# Policies overview

Transaction policies control what outgoing transactions your wallets can execute. Every wallet requires at least one active policy before it can send funds.

In this section
- [Policy concepts](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-concepts) – Understand scope, lifecycle, and how policies are evaluated
- [Policy reference](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-reference) – Complete reference for limit types, matchers, and API operations
- [Manage policies](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-manage) – Step-by-step guide to create, modify, and delete policies
- [Policy best practices](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-best-practices) – Recommended patterns and troubleshooting


## What policies do

Policies define limits on outgoing transactions. When you submit a transaction, the policy engine checks it against all active policies for that wallet and asset. If the transaction exceeds any limit, the system rejects it before signing.

Policies protect against:

- **Unauthorized large transfers** – Per-transaction limits cap individual transaction amounts
- **Rapid fund drainage** – Rolling-duration limits detect abnormal withdrawal patterns
- **Total asset loss** – Max-total-value limits set lifetime caps on withdrawals


## Limit types at a glance

Wallet-as-a-Service (Palisade) supports three limit types: **per transaction**, **rolling duration**, and **max total value**. You can combine multiple limit types on the same wallet for layered protection.

See [Policy reference](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-reference#limit-types) for the complete limit type documentation.

## Quick start

1. **Create a policy** – Navigate to your wallet's Policies tab and click Add Policy. Select the asset, limit type, and amount.
2. **Approve the policy** – If your organization has approval groups configured, designated approvers must authorize the policy before it takes effect.
3. **Send transactions** – Once the policy is active, transactions within the limit proceed normally. Transactions exceeding the limit are rejected.


See [Manage policies](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-manage) for the full walkthrough.

## Key concepts

Policies are **wallet-scoped**, **immutable**, and can require **approval** before taking effect. You can use **matchers** to filter which transactions a policy applies to.

See [Policy concepts](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-concepts) for the complete explanation of scope, lifecycle, and evaluation.

## Next steps

- **New to policies?** Start with [Policy concepts](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-concepts) to understand how they work.
- **Ready to create a policy?** Follow [Manage policies](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-manage) for step-by-step instructions.
- **Building integrations?** See [Policy reference](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-reference) for the complete API documentation.
- **Having issues?** Check the troubleshooting section in [Policy best practices](/products/wallet/user-interface/policies/policies-best-practices).