Exclusive
Trust Ladder <mv-trust-ladder>
Graduated autonomy earned from a track record, for AI agents, automations, integrations and new team members alike.
Cultural reference
The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943, book). The fox explains that taming takes patience: sit a little closer each day, at the same hour, and trust is built step by step, never all at once. In the UI, each capability climbs a ladder of autonomy only as its track record accumulates (so many approved actions in a row, so many days), a person grants each step, and a broken promise means stepping back and starting the count again.
How it works
Graduated autonomy earned from a track record, for AI agents, automations, integrations and new team members alike. Every capability (“Refund customers”, “Deploy to staging”, “Approve expenses”) is a row of a trust matrix whose rising rungs show its level on its own ladder (Suggest only → Act with approval → Act and report → Act silently under $50), and each level states what it takes to get there: so many approved in a row, a minimum number of actions, an approval rate, days at the current level, reverted actions allowed. Opening a row shows the ladder as a staircase with the current step, a checklist of the next level’s criteria with values and bars (“14 of 20”, “9 of 14 days”) plus the plain-language remainder (“Still needed: 6 more approved in a row and 5 more days”), a track-record strip whose unbroken tail is the streak, a tally and a table of recent actions with their outcome (approved, kept, edited, rejected, reverted) and reviewer. record() feeds outcomes in; a reverted action immediately suggests stepping down (“Step down to Act with approval until the record is clean again?”) or, with auto-demote, does it; “Keep level, restart count” resets the window instead. Promotion is always a person’s decision with require-owner (only the capability’s owner is offered it, never automatic), and “Promote now” before the record is complete asks for confirmation and lists what is missing. mv-promote and mv-demote are cancelable and take waitUntil(promise) for your server: the component recommends, your app enforces. Compact view for dashboards; every text overridable.
| Category | Data display |
|---|---|
| Type | Web Component (<mv-trust-ladder>) |
| Status | stable |
| Kit | AI you can check |
| Also installs | button |
| Keywords | exclusive, culture, autonomy, trust, ai-agent, agent, automation, human-in-the-loop, approval, permissions, graduated, track-record, promotion, demotion, governance, onboarding, matrix, ladder |
When to use
- An AI agent or automation should earn more autonomy per task from its approved, edited and reverted actions
- A settings page must show what an assistant may do on its own today and what it takes to unlock the next level
- New team members or junior approvers get wider rights step by step, based on a reviewed track record
- A reverted action by a bot or integration should immediately prompt a human to reduce its autonomy
Avoid when
- Each critical action needs a second person to co-sign it, whatever the track record → use Two-Key instead
- A few one-off exceptions to a rule are budgeted per period rather than earned over time → use Pass Card instead
- Rights are static roles or permissions set by an admin, with no track record behind them: a plain settings table is clearer
Install
node scripts/add.mjs trust-ladder --out ./src/marvelousAI agent with the Marvelous UI MCP server: install_components({ slugs: ["trust-ladder"], target_dir: "<absolute path>/src/marvelous", framework: "react" }).
Files copied (dependencies included): tokens/tokens.css, core/base.css, components/button/button.css, core/dom.js, core/element.js, core/i18n.js, core/motion.js, components/trust-ladder/trust-ladder.js, components/trust-ladder/trust-ladder.css.
Usage
Quick start, the smallest working markup:
<mv-trust-ladder label="Support assistant">
<script type="application/json">{ "capabilities": [{ "id": "refunds", "label": "Refund customers", "level": "approve", "since": "-12d",
"evidence": [{ "at": "-2h", "title": "Refund $42 · Order 4821", "outcome": "approved" }, { "at": "-1d", "title": "Refund $18 · Order 4790", "outcome": "reverted" }] }] }</script>
</mv-trust-ladder>Canonical markup, to start from and customize with attributes, data-* and CSS variables:
<div id="tl-demo" style="width:min(100%,62rem);margin-inline:auto">
<style>
#tl-demo { display:grid; gap:1.25rem; align-content:start }
#tl-demo .tl-top { display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:space-between; gap:.5rem 1rem; flex-wrap:wrap }
#tl-demo .tl-kicker { margin:0; color:var(--mv-fg-subtle); font-size:.6875rem; font-weight:600; letter-spacing:.06em; text-transform:uppercase }
#tl-demo .tl-top h3 { margin:.125rem 0 0; font-size:1.125rem; letter-spacing:-.01em }
#tl-demo .tl-top p.tl-sub { margin:.125rem 0 0; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.8125rem }
#tl-demo .tl-grid { display:grid; grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) minmax(0,1fr); gap:1.25rem; align-items:start }
#tl-demo .tl-panel { display:grid; gap:.875rem; padding:1rem 1.125rem 1.125rem; border:1px dashed var(--mv-border-strong); border-radius:var(--mv-radius-xl) }
#tl-demo .tl-panel h4 { margin:0; font-size:.8125rem; font-weight:600 }
#tl-demo .tl-row { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:.5rem; flex-wrap:wrap }
#tl-demo .tl-row > span { color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.75rem; margin-inline-end:.25rem }
#tl-demo .tl-panel .mv-choice { font-size:.8125rem }
#tl-demo .tl-log { margin:0; min-height:2.5em; color:var(--mv-fg-subtle); font:.75rem/1.4 var(--mv-font-mono) }
#tl-demo .tl-side { display:grid; gap:.5rem }
#tl-demo .tl-side p { margin:0; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.75rem }
@media (max-width:48rem) { #tl-demo .tl-grid { grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) } }
</style>
<div class="tl-top">
<div>
<p class="tl-kicker">Helpdesk · Automation settings</p>
<h3>What the support assistant may do on its own</h3>
<p class="tl-sub">Autonomy is earned per capability from its track record. Your app applies the level.</p>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Main: an AI support assistant, four capabilities, refunds expanded -->
<mv-trust-ladder id="tl-main" label="Support assistant" user="Priya Nair" require-owner evidence-limit="5"></mv-trust-ladder>
<div class="tl-grid">
<section class="tl-panel" aria-label="Demo controls">
<h4>Try it on “Refund customers”</h4>
<div class="tl-row">
<span>Next refund:</span>
<button type="button" class="mv-button" data-variant="outline" data-size="sm" id="tl-approve">Approved</button>
<button type="button" class="mv-button" data-variant="outline" data-size="sm" id="tl-edit">Edited</button>
<button type="button" class="mv-button" data-variant="outline" data-size="sm" id="tl-revert">Reverted</button>
</div>
<div class="tl-row">
<button type="button" class="mv-button" data-variant="secondary" data-size="sm" id="tl-week">Skip ahead a week</button>
<button type="button" class="mv-button" data-variant="ghost" data-size="sm" id="tl-reset">Reset demo</button>
</div>
<label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" role="switch" class="mv-switch" id="tl-owner" checked> Viewing as the owner, Priya Nair</label>
<label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" role="switch" class="mv-switch" id="tl-fail"> Server rejects the next change</label>
<p class="tl-log" id="tl-log" aria-live="polite">Add a few approved refunds, then promote.</p>
</section>
<!-- Compact: a new team member's approval rights, same mechanic -->
<div class="tl-side">
<mv-trust-ladder id="tl-compact" compact label="Elena Petrova · Junior approver" user="Tomás Rivera" require-owner>
<script type="application/json">{
"levels": [
{ "id": "shadow", "label": "Shadow review", "description": "Reviews alongside a senior approver. Decides nothing." },
{ "id": "co", "label": "Co-approve", "description": "Approves together with a second approver.", "criteria": { "actions": 10, "maxReverted": 0 } },
{ "id": "solo", "label": "Approve up to $1,000", "description": "Approves alone up to $1,000.", "criteria": { "streak": 15, "days": 30, "maxReverted": 0 } },
{ "id": "senior", "label": "Approve up to $10,000", "description": "Approves alone up to $10,000.", "criteria": { "streak": 40, "days": 90, "approvalRate": 0.97, "maxReverted": 0 } }
],
"capabilities": [
{ "id": "expenses", "label": "Expense reports", "owner": "Tomás Rivera", "level": "co", "since": "-41d",
"evidence": [
{ "at": "-4h", "title": "Expense report · Lisbon offsite · $812.40", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-1d", "title": "Expense report · Client dinner · $236.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-3d", "title": "Expense report · Conference pass · $699.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-5d", "title": "Expense report · Taxi receipts · $84.10", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-7d", "title": "Expense report · Laptop stand · $59.99", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-9d", "title": "Expense report · Team lunch · $148.25", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-12d", "title": "Expense report · Train to Lyon · $118.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-14d", "title": "Expense report · Coworking day pass · $35.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-17d", "title": "Expense report · Hotel, Berlin · $412.80", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-19d", "title": "Expense report · Software license · $240.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-22d", "title": "Expense report · Parking · $27.50", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-25d", "title": "Expense report · Flight to Toronto · $684.20", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-28d", "title": "Expense report · Printer ink · $46.99", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-31d", "title": "Expense report · Client gift · $75.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" },
{ "at": "-34d", "title": "Expense report · Mileage · $92.40", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-38d", "title": "Expense report · Headset · $129.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" }
] },
{ "id": "invoices", "label": "Vendor invoices", "owner": "Tomás Rivera", "level": "co", "since": "-12d",
"evidence": [
{ "at": "-1d", "title": "Invoice INV-7731 · Cloud hosting · $940.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-3d", "title": "Invoice INV-7702 · Cleaning services · $610.00", "outcome": "edited", "by": "Tomás Rivera", "note": "Wrong cost center" },
{ "at": "-6d", "title": "Invoice INV-7688 · Office supplies · $182.35", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" },
{ "at": "-9d", "title": "Invoice INV-7654 · Translation · $420.00", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Tomás Rivera" }
] },
{ "id": "travel", "label": "Travel requests", "owner": "Tomás Rivera", "level": "shadow", "since": "-6d",
"evidence": [
{ "at": "-2d", "title": "Travel · Madrid, 3 nights", "outcome": "approved", "by": "Grace Liu" }
] }
]
}</script>
</mv-trust-ladder>
<p>Compact view: the same ladder for a new team member’s approval rights. Open a row for details.</p>
</div>
</div>
<script type="module">
const el = document.getElementById("tl-main");
const $ = (id) => document.getElementById(id);
const log = $("tl-log");
const H = 36e5, D = 864e5;
const reviewers = ["Daniel Kim", "Sofia Rossi", "Kenji Watanabe", "Lucas Moreau"];
const reasons = ["damaged in transit", "late delivery", "wrong size", "duplicate charge", "missing item", "not as described"];
let order = 48213;
const amount = (i) => ((i * 37) % 180 + 12 + ((i * 13) % 100) / 100).toFixed(2);
const refund = (i, at, outcome, extra = {}) => ({
at, outcome, by: reviewers[i % reviewers.length],
title: `Refund $${amount(i)} · Order #${order - i * 7} · ${reasons[i % reasons.length]}`, ...extra,
});
const kept = (label, i, at, extra = {}) => ({ at, outcome: "kept", title: label(i), ...extra });
const replyLevels = [
{ id: "suggest", label: "Suggest only", description: "Drafts a reply for an agent to send." },
{ id: "approve", label: "Act with approval", description: "Sends once an agent approves each reply.", criteria: { streak: 10, maxReverted: 0 } },
{ id: "report", label: "Act and report", description: "Sends on its own and logs every reply for review.", criteria: { streak: 20, days: 14, maxReverted: 0 } },
{ id: "silent", label: "Act silently", description: "Sends on its own. Weekly spot checks.", criteria: { streak: 50, days: 30, maxReverted: 0 } },
];
const initial = () => {
const now = Date.now();
// Refunds: 14 approved in a row since an edit, 9 days at "Act with approval".
const refunds = [];
for (let i = 0; i < 14; i++) refunds.push(refund(i, now - (3 + i * 14) * H, "approved"));
refunds.push(refund(14, now - 8 * D, "edited", { note: "Amount lowered to $32.00: shipping isn’t refundable" }));
refunds.push(refund(15, now - 8.6 * D, "approved"));
for (let i = 16; i < 26; i++) refunds.push(refund(i, now - (10 + (i - 16)) * D, "approved"));
const replies = [];
const ticket = (i) => `Reply to ticket #${91540 - i * 3} · ${["order status", "return label", "password reset", "invoice copy", "delivery window"][i % 5]}`;
for (let i = 0; i < 52; i++) replies.push(kept(ticket, i, now - (2 + i * 13) * H));
const routes = [];
const route = (i) => `Tag and route ticket #${91602 - i * 2} → ${["Billing", "Shipping", "Returns", "Accounts"][i % 4]}`;
for (let i = 0; i < 24; i++) routes.push(kept(route, i, now - (1 + i * 6) * H));
const credits = [];
const credit = (i) => `Store credit $${(15 + (i * 11) % 60).toFixed(2)} · Account #${20931 + i * 17}`;
credits.push({ at: now - 20 * H, outcome: "reverted", title: "Store credit $120.00 · Account #20931", by: "Lucas Moreau", note: "Duplicate: the customer was already credited by phone" });
for (let i = 1; i < 10; i++) credits.push(kept(credit, i, now - (1 + i) * D));
return [
{
id: "refunds", label: "Refund customers", owner: "Priya Nair", level: "approve", since: now - 9 * D, open: true, evidence: refunds,
levels: [
{ id: "suggest", label: "Suggest only", description: "Drafts the refund. An agent issues it." },
{ id: "approve", label: "Act with approval", description: "Issues a refund once an agent approves it.", criteria: { streak: 10, maxReverted: 0 } },
{ id: "report", label: "Act and report", description: "Issues refunds under $200 and posts each one for review.", criteria: { streak: 20, days: 14, maxReverted: 0 } },
{ id: "silent", label: "Act silently under $50", description: "Issues small refunds without a report. Weekly spot checks.", criteria: { streak: 50, days: 30, approvalRate: 0.98, maxReverted: 0 } },
],
},
{ id: "replies", label: "Reply to customers", owner: "Priya Nair", level: "report", since: now - 32 * D, levels: replyLevels, evidence: replies },
{ id: "routing", label: "Tag and route tickets", owner: "Amara Okafor", level: "silent", since: now - 61 * D, levels: replyLevels, evidence: routes },
{ id: "credit", label: "Issue store credit", owner: "Priya Nair", level: "report", since: now - 12 * D, levels: replyLevels, evidence: credits },
];
};
let n = 30;
const reset = () => { n = 30; el.capabilities = initial(); log.textContent = "Add a few approved refunds, then promote."; };
await customElements.whenDefined("mv-trust-ladder");
reset();
$("tl-approve").addEventListener("click", () => el.record("refunds", refund(n++, Date.now(), "approved")));
$("tl-edit").addEventListener("click", () => el.record("refunds", refund(n++, Date.now(), "edited", { note: "Agent changed the amount before approving" })));
$("tl-revert").addEventListener("click", () => el.record("refunds", refund(n++, Date.now(), "reverted", { note: "The card issuer had already refunded the customer" })));
$("tl-week").addEventListener("click", () => {
const caps = el.capabilities;
for (const c of caps) {
if (c.since) c.since -= 7 * D;
if (c.resetAt) c.resetAt -= 7 * D;
for (const e of c.evidence) e.at -= 7 * D;
}
el.capabilities = caps;
log.textContent = "A week went by: every “days at this level” count moved forward.";
});
$("tl-reset").addEventListener("click", reset);
$("tl-owner").addEventListener("change", (e) => { el.user = e.target.checked ? "Priya Nair" : "Daniel Kim"; });
const save = (e, verb) => {
const fail = $("tl-fail").checked;
// Your server applies the new level here; a rejection changes nothing.
e.detail.waitUntil(new Promise((ok, ko) => setTimeout(() => (fail ? ko(new Error("403")) : ok()), 650)));
log.textContent = `mv-${verb} · ${e.detail.label}: ${e.detail.fromLabel} → ${e.detail.toLabel} · reason: ${e.detail.reason}${e.detail.early ? " · early" : ""}${fail ? " · server rejects…" : ""}`;
if (fail) $("tl-fail").checked = false;
};
el.addEventListener("mv-promote", (e) => save(e, "promote"));
el.addEventListener("mv-demote", (e) => save(e, "demote"));
el.addEventListener("mv-demote-dismiss", (e) => { log.textContent = `mv-demote-dismiss · ${e.detail.capability}: level kept, count restarted`; });
el.addEventListener("mv-trust-evidence", (e) => {
const { entry, status, progress } = e.detail;
const streak = progress.criteria.find((c) => c.key === "streak");
log.textContent = `mv-trust-evidence · ${entry.outcome} · status: ${status}${streak ? ` · streak ${streak.value}/${streak.target}` : ""}`;
});
el.addEventListener("mv-trust-error", () => { log.textContent = "mv-trust-error · the server refused: nothing changed."; });
</script>
</div>API
Attributes
| Name | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
label | string | Autonomy | Heading of the matrix (who or what is being trusted: “Support assistant”, “Deploy bot”, “Elena Petrova · Junior approver”). Also names the group for assistive tech. |
user | string | Name of the person viewing. With require-owner, promotions are only offered when it matches the capability’s owner; everyone can still step a capability down. | |
require-owner | boolean | Promotion is always a person’s decision: auto-promote is ignored, promote({ reason: "criteria" }) is refused, and the Promote button is disabled (with an explanation) for anyone but the owner. | |
auto-promote | boolean | When a record() completes the next level’s criteria, promote automatically (mv-promote with reason "criteria", still cancelable). Ignored with require-owner. | |
auto-demote | boolean | A reverted action steps the capability down right away (mv-demote with reason "reverted", cancelable) instead of only suggesting it. | |
compact | boolean | Dense matrix for dashboards and side panels: name, rungs and status only; rows still open for details. | |
evidence-limit | number | 5 | Recent actions shown in the table before “Show all”. |
heading-level | number (2-5) | 3 | Heading level of each capability row (section titles inside use the next level). |
locale | string | en-US | Locale for dates, times and lists. The value auto follows the page language (nearest lang); without the attribute, en-US unless the app registered the page language with setStrings() (core/i18n.js). |
Properties
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
capabilities | Array<{ id, label, owner?, level, since?, resetAt?, levels?, evidence[], open? }> | The rows. level = id (or index) of the current level; since = when it was reached; evidence = [{ id?, at, title, outcome: "approved" | "kept" | "edited" | "rejected" | "reverted", by?, note? }]. Times accept Date, epoch ms, ISO strings or relative offsets ("-3d", "-5h", "now"). Reading it returns the live state, including status. Also accepted as a <script type="application/json"> child: { levels, capabilities }. |
levels | Array<{ id, label, description?, criteria? }> | Default ladder for capabilities without their own levels, lowest first. criteria (to reach that level, counted since the current level was reached or the count restarted): streak (approved or kept in a row), actions, approvalRate (0-1 or %), days, maxReverted. Defaults: Suggest only → Act with approval → Act and report → Act silently. |
strings | Partial<Record<string, string>> | Overrides for every visible text and announcement (English defaults), e.g. statusReady, promote ({level}), stepDown, alertDemote ({action}, {when}, {level}), keep, ownerOnly ({owner}), critStreak, needStreak ({n}). |
Methods
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
record(id, { title, outcome, at?, by?, note? }) | Adds an outcome to a capability’s record, re-evaluates it and emits mv-trust-evidence. A reverted action raises the step-down suggestion (or demotes with auto-demote). Returns the stored entry, or null. |
promote(id, { reason? }) | One level up. Emits the cancelable mv-promote; resolves true once applied (after any waitUntil promises). Early promotions are allowed from code; detail.early and detail.unmet say what was missing. |
demote(id, { to?, reason?, trigger? }) | One level down (or to level id/index to). Emits the cancelable mv-demote; resolves true once applied. |
keep(id) | Keeps the level after a reverted action and restarts the count (the criteria window starts now). Emits the cancelable mv-demote-dismiss. |
progress(id) | { level, next, status, met, ratio, criteria: [{ key, label, value, target, met, ratio, text }], stats: { streak, actions, clean, corrected, reverted, days, rate, since } }. |
expand(id) / collapse(id) / toggle(id) | Opens or closes a row’s details. |
Events
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
mv-promote | Cancelable, before a promotion. detail: { capability, label, from, to, fromLabel, toLabel, reason: "owner" | "criteria" | "api", early, unmet[], stats, user, waitUntil(promise) }. A rejected promise changes nothing and announces an error. |
mv-demote | Cancelable, before a step down. detail: { capability, label, from, to, fromLabel, toLabel, reason: "owner" | "reverted" | "api", trigger (the reverted entry, if any), user, waitUntil(promise) }. |
mv-trust-evidence | An outcome was recorded. detail: { capability, entry, status: "building" | "ready" | "demote" | "reverted" | "top", suggestion: "promote" | "demote" | null, progress }. |
mv-demote-dismiss | Cancelable: someone chose “Keep level, restart count” after a reverted action. detail: { capability, level, trigger, user }. |
mv-trust-error | A waitUntil promise rejected. detail: { capability, action: "promote" | "demote", error }. |
Content structure
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
(json) | An optional <script type="application/json"> child with { levels, capabilities } for declarative setup (ignored when the properties are set first). |
CSS classes
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
mv-trust-ladder-row | One capability (li): data-status="building | ready | demote | reverted | top", data-open, data-busy. Holds -trigger (disclosure button with -cap, -track of -rung[data-state], -level, -status, -chevron) and -detail. |
mv-trust-ladder-steps / -step | The ladder as an ordered list drawn as a staircase; each step has data-state="reached | current | next | locked" (aria-current="step" on the current one) and data-ready on a next step whose criteria are met. |
mv-trust-ladder-criteria / -criterion | Next level’s criteria: data-met, -criterion-icon, -label, -value, -bar (--_p). |
mv-trust-ladder-strip / -cell | Decorative track-record strip (aria-hidden): one cell per outcome, data-outcome, data-streak, data-before. |
mv-trust-ladder-table | Recent actions table (When, Action, Outcome, Reviewed by); rows carry data-outcome and data-before. |
mv-trust-ladder-alert / -actions / -confirm | Step-down suggestion, action bar (note + Step down / Promote) and early-promotion confirmation. |
CSS variables
| Name | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
--mv-trust-ladder-accent | var(--mv-accent) | Reached rungs and steps, streak cells, progress bars. |
--mv-trust-ladder-ready | var(--mv-success) | Met criteria and “Ready to promote”. |
--mv-trust-ladder-risk | var(--mv-danger) | Reverted actions and the step-down suggestion. |
--mv-trust-ladder-corrected | var(--mv-warning) | Edited and rejected outcomes, early-promotion confirmation. |
--mv-trust-ladder-rise | 0.625rem | Height of each stair in the ladder. |
Accessibility
The element is a group labelled by its heading; each capability is a list item whose heading contains a real disclosure <button> (aria-expanded, aria-controls) that reads the whole row in words: name, owner, current level with “Level 2 of 4”, and the status (“Ready to promote”, “Step down suggested”, “64% to next level”). The rungs and the track-record strip are aria-hidden; the same facts are always in text. The opened region is labelled by its trigger. Levels are an ordered list with the current step marked by aria-current="step" and a visible “Current level” label; reached, next (with its percentage) and locked steps are named in text too. Criteria are a list where each item says its value (“14 of 20”) and, for screen readers, “met” or “not met yet”, followed by a sentence of what is still needed. Evidence is a real table with a caption and column headers; outcomes combine an icon and a word, and rows from before the current count say so. Status never relies on color: icons, words and dashed or solid borders carry it. Promote and Step down are buttons whose names include the target level; a Promote the viewer may not use is aria-disabled and described by the “Only Priya Nair can promote” note. Early promotion opens an inline confirmation (focus moves to Cancel, Escape closes it and returns focus to Promote; confirming also puts focus back on the Promote control). While a change awaits the server the button is aria-busy and the row says “Saving…”. Changes are announced politely (“Refund customers promoted to Act and report. The count starts again at this level.”, “…is ready to promote”), a reverted action assertively; errors assertively. If a change hides the focused button, focus moves to the next sensible control in the row. Reduced motion (OS or data-motion="reduce"): the step highlight, row reveal and new-row fade are instant. Forced colors: rungs and cells get system-color borders and fills, the current step a Highlight outline and progress bars a Highlight fill. Known limits: the component only displays and requests levels; the app enforces them (it must refuse on the server an action the current level does not allow), and the criteria are computed from the evidence you pass, not from actions it observes.