Data routing policy
Data routing policy controls which AI provider connections may receive your conversation data. Steinkauz uses two labels:
- Data sensitivity (D-class) — how sensitive the content is (prompts, attachments, tool output, and derived artifacts).
- Provider execution environment (E-class) — how you treat each provider connection for routing (public SaaS, enterprise cloud, on-prem, and so on).
Your routing matrix defines which D×E combinations are allowed. Before any chat or tool request leaves Steinkauz for inference, the server computes effective data sensitivity for the thread and checks whether the selected provider’s environment is permitted.
Routing policy is scoped to your active context. Configure it in Settings → Routing policy while the relevant context is active in the organization switcher. In organizations, owners and admins manage policy for all members.
Two axes
- Data sensitivity — D0 (Public) through D4 (Critical).
- Provider environment — E0 (Unclassified) through E5 (On premise). Set per provider in Settings → Providers.
Routing matrix
In Settings → Routing policy, you configure which D×E pairs are permitted. Each cell is either allowed or blocked. You can customize any cell; the platform ships with a conservative default.
Default matrix
The default rule is: a provider environment must be at least as strong as the data sensitivity tier (by numeric rank), except same-tier pairs on the diagonal (D1×E1, D2×E2, …) are blocked by default. That encourages sending higher-sensitivity data only to strictly stronger environments.
| Data ↓ / Env → | E0 | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D0 Public | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| D1 Internal | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| D2 Confidential | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| D3 Restricted | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| D4 Critical | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
You can allow combinations the default blocks (for example D2→E1) by editing the matrix and saving.
Minimum recommended environment
When choosing providers or planning policy, this table is a useful shorthand:
| Data sensitivity | Minimum recommended environment |
|---|---|
| D0 Public | E0 |
| D1 Internal | E2 (E1 blocked by default) |
| D2 Confidential | E3 (E2 blocked by default) |
| D3 Restricted | E4 (E3 blocked by default) |
| D4 Critical | E5 (E4 blocked by default) |
How enforcement works (chat)
On every chat send, tool call, and background inference step, Steinkauz:
- Computes effective data sensitivity — the higher of the session floor and any attachment sensitivities in the current request.
- Reads the selected provider’s execution environment from your saved provider settings.
- Looks up the pair in your routing matrix. Blocked combinations are rejected before inference runs, with an error that explains the mismatch.
Effective sensitivity does not re-apply message or file defaults on every send. The message default sets the starting session floor in Auto mode. The file default pre-selects classification on new uploads. See Data sensitivity.
Context settings
Settings → Routing policy includes:
- Default message sensitivity — Auto-mode starting floor for new conversations. Platform default: D0 (Public). At D1 or higher, public managed providers such as Steinkauz Gateway (E1) are incompatible in Auto mode unless you lower the message default to D0, allow manual overrides below default, or switch the thread to Manual with an allowed lower level.
- Default file sensitivity — pre-selected D-class on new file uploads (platform default D0).
- Allow overrides below default — separate toggles for message (in-chat manual) and file (upload/edit) sensitivity. When disabled (default), users cannot select a level below the context default without a policy change. When enabled, lowering below default requires a reason and is audited.
- Routing matrix — the D×E allow/deny grid described above.
- Audit log — recent matrix and policy changes. See Audit logs.
Chat policy (shield control)
In chat, the shield next to Share controls sensitivity mode and shows the thread’s effective data sensitivity:
- Auto (default) — The session floor starts at your message default. It can rise when you attach higher-sensitivity files or when your selected provider’s environment maps to a higher recommended sensitivity. It does not fall automatically when you switch to a weaker provider; incompatible sends are blocked by the matrix instead.
- Manual — You fix a manual data sensitivity floor (D-class). Levels below the message default are blocked unless your context allows overrides below default (with a required audit reason). The model picker only lists providers whose environment is allowed for that floor on your matrix.
The shield color reflects effective data sensitivity for the conversation, not only the provider shown in the footer.
File attachments
Uploaded files carry their own D-class. New files inherit your file default unless you change it on upload or in the file library. When a message references attachments, the highest file sensitivity contributes to effective sensitivity for that send.
You can change a file’s sensitivity from Files in the chat sidebar (or on the attachment before send). Lowering sensitivity below the file default (when allowed) or below the file’s previous level requires a reason and is recorded in the audit log.
Derived artifacts
Content produced from sensitive inputs inherits the maximum sensitivity of its sources — for example transcripts, summaries, embeddings, tool I/O, and generated images that used restricted context. Steinkauz applies this when routing follow-up inference that includes those artifacts.
When routing is blocked
If a send would violate your matrix, Steinkauz blocks it and shows actionable guidance. Typical fixes:
- Switch to a provider with a stronger execution environment.
- Lower the conversation sensitivity (Manual mode) if appropriate for the data.
- Change attachment sensitivity or remove sensitive files from the message.
- Allow the combination in Settings → Routing policy if your use case requires it.
Provider settings
Each integration — including Steinkauz Gateway as a single provider — has an execution environment class. See Provider environment, Gateway provider configuration, and BYOK provider configuration.
Platform API
The web chat uses the full D×E matrix. API keys use a separate rule: a minimum provider execution environment floor (E-class only). See Provider environment floor (API keys).
Related topics
- Data sensitivity — D0–D4 levels and file labeling
- Provider environment — E0–E5 levels
- Files & attachments
- Gateway provider configuration
- Zero data retention
- Individuals & Organizations