# Paper before live

Before funding a live brokerage/payment connector or Agentic sleeve, run the same stack on paper (or a zero-funded / preview-only path): review-before-place on, one connector at a time, caps written — prove the pipe works without spendable cash, then fund only the session ceiling. Pairs with fund-session-ceiling, one-connector-at-a-time, review-before-place. Agent Lane does not place trades or hold wallets.

Canonical HTML: https://agentlane.net/guides/paper-before-live/

## Answer first

Before Cursor or Grok can spend on a live brokerage or payment connector, run paper before live: same stack, no spendable cash — dry-run, preview-only, zero-funded sleeve, or paper-book practice. Keep review before place on, enable one connector only, and write your caps. When the prove-out looks right, fund only the session ceiling.

## Why funding first is the failure mode

- **Unproven pipe, live cash** — wiring errors, wrong tool names, and missed review surfaces show up on the first call — expensive once the sleeve is funded.
- **Batch enable, fat balance** — flipping every connector on while cash is live turns one bad prompt into many rails spending at once.
- **“I’ll watch carefully”** — watching is not a substitute for a zero-funded prove. Caps and review still need a dry pass before money moves.

Paper proves the pipe without spendable cash. Caps bound how much can move once you fund. Review stops the first bad place. Revoke closes the pipe on incident. Paper does not replace any of them.

## What it means

1. Caps written first — [agent-spend-caps.md](./agent-spend-caps.md).
2. Zero-funded or preview-only — dry-run, preview path, paper book if the venue publishes one, or an empty Agentic sleeve.
3. One rail — [one-connector-at-a-time.md](./one-connector-at-a-time.md).
4. Review on — [review-before-place.md](./review-before-place.md).
5. Then fund the ceiling — [fund-session-ceiling.md](./fund-session-ceiling.md). Keep review on. Stay on one connector.

Do not invent a paper or practice mode a product does not ship — use whatever dry-run, preview-only, or zero-funded path that product actually offers.

## Shield stack

1. [dedicated-agent-wallet.md](./dedicated-agent-wallet.md) — money the bot can reach.
2. [agent-spend-caps.md](./agent-spend-caps.md) — write the numbers.
3. Paper before live (this page) — dry prove before cash.
4. [fund-session-ceiling.md](./fund-session-ceiling.md) — empty/park excess, fund only that ceiling.
5. [review-before-place.md](./review-before-place.md) — human gate.
6. Venue — [one-connector-at-a-time.md](./one-connector-at-a-time.md).
7. [revoke-before-debug.md](./revoke-before-debug.md) — kill-and-isolate on incident.

## How to run paper before live

1. Write caps first (session and daily maxes).
2. Stay zero-funded or preview-only — no spendable cash while you prove.
3. Enable one connector only; leave the rest off.
4. Keep review before place on.
5. Prove the pipe with one small reviewed action.
6. Then fund only the session ceiling; keep review on; stay on one connector.

## Practical checklist

- Paper order memorized — caps written → zero-funded / preview → one connector → review on → prove → then fund the ceiling.
- No inventing product paper modes — use only paths the official page offers.
- Paper is not a substitute — caps, review, and revoke still apply after you go live.
- Shared-box pass — [shared-box.md](./shared-box.md).

Related: [read-only-quote-before-trade-connector.md](./read-only-quote-before-trade-connector.md), [dry-run-before-first-live-place.md](./dry-run-before-first-live-place.md), [confirm-fills-in-broker-not-chat.md](./confirm-fills-in-broker-not-chat.md), [connect-only-what-you-need.md](./connect-only-what-you-need.md), [fund-session-ceiling.md](./fund-session-ceiling.md), [one-connector-at-a-time.md](./one-connector-at-a-time.md), [review-before-place.md](./review-before-place.md), [revoke-before-debug.md](./revoke-before-debug.md), [agent-spend-caps.md](./agent-spend-caps.md), [dedicated-agent-wallet.md](./dedicated-agent-wallet.md), [shield-brokerage.md](./shield-brokerage.md), [shield-crypto.md](./shield-crypto.md), [shared-box.md](./shared-box.md).

## FAQ

**What does paper before live mean?**
Before you fund a live brokerage, payment connector, or Agentic sleeve, run the same stack on a dry-run, preview-only, zero-funded, or paper-book path — review on, one connector at a time, caps written. Prove without spendable cash, then fund only the session ceiling.

**Why is funding first a failure mode?**
Unproven connectors plus live cash turns the first bad prompt into a real fill. Wiring errors show up cheaply on a zero-funded path.

**Where in the shield stack?**
Dedicated wallet → spend caps → paper / zero-funded prove-out → fund ceiling → review → venue one connector at a time. Incident: revoke before you debug.

**What counts as paper?**
Dry-run, preview-only, zero-funded sleeve, or a paper/practice book a venue actually publishes. Do not invent a mode a product does not ship.

**Replace caps, review, or revoke?**
No — you need the full stack. Paper is not a substitute.

**When go live after paper?**
After one clean prove-out: standing rules show amount/destination/asset/venue; one connector; receipts look right; caps written. Then fund only the session ceiling.

## Sources

- Canonical HTML: https://agentlane.net/guides/paper-before-live/
- Related shelf: https://agentlane.net/resources/
- Site index for bots: https://agentlane.net/llms.txt

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