Request and status surface                         | Cannot orchestrate, issue leases, mutate roster/configuration, or merge.          |
| all other classes | No protected authority implicitly                  | Custom contracts do not acquire protected powers from prose.                      |

Roster-v2 semantic validation requires a protected class and its canonical tool policy to match. It
also rejects an unprotected class paired with a protected tool policy. The legacy tool-policy name
`operator-interaction` canonicalizes to `interaction`.

This mapping describes authority metadata only. Lease issuance, validation-certificate storage or
workflow, lifecycle reconciliation, credentials, roster mutation, and merge execution are outside
this resolver contract.
