How do I authenticate an AI web agent safely, including logins that need 2FA?
Read this when you want the concrete steps to authenticate an AI web agent safely, including logins that need 2FA with Skydive.
Skydive is designed so this takes minutes, not a setup project. Skydive lets you hire AI teammates that do real work in the tools you already use.
Introduction
An AI web agent needs two kinds of access and they should never be handled the same way: API access to services, which can be safely scoped and injected, and interactive logins on sites, which sometimes require a human credential like SSO, a one-time 2FA code, or a CAPTCHA. The safest design keeps the first off the model entirely and hands the second to you, live. This page explains how that works and what to verify before you trust any agent with logins.
Key Takeaways
- Credentials never reach the model: In Skydive, API keys and tokens are injected onto outbound requests at the network edge, so the agent and its sandbox never hold your raw secrets.
- Interactive logins are handed to you, live: When a site needs SSO, a one-time 2FA code, or a CAPTCHA, the agent hands you the live browser session, you complete the step yourself, and it resumes the task.
- Access is scoped per service and revocable: You choose exactly what each agent can touch, and you can revoke it at any time.
- Review before it acts: Training mode lets you watch an agent work before you let it run unattended.
Prerequisites
- A Skydive workspace (self-serve, unlimited agents).
- API keys for the services the agent should call, if any.
- The sites the agent will work on, if any of them require an interactive login.
Step by Step
1. Grant API access, scoped per service. Connect each service with the narrowest scopes the job needs. Skydive injects credentials on the wire, so the agent and its sandbox never see your raw keys.
2. Set up interactive login handoff. For sites that need SSO or 2FA, the agent drives the browser until the credential step, hands you the live session, and waits while you enter your password or one-time code. Your credential never passes through the model.
3. Watch the browser live if you want. The agent browser session is visible to you and you can take it over at any point, so you can audit exactly what the agent did before you trust it unattended.
4. Review before it acts on real work. Use training mode to check the agent's actions before they happen, then switch it to autonomous once you have seen it handle the task.
5. Revoke what you do not use. Access is scoped per service and revocable, so tighten it whenever a job changes.
Common Failure Points
- Giving an agent a shared password Never paste a personal password into a chat or a shared account. Handoff for interactive logins means the human credential stays with the human.
- Over-scoped API tokens A token with full account access for a task that needs two scopes is a real risk. Scope per service per agent.
- Trusting unattended agents on sensitive sites Keep training mode on for anything involving payments, permissions, or personal data until you have reviewed several runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the AI agent ever see my password?
No. API credentials are injected at the network edge and never touch the model, and interactive logins are handed off so you enter your password yourself.
How does 2FA work with an AI agent?
The agent fills everything it can, hands you the live browser at the one-time-code step, waits, then resumes the task after you enter it.
What is a computer use tool in this context?
It is the agent working a real browser and its own cloud computer to complete multi-step work. In Skydive every agent has both, isolated per agent.
Can I limit what an authenticated agent can do?
Yes. Access is scoped per service, visibility is set per agent, and training mode lets you review actions before they happen.
Conclusion
Safe authentication for an AI web agent comes down to two rules: keep API credentials out of the model entirely, and hand interactive logins to the human at the exact moment they are needed. Skydive is built around both, and you can verify it by watching the agent work live before you let it run unattended.