> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.starfort.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use the Kill Switch

> Immediately block all traffic for a project in an emergency, and how to recover.

The **Kill Switch** is an emergency control that immediately blocks traffic beneath the level it's activated on. Use it when you need to stop AI usage right now — for example a suspected data leak.

It exists at **three levels** — **Organization**, **Project**, and **Project Guardian** — each an independent on/off toggle (the company itself has none). If **any** level above a Guardian is on, all traffic beneath it is blocked.

<Note>
  Only **Owners** can toggle the Kill Switch: a Company Owner over everything below, an Org Owner over their organization, a Project Owner over their project and its Guardians. Admins, Members, and Viewers cannot.
</Note>

## Activate

Open the project's **Settings → General → Danger Zone** and choose **Activate Kill Switch**.

<Frame caption="Activate the Kill Switch (Danger Zone)">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/aimintelligence/A1_c5EL9JAZ7xlFg/images/v1.2/admin/kill-switch.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=A1_c5EL9JAZ7xlFg&q=85&s=a8a4eb47a54e6cf9aacf8616cdafcb8a" alt="Project Settings Danger Zone with the Activate Kill Switch button highlighted" width="1200" height="1618" data-path="images/v1.2/admin/kill-switch.png" />
</Frame>

While active:

* All traffic beneath it is blocked at the gateway — **even for Active [API keys](/en/v1.2/admin/api-keys)**. Key states are left untouched and resume the moment you clear the switch (the two are independent, checked separately on every request).
* New API-key creation is blocked anywhere beneath an active switch.
* Desktop Agents under the level receive the blocked response and stop the outbound request to the AI service.

Callers receive a **single blocked response** (see [Errors & states](/en/v1.2/api/errors)) that deliberately **doesn't reveal which level or resource fired** — that detail goes only to the [Audit Log](/en/v1.2/admin/audit-log) and [Opticon](/en/v1.2/admin/monitoring-opticon). Activation and deactivation are recorded in the Audit Log; blocked attempts while it's on are **not** logged there (only real changes are).

## Recover

Deactivate the Kill Switch from the same Danger Zone. Traffic resumes normally — the switch doesn't change your policies or keys, it only gates traffic while active.

<Warning>
  The Kill Switch is deliberately blunt: it blocks **everything** beneath it, not a single rule. For targeted changes, edit the relevant [Guard Policy](/en/v1.2/admin/author-guard-policy) instead.
</Warning>