---
title: "HELM for Humans"
canonical: "https://helm.docs.mindburn.org/getting-started/for-humans"
source: "helm-ai-enterprise/docs/public/getting-started/for-humans.md"
edit: "https://github.com/Mindburn-Labs/helm-ai-enterprise/edit/main/docs/public/getting-started/for-humans.md"
section: "start"
access: "public"
sensitivity: "public"
last_reviewed: "2026-02-21"
checksum_sha256: "sha256:637d1833cf0d4feeb2bac45b43ebd23d664bf384f8020a3cfcf794b0ffb00cda"
build_timestamp: "2026-05-24T13:40:27.882Z"
---
# HELM for Humans

## Audience

## Outcome

After this page you should know what this surface is for, which source files own the behavior, which public route or adjacent page to use next, and which validation command to run before changing the claim.

## Source Truth

- Public route: `getting-started/for-humans`
- Source document: `helm-ai-enterprise/docs/public/getting-started/for-humans.md`
- Public manifest: `helm-ai-enterprise/docs/public-docs.manifest.json`
- Source inventory: `helm-ai-enterprise/docs/source-inventory.manifest.json`
- Validation: `corepack pnpm run docs:coverage`, `corepack pnpm run docs:truth`, and `npm run coverage:inventory` from `docs-platform`

Do not expand this page with unsupported product, SDK, deployment, compliance, or integration claims unless the inventory manifest points to code, schemas, tests, examples, or an owner doc that proves the claim.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | First check |
| --- | --- |
| A link or route is missing from the docs website | Check `docs/public-docs.manifest.json`, `llms.txt`, search, and the per-page Markdown export before changing navigation. |
| A claim is not backed by code or tests | Remove the claim or add the missing code, example, schema, or validation command before publishing. |

If you just want to stop your AI from doing things it shouldn't, this is for you. No UCS/UCS jargon, just the facts.

### 1. What does HELM actually do?

Imagine your AI agent has a credit card and access to your terminal. HELM is the person standing over its shoulder.

- If the AI tries to buy a $10,000 server, HELM stops it (Budgeting).
- If the AI tries to run `rm -rf /`, HELM stops it (Sandboxing).
- If the AI tries to call a tool you haven't approved, HELM stops it (Fail-Closed).

### 2. How do I install it?

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Mindburn-Labs/helm-ai-enterprise/main/install.sh | bash
helm server
```

That's it. It starts a local server. You then point your Python/Node.js OpenAI client to `http://localhost:9090/v1`.

### 3. Do I need a database?

Nope. By default, it uses a local file (`data/helm.db`) so you can try it out instantly. For big companies, we support Postgres.

### 4. What is a "Receipt"?

Every time your AI does something, HELM signs a digital "receipt".

- **The AI says**: "I'm going to read this file."
- **HELM says**: "Allowed. Here is your signed receipt #42."
  You can use these receipts later to prove exactly what happened if something goes wrong.

### 5. Does it slow down my AI?

Barely. HELM adds about **5-10ms** of overhead per request. For a model that takes 2 seconds to think, this is invisible.

### 6. Is it free?

Yes, it's Open Source under the [Apache License 2.0](../../../LICENSE). Free for any use — personal, commercial, or enterprise.

---

**Ready to go?** Head back to the Quickstart (protected staff doc).

## Diagram

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    subgraph Ingestion["1. Ingestion & Context Plane"]
        source["HELM for Humans"]
        s0["Source truth"]
        s1["Public docs"]
        s2["Validation"]
        output["Reader outcome"]
    end

    %% Operational Flow Edges
    source --> s0
    s0 --> s1
    s1 --> s2
    s2 --> output

    %% Premium Styling Rules
```


## Operational Readiness

Use this page as the public operating layer for **HELM for Humans**. The source of truth is `helm-ai-enterprise/docs/public/getting-started/for-humans.md`; if this page and the implementation disagree, update the source-backed doc and rerun the validation command before publishing.

Before relying on this surface, confirm three things: the source path above still exists, the referenced commands or contracts are still present in the owning repo, and the docs-platform export surfaces still show this page in search, Markdown, `llms-full.txt`, and MCP without exposing protected routes.

Validation command: `corepack pnpm run docs:coverage && corepack pnpm run docs:truth`. For website parity, also run `npm run exports:boundary` and `npm run thin-pages:check` from `docs-platform`.

### Expected Output

A reader should leave with a concrete next action, the source file or contract to inspect, the command that proves the claim, and a clear boundary for what is public versus protected. For reference pages, the expected output is a correctly scoped request, schema, command, or diagnostic path. For operations pages, the expected output is a reproducible readiness or failure signal that can be attached to an evaluation or support thread.

### Failure Modes

If the validation command fails, do not patch this page in isolation. First identify whether the drift is in code, generated contracts, source-owner docs, or the docs manifest. If the public page needs a protected deep link, describe the protected document by name instead of exposing its route. Commercial operator details, tenant data, key ceremonies, and deployment-sensitive internals stay in protected customer or staff docs; this public page only exposes the safe developer contract.