Integrating the AXIS Verification API in a Node.js Application

Prerequisites

This tutorial assumes you have Node.js 18+ installed, an AXIS API key (obtainable from the developer portal [blocked]), and a basic familiarity with Express.js. All code samples use ES modules.

Step 1: Install the AXIS SDK

The official AXIS Node.js SDK wraps the REST API with typed helpers and automatic retry logic:

npm install @axistrust/sdk

npm install @axistrust/sdk

Step 2: Register Your Agent

Before you can query trust scores, your agent must be registered in the AXIS directory. Registration assigns a globally unique AUID (Agent Unique Identifier) that persists across deployments and model versions.

import { AxisClient } from "@axistrust/sdk";

const axis = new AxisClient({ apiKey: process.env.AXIS_API_KEY });

const agent = await axis.agents.register({
  name: "My Production Agent",
  agentClass: "service",
  model: "gpt-4o",
  version: "1.0.0",
  capabilities: ["read:database", "write:api"],
  operatorId: "your-org-id",
});

console.log("AUID:", agent.auid);
// → AUID-7F3A9B2C1D4E5F6A

import { AxisClient } from "@axistrust/sdk";

const axis = new AxisClient({ apiKey: process.env.AXIS_API_KEY });

const agent = await axis.agents.register({
  name: "My Production Agent",
  agentClass: "service",
  model: "gpt-4o",
  version: "1.0.0",
  capabilities: ["read:database", "write:api"],
  operatorId: "your-org-id",
});

console.log("AUID:", agent.auid);
// → AUID-7F3A9B2C1D4E5F6A

Store the AUID in your environment configuration. It is the stable identifier you will use for all future trust queries.

Step 3: Verify an Agent Before Granting Access

The most common integration pattern is a middleware function that checks the T-Score of an incoming agent before allowing it to proceed:

import express from "express";
import { AxisClient } from "@axistrust/sdk";

const app = express();
const axis = new AxisClient({ apiKey: process.env.AXIS_API_KEY });

// Middleware: require T-Score ≥ 600 (Trusted tier)
async function requireTrustedAgent(req, res, next) {
  const auid = req.headers["x-agent-auid"];
  if (!auid) return res.status(401).json({ error: "Missing X-Agent-AUID header" });

  try {
    const result = await axis.agents.verify(auid);
    if (result.tScore < 600) {
      return res.status(403).json({
        error: "Agent trust score below threshold",
        tScore: result.tScore,
        tier: result.tier,
        required: 600,
      });
    }
    req.agentProfile = result;
    next();
  } catch (err) {
    return res.status(502).json({ error: "Trust verification failed" });
  }
}

app.get("/api/sensitive-data", requireTrustedAgent, (req, res) => {
  res.json({ data: "...", verifiedAgent: req.agentProfile.auid });
});

import express from "express";
import { AxisClient } from "@axistrust/sdk";

const app = express();
const axis = new AxisClient({ apiKey: process.env.AXIS_API_KEY });

// Middleware: require T-Score ≥ 600 (Trusted tier)
async function requireTrustedAgent(req, res, next) {
  const auid = req.headers["x-agent-auid"];
  if (!auid) return res.status(401).json({ error: "Missing X-Agent-AUID header" });

  try {
    const result = await axis.agents.verify(auid);
    if (result.tScore < 600) {
      return res.status(403).json({
        error: "Agent trust score below threshold",
        tScore: result.tScore,
        tier: result.tier,
        required: 600,
      });
    }
    req.agentProfile = result;
    next();
  } catch (err) {
    return res.status(502).json({ error: "Trust verification failed" });
  }
}

app.get("/api/sensitive-data", requireTrustedAgent, (req, res) => {
  res.json({ data: "...", verifiedAgent: req.agentProfile.auid });
});

Step 4: Record Trust Events

Trust scores improve over time when agents behave well. Record positive events — successful task completions, clean permission usage, compliance checks — to help your agents build reputation:

await axis.events.record({
  auid: agent.auid,
  eventType: "task_completed",
  severity: "info",
  description: "Successfully processed 1,000 records without errors",
  metadata: { recordsProcessed: 1000, duration: "4.2s" },
});

await axis.events.record({
  auid: agent.auid,
  eventType: "task_completed",
  severity: "info",
  description: "Successfully processed 1,000 records without errors",
  metadata: { recordsProcessed: 1000, duration: "4.2s" },
});

Step 5: Embed the Trust Badge

For public-facing applications, embed the AXIS trust badge to give users visibility into the agents acting on their behalf:

<script src="https://cdn.axistrust.io/badge/v1.js" async></script>
<axis-trust-badge auid="AUID-7F3A9B2C1D4E5F6A" theme="dark"></axis-trust-badge>

<script src="https://cdn.axistrust.io/badge/v1.js" async></script>
<axis-trust-badge auid="AUID-7F3A9B2C1D4E5F6A" theme="dark"></axis-trust-badge>

The badge renders the agent's current tier, T-Score, and a link to its public profile — all updated in real time.

Caching Considerations

The AXIS Verification API returns a Cache-Control: max-age=300 header on all verify responses. You should respect this and cache results for up to five minutes to avoid rate limiting. The SDK handles this automatically via an in-memory LRU cache.

For high-throughput applications, consider subscribing to the AXIS webhook feed to receive push notifications when an agent's tier changes, rather than polling.

Next Steps

• Read the full API Reference [blocked] for all available endpoints
• Set up webhooks [blocked] for real-time score change notifications
• Explore the Agent Directory [blocked] to see how other agents are classified

The complete source code for this tutorial is available in the AXIS examples repository.