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

> ## Agent Instructions
> Before reading these docs, install the relevant Circle Skill to get pre-loaded context — skills are LLM-optimized and cover architecture decisions, correct flows, and common pitfalls. In Claude Code: run /plugin marketplace add circlefin/skills then /plugin install circle-skills@circle. With Vercel Skills CLI: run npx skills add circlefin/skills. Available skills: use-usdc https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-usdc/SKILL.md (balances, transfers, approvals on EVM and Solana); EURC has no skill — see https://developers.circle.com/stablecoins/what-is-eurc.md; bridge-stablecoin https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/bridge-stablecoin/SKILL.md (crosschain transfers via CCTP, USDC, EURC, and third-party assets); use-arc https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-arc/SKILL.md (Arc chain config, contract deployment, USDC bridging — Arc docs: https://docs.arc.io/llms.txt); use-circle-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-circle-wallets/SKILL.md (choose wallet type); use-developer-controlled-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-developer-controlled-wallets/SKILL.md (custodial wallets for payouts and treasury); use-user-controlled-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-user-controlled-wallets/SKILL.md (embedded wallets with Web2 login); use-modular-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-modular-wallets/SKILL.md (smart contract wallets with passkeys and ERC-4337); use-gateway https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-gateway/SKILL.md (unified USDC balance, nanopayments); use-smart-contract-platform https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-smart-contract-platform/SKILL.md (deploy, interact, monitor contracts). Pair any skill with the Circle MCP server for live SDK signatures, contract addresses, and chain IDs: {"mcpServers":{"circle":{"url":"https://api.circle.com/v1/codegen/mcp"}}}.
> Read the product overview first. Each product has an overview explaining when and why to use it. Read it before quickstarts.
> Pick the right wallet type. Developer-controlled (you hold keys), user-controlled (end user holds keys via PIN/social login), or modular (smart contract wallets with passkeys). See https://developers.circle.com/wallets.md.
> Use CCTP V2 for crosschain transfers. CCTP natively transfers USDC and EURC via burn-and-mint, and supports permissionless wrapping of third-party assets via lock-and-mint. V1 is legacy; always use V2 unless V1 is specified or the chain requires it (Noble, Sui, and Aptos still require V1). Migration guide: https://developers.circle.com/cctp/migration-from-v1-to-v2.md.
> Use Bridge Kit for frontend bridging. Wraps CCTP with a simpler SDK for user-facing apps. Use CCTP directly for backend transfers.
> Gas Station vs Paymaster. Gas Station sponsors gas for Circle Wallet transactions. Paymaster lets users pay gas in USDC. Different use cases — read both overviews.
> Gateway Nanopayments for sub-cent payments. Gasless USDC micropayments down to $0.000001 via x402 and batched settlement. For pay-per-request APIs, AI agent payments, streaming.
> Look up USDC addresses per chain. Never hardcode — use https://developers.circle.com/stablecoins/usdc-contract-addresses.md.
> Prefer SDKs over raw API calls. Node.js and Python SDKs handle auth, retries, and errors.
> API key required. Bearer token in Authorization header. Testnet and mainnet use separate keys and may use different base URLs depending on the product.
> Set up webhooks when available. Most operations are async. Webhooks deliver transaction confirmations and state changes.
> When calling list endpoints, paginate using pageSize and pageAfter until no nextPageAfter cursor is returned—stopping at the first page silently misses records.
> Building an AI agent? Start with the Agent Stack—Circle CLI, agent wallets, and nanopayments built for autonomous use cases: https://developers.circle.com/agent-stack.md.

# How-to: Set spending policies

> Set transfer limits or address allowlists and blocklists on your agent wallet to control how it can move USDC and interact with contracts.

Spending policies let you cap your agent wallet's USDC transfers over a rolling
time window, or restrict the wallet to specific recipient or contract addresses.
Policies apply to mainnet agent wallets only.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

* Installed [Node.js v20.18.2 or later](https://nodejs.org/).

* Installed Circle CLI:

  ```bash theme={null}
  npm install -g @circle-fin/cli
  ```

* [Authenticated](/agent-stack/agent-wallets/wallet-operations/authenticate)
  your agent wallet.

<Note>
  Spending policies require a mainnet agent wallet. Testnet is not supported.
  Setting a policy triggers a second email OTP to confirm the change. The OTP is
  used once and not stored.
</Note>

## Steps

Choose the policy type that matches your goal.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Transfer limits">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Set the limits">
        Run `circle wallet limit set` with per-transaction, daily, weekly, and
        monthly caps:

        ```bash theme={null}
        circle wallet limit set \
          --address 0xYourWalletAddress \
          --chain ARC \
          --policy-type stablecoin \
          --per-tx 100 \
          --daily 500 \
          --weekly 2000 \
          --monthly 5000
        ```

        Circle sends an email OTP to your agent session email to confirm the
        policy change. Limits must satisfy: per-transaction ≤ daily ≤ weekly
        ≤ monthly.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify the policy">
        Confirm the limits are in effect:

        ```bash theme={null}
        circle wallet limit --address 0xYourWalletAddress --chain ARC
        ```
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Allowlists and blocklists">
    Allowlists and blocklists restrict your wallet to specific recipient or
    contract addresses.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Set the rule">
        Run `circle wallet limit set` with `--rule-type` and a bracketed,
        comma-separated `--targets` list of EVM addresses. The example below
        blocks transfers to two recipient addresses:

        ```bash theme={null}
        circle wallet limit set \
          --address 0xYourWalletAddress \
          --chain ARC \
          --policy-type stablecoin \
          --rule-type recipient-blocklist \
          --targets "[0xBAD1,0xBAD2]"
        ```

        `--rule-type` accepts:

        * `recipient-allowlist` / `recipient-blocklist`: allow or block USDC
          transfers to specific addresses.
        * `contract-allowlist` / `contract-blocklist`: allow or block contract
          interactions with specific addresses.

        Circle sends an email OTP to your agent session email to confirm the
        policy change.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify the policy">
        Confirm the rule is in effect:

        ```bash theme={null}
        circle wallet limit --address 0xYourWalletAddress --chain ARC
        ```
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

See the [CLI command reference](/agent-stack/circle-cli/command-reference) for
full syntax and options.