# Managing Policies
Source: https://docs.chain.link/ace/guides/policy-manager/manage-policies
Last Updated: 2026-04-15

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt).

This guide covers how to browse available policy types, create policy instances, and configure their parameters. For attaching policies to specific functions on your contracts, see [Protecting Target Functions](/ace/guides/policy-manager/manage-protections).

## Policy implementations vs policy instances

ACE distinguishes between two concepts:

- **Policy implementation** — A reusable policy template (smart contract code) that defines specific compliance logic, such as an allowlist check or volume limit. ACE provides a [pre-built library](/ace/reference/policy-library) of audited implementations, and you can register your own [custom policy](/ace/guides/policy-manager/custom-policies) implementations, which are scoped to your organization.
- **Policy instance** — A deployed copy of a policy implementation, configured with your specific parameters and associated with a [policy engine](/ace/guides/policy-manager/manage-engines). You create a policy instance from an implementation and then attach it to target functions via [protections](/ace/guides/policy-manager/manage-protections).

For example, the "Allow List Policy" implementation can be instantiated multiple times with different allowlists.

## Browse policy implementations

## Create a policy instance

A policy instance is created from a policy implementation and deployed on-chain within a policy engine.

## View and filter policies

## Update policy configuration

After deploying a policy instance, you can update its on-chain configuration parameters — for example, adding an address to an allowlist or changing a volume threshold — without redeploying the policy.

## Archive a policy

Archiving a policy instance removes it from active use. All target protections that reference this policy must be archived first.

> **CAUTION**
>
> All target protections referencing this policy must be archived before the policy itself can be archived. See
> [Protecting Target Functions](/ace/guides/policy-manager/manage-protections) for how to archive protections.

## Related pages

- [Policy Management](/ace/concepts/policy-management) — how policy chains and evaluation work
- [Policy Library](/ace/reference/policy-library) — pre-built policy implementations with configuration details
- [Managing Policy Engines](/ace/guides/policy-manager/manage-engines) — create the engine your policies belong to
- [Protecting Target Functions](/ace/guides/policy-manager/manage-protections) — attach policy instances to target functions
- [Policy Ordering & Composition](/ace/concepts/policy-ordering) — how to compose effective rulesets
- [Coordinator API Reference](/api/ace/coordinator/docs) — full API schema