# What is Just-in-Time Access (JIT)?

> Temporary, scoped access to production systems, granted only when an investigation needs it.

Canonical: https://www.decimal.app/glossary/just-in-time-access · Last reviewed: 2026-09-23

Just-in-time access gives a person or service elevated permissions for a limited window and a specific purpose, such as reading one customer's production data during a ticket, then revokes them automatically. It replaces standing admin access.

## Why it matters

Technical support needs production context to diagnose issues, but broad standing access is a security and compliance risk. JIT lets teams investigate without leaving permanent doors open.

## Best practices

1. Tie access to a ticket. Every grant should reference the issue that justified it.
2. Expire automatically. Hours, not weeks, and no manual cleanup.
3. Log everything. Record what was viewed during the window for audits.

## How Decimal helps

Decimal investigates with read-only access by default, scoped to the systems you connect, so support gets production context without anyone holding broad standing permissions.

## Related terms

- [Human-in-the-Loop](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/human-in-the-loop): A design where people review or approve an AI's work at key points.
- [Observability](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/observability): How well you can understand a system's internal state from the data it emits.
- [Support Engineer](https://www.decimal.app/glossary/support-engineer): A support role that investigates technical issues with engineering-level skills.

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