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🚧 Expanding soon — full Kill Switch documentation is in progress.

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What is the kill switch?

The kill switch is BossMode’s emergency halt mechanism. When triggered, it immediately:
  • Pauses all pending directives
  • Queues all autonomous moves for manual review
  • Blocks any new directive execution until the switch is cleared
  • Logs the halt event with a timestamp and reason
The Guardian module enforces the kill switch at every execution point. No capo can execute a move while the kill switch is active — not even low-risk, pre-approved operations.

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Activating the kill switch

# Immediate halt
curl -sX POST https://bossmode.ing/api/pro/guardian/kill-switch \
  -H "x-bossmode-token: $BOSSMODE_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "reason": "Unexpected behavior in revenue capo" }'
In Claude Code: 
bossmode:kill-switch "Unexpected behavior in revenue capo"

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Kill switch status

curl -sH "x-bossmode-token: $BOSSMODE_API_TOKEN" \
  https://bossmode.ing/api/pro/guardian/status | jq
Response when active: 
{
  "killSwitch": {
    "active": true,
    "activatedAt": "2026-04-13T14:32:00Z",
    "reason": "Unexpected behavior in revenue capo",
    "pendingMoves": 7,
    "blockedSince": "2026-04-13T14:32:00Z"
  }
}

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Clearing the kill switch

Before clearing, review all pending moves in the queue: 
curl -sH "x-bossmode-token: $BOSSMODE_API_TOKEN" \
  https://bossmode.ing/api/pro/guardian/pending | jq
Then clear: 
curl -sX DELETE https://bossmode.ing/api/pro/guardian/kill-switch \
  -H "x-bossmode-token: $BOSSMODE_API_TOKEN"

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Guardian modes

The kill switch is the hardest setting of BossMode’s Guardian module, which has three modes:
ModeDescription
guardrailedAll moves execute per standing orders. High-risk moves require approval.
review-allEvery move queues for approval before execution. Slower but maximum control.
haltedKill switch active. No autonomous execution. Everything requires manual release.

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When to use the kill switch

  • You notice unexpected output from a capo
  • You’re about to make a major strategic change and don’t want autonomous moves in flight
  • You’re onboarding a new team member and want to pause until they’re briefed
  • A standing order appears to have been misinterpreted
  • Any time the business situation changes faster than your orders can keep up with
The kill switch is not a failure state. It’s a governance feature. Use it freely.