How Cortex works
Follow provider traffic, capture, and synchronization through Defender or Egress Gateway, and understand when Smart Router can apply.
Connection paths
| Path | What happens there |
|---|---|
| Defender on an endpoint | Cortex Defender forwards supported CLI, agent, and browser requests through a local relay or browser proxy. Capture and synchronization are separate from forwarding. |
| Egress Gateway | A client uses the Gateway endpoint and credential without installing Defender. Forwarding does not automatically activate Smart Router. |
| AI provider | The selected provider processes the request and returns its response. |
| Cortex deployment | Approved telemetry follows the deployment's storage, retention, and deletion policy. Cortex access controls and applicable source permissions govern synced evidence. See Security and data. |
Provider request path from Defender
Supported CLI and agent tools send requests to Defender's local relay. The relay validates the intended upstream and forwards the request; the selected provider processes it and streams the response through the relay back to the tool.
Browser surfaces in Defender
Chrome and Safari use a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file to route supported AI hosts through the local browser proxy. The locally trusted Cortex certificate lets the proxy inspect supported HTTPS traffic. Requests continue to the validated provider address; only supported paths are captured.
Use Browser capture for setup and verification.
Telemetry path
- Policy-enabled activity is reconstructed on the device. Coverage depends on the tool, provider, authentication mode, capture path, and active policy. See Defender capture fields and limits and supported AI tools.
- On-device header and URL redaction, best-effort text-body scrubbing, and the capture profile select what can be retained. Body scrubbing follows the provider response. Security and data explains redaction and upload boundaries.
- Enrollment is required before synchronization. Eligible capture data is uploaded under the deployment's storage, access, retention, and deletion controls.
Check connection and capture status
Connection health, capture, and synchronization are separate checks. A healthy tool or browser connection does not prove capture or Atlas delivery. Verify capture and sync distinguishes local evidence, pending synchronization, and matching Atlas activity.
Routing and context
Smart Router can evaluate eligible requests through Defender or Egress Gateway when managed routing is enabled. A recommendation does not prove an applied replacement. Applying one requires a compatible request path and model; when it cannot apply, Cortex preserves the original request.
Context collection leaves prompts unchanged. Context candidates covers permitted sources, collection, and storage; Sessions and work grouping explains how captured evidence becomes grouped work.