---
term: "Electronic agent"
category: "Agents and autonomy"
url: https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/electronic-agent
source: AgenticOpenFinance glossary
---

# Electronic agent

> Under US E-SIGN, a program or automated means that acts or responds without a person reviewing it at the time.

Under the US E-SIGN Act, an electronic agent is a computer program or other automated means used independently to initiate an action or respond to electronic records or performances, in whole or in part, without review or action by an individual at the time. The Act provides that a contract or record is not denied legal effect solely because electronic agents were involved in forming it, as long as their action is legally attributable to the person to be bound. That attribution rule is an early legal root of today's agent mandates.

Related terms: [Principal](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/principal.md), [AI agent](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/ai-agent.md), [Mandate](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/mandate.md), [Evidence pack](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/evidence-pack.md)