---
title: "Approve or deny a request"
description: "Answers what a run asked. Approving carries the action out as the run wrote it, or with your words in place of its own."
url: "https://openemail.uk/docs/api/tasks/approve"
area: "API"
category: "Mailbox"
---

# Approve or deny a request

Answers what a run asked. Approving carries the action out as the run wrote it, or with your words in place of its own.

`POST /task-approvals/{id}/approve`

**Also documents:** `POST /task-approvals/{id}/deny`

## POST /task-approvals/{id}/approve

Answers what a run asked. Approving carries the action out as the run wrote it, or with your words in place of its own.

## Example

Approving needs what creating the task would, because you are letting it act. Denying needs `tasks:write`.

**curl**

```
curl -X POST "$OE/task-approvals/apr_2f8c1a6e9b3d47c05e1a8f2c/approve" -H "$AUTH" -H 'content-type: application/json' -d '{
  "body": "Hi Ann, the invoice went out again this morning. Tell me if it has not arrived by tomorrow."
}'
curl -X POST "$OE/task-approvals/apr_2f8c1a6e9b3d47c05e1a8f2c/deny" -H "$AUTH"
```

**Response**

```
{
  "object": "task_approval",
  "id": "apr_2f8c1a6e9b3d47c05e1a8f2c",
  "runId": "run_9d3a7e1c5b2f48a60c7e1d3b",
  "taskId": "tsk_4b9e2c7a1f3d86e05a9c2b7d",
  "taskName": "Morning summary",
  "tool": "replyToEmail",
  "summary": "Reply to ann@example.com: Re: Invoice 1042",
  "args": {
    "threadId": "thr_7c1e4a90",
    "to": ["ann@example.com"],
    "subject": "Re: Invoice 1042",
    "body": "Hi Ann, the invoice went out again this morning."
  },
  "status": "pending",
  "createdAt": "2026-10-13T07:00:41.220Z",
  "expiresAt": "2026-10-20T07:00:41.220Z",
  "decidedAt": null
}
```

> The body of an approval is optional. `subject` and `body` apply to a send or a reply and are ignored for anything else.

> The answer returns at once. The run picks up again within seconds of its last open request being answered.

> A request that was already answered, has expired, or belongs to a run that ended answers 409 `task_approval_decided`.

## Reference

- [`POST /task-approvals/{id}/approve`](https://openemail.uk/docs/api/reference/tasks#post-task-approvals-id-approve): full reference
- [`POST /task-approvals/{id}/deny`](https://openemail.uk/docs/api/reference/tasks#post-task-approvals-id-deny): full reference