Glossary

Alphabetical definitions of key terms used throughout the Astonish documentation.

Term	Definition
Agent	An AI entity configured with a system prompt, model, and tools that processes user requests and takes actions.
App	A generated application (HTML/JS/CSS) produced by the agent and previewable in Studio.
Cascading Defaults	Configuration inheritance: org defaults → team defaults → user settings. Lower levels override higher.
Channel	A communication adapter connecting an external platform (Telegram, Email, Slack) to the agent engine. See Channels.
Credential Store	Encrypted storage for sensitive values (API keys, tokens) used by tools and integrations.
DEK	Data Encryption Key. Per-record symmetric key used to encrypt sensitive data. Itself encrypted by the KEK.
Distillation	The process of compressing long conversation histories into concise summaries for memory storage.
Envelope Encryption	Two-layer encryption scheme: data is encrypted with a DEK, and the DEK is encrypted with a KEK.
Fleet	Multi-agent coordination system where teams of specialized agents collaborate on complex missions. See Fleet.
Flow	A defined sequence of agent actions, tool calls, and logic that executes as a pipeline. See Flows.
Fork	Creating a new session that branches from a specific point in an existing conversation.
Hub Agent	The coordinating agent in a fleet that assigns tasks to spokes and synthesizes results.
KEK	Key Encryption Key. Master key used to encrypt DEKs. Stored separately from encrypted data.
MCP	Model Context Protocol. A standard for connecting external tool servers to AI agents.
Memory (Personal)	Private memory tier storing facts and preferences for a single user.
Memory (Team)	Shared memory tier accessible to all members of a team.
Memory (Org)	Shared memory tier accessible across an entire organization.
Node	A single step in a flow: an agent call, tool invocation, condition, or transformation.
Organization	Top-level tenant in cloud deployments. Contains teams, users, and shared resources.
Personal Workspace	A user's private space within the platform containing their sessions, memory, credentials, and config.
Plan	A mission instance in fleet — created from a template with a specific objective and tracked through completion.
Publish	Making a flow or app available to other team/org members.
Remote CLI	Using the Astonish CLI against a remote platform instance rather than a local setup.
RLS	Row-Level Security. PostgreSQL feature ensuring tenants only access their own data.
Sandbox	Isolated execution environment for running agent-generated code safely.
Session	A conversation between a user and an agent (or between two fleet agents) with persistent message history.
Skill	A reusable capability package that can be attached to an agent (tools + prompt instructions).
Spoke Agent	A specialist agent in a fleet that receives tasks from the hub and reports results back.
Sub-agent	An agent invoked by another agent to handle a delegated subtask within a single session.
Tap	A passive listener that observes agent activity for logging, analytics, or compliance without altering behavior.
Team	A group of users within an organization who share memory, flows, and agent configurations.
Three-Tier Memory	The memory architecture with personal, team, and organization levels.