---
title: "Transaction token (Txn-Token)"
description: "A short-lived, signed token, specified in an IETF OAuth working group draft, that carries user identity, workload identity and authorisation context through a call chain within one trusted domain…"
canonical: https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/transaction-token-txn-token
author: "Jorge García Aibar"
license: "CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"
doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197
version: "0.5.0"
updated: 2026-09-25
---

# Transaction token (Txn-Token)

A short-lived, signed token, specified in an IETF OAuth working group draft, that carries user identity, workload identity and authorisation context through a call chain within one trusted domain, so downstream services can decide on protected context [1]. Still a draft (revision 11, 30 Jul 2026) as of 2026-09-24.

- Developed in: [ch. 23, Accountability across hops](https://aigovernanceengineer.com/bok/governing-agents#accountability-across-hops)
- Chapters: [ch. 23, AI Agents](https://aigovernanceengineer.com/bok/governing-agents)
- Contrast with: [Delegation (OAuth token exchange)](https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/delegation-oauth-token-exchange)
- In the glossary chapter: https://aigovernanceengineer.com/bok/glossary#t-transaction-token-txn-token

## Sources

[1] draft-ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens-11, Transaction Tokens (Internet-Draft, OAuth working group, revision 11 of 30 Jul 2026, WG state "Waiting for Write-Up"; short-lived signed tokens that propagate user identity, workload identity and authorisation context through a call chain within a trusted domain). IETF. 2026-07-30. https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-oauth-transaction-tokens/ (verified: primary)