Create journal draft

Save an incomplete or balanced journal, including an optional automatic reversal date, as an editable draft without posting it to the ledger.

Outcome

Save an incomplete or balanced journal, including an optional automatic reversal date, as an editable draft without posting it to the ledger.

Before you start

Verify the intended environment, authenticated identity and specifically approved organization context.
The published application permission is journals:write. Discover the exact granted canonical Books workspace and bind it separately from action input.
Approve the actual mutation, accounting inputs and any provider/recipient effects before CLI --confirm or MCP confirm:true. Fixture identifiers and simulated provider responses authorize no live operation.

Discover the target

topolo whoami --json
topolo actions get app_topolo_books.journals.drafts.create --detail --json
topolo resources topolo-books --json
topolo workspaces list topolo-books --json

Set BOOKS_WORKSPACE_ID to the exact granted workspace returned by discovery.

Request

POST /api/journal-drafts

Inspect and test this action. Save the reviewed input as payload.json; supply credential/resource context separately.

Input fields

Field	Required	Meaning	Schema and constraints
`postedOn`	Optional	posted On	{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","pattern":"^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$"},{"type":"null"}]}
`description`	Optional	description	{"type":"string","maxLength":500}
`reference`	Optional	reference	{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","maxLength":100},{"type":"null"}]}
`notes`	Optional	notes	{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","maxLength":4000},{"type":"null"}]}
`autoReverseOn`	Optional	auto Reverse On	{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","pattern":"^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$"},{"type":"null"}]}
`overrideSoftLock`	Optional	Explicit override of a soft accounting lock; inspect the lock and obtain authority before posting.	{"type":"boolean"}
`lines`	Optional	Complete structured lines in the published nested schema. Journal lines use signed minor units and must balance; invoice/bill lines have their own pricing and tax shape.	{"maxItems":500,"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"accountId":{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","minLength":1},{"type":"null"}]},"amountMinor":{"anyOf":[{"type":"integer","minimum":-9007199254740991,"maximum":9007199254740991},{"type":"null"}]},"documentCurrency":{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","pattern":"^[A-Z]{3}$"},{"type":"null"}]},"documentAmountMinor":{"anyOf":[{"type":"integer","minimum":-9007199254740991,"maximum":9007199254740991},{"type":"null"}]},"fxRate":{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","pattern":"^\d+(\.\d+)?$"},{"type":"null"}]},"taxRateId":{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","minLength":1},{"type":"null"}]},"contactId":{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","minLength":1},{"type":"null"}]},"dimensions":{"anyOf":[{"type":"object","propertyNames":{"type":"string"},"additionalProperties":{"type":"string"}},{"type":"null"}]},"memo":{"anyOf":[{"type":"string","maxLength":500},{"type":"null"}]}},"additionalProperties":false}}

Inspect nested fields and the complete input schema.

Effects

Creates an editable draft only. The ledger sequence, hash chain, balances and reports are unchanged.

Interpret the response

Read $.draft.id for the returned journal_draft identifier. Empty collections and nullable fields do not discover a target.

Call app_topolo_books.journals.drafts.get with the returned draft id.

Inspect the success schema. CLI/MCP add their own transport envelope; CLI --detail requests the full result.

Worked examples

Actual Books route handlers and the exported Worker were exercised against five local SQLite D1 concern databases with all committed migrations, the real posting Durable Object and local R2. Route captures use synthetic verified Auth; Worker captures use synthetic Auth transports. Nexus, Brand, Notify, Pay, Mercury and Xero responses are explicitly simulated at the provider transport boundary. Captures prove local request/response behavior and canonical SDK projection, not live bank access, payment movement, email delivery, provider eligibility, tax compliance, encrypted custody, scheduled execution, deployment or production completion. Fixture identities, credentials, addresses and records authorize no live operation.

Run a reviewed request

Save the input from the selected worked example as payload.json. Validate and inspect the plan before calling the action; refused examples demonstrate errors and are not instructions to execute.

CLI:

topolo actions validate app_topolo_books.journals.drafts.create --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions plan app_topolo_books.journals.drafts.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$BOOKS_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions call app_topolo_books.journals.drafts.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$BOOKS_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --confirm --detail --json

MCP tool and arguments for the first successful example:

{
  "tool": "topolo_call_action",
  "arguments": {
    "actionId": "app_topolo_books.journals.drafts.create",
    "input": {
      "notes": "Fixture evidence"
    },
    "resourceType": "workspace",
    "resourceId": "<exact granted workspace id>",
    "confirm": true,
    "detail": true
  }
}

Refused response · auth_error

Input · payload.json:

{
  "postedOn": "2026-09-06",
  "description": "Month-end accrual",
  "lines": []
}

Captured response · HTTP 401

{
  "error": "API key validation failed"
}

HTTP 401. SDK error code auth_error. Authenticate in the intended organization again. Verify whoami and the exact Books application/workspace binding before retrying; do not switch identity to work around a refusal.

Successful response · HTTP 201

Input · payload.json:

{
  "notes": "Fixture evidence"
}

Captured response · HTTP 201

{
  "draft": {
    "id": "jd_52ec4f8955f3410e931b83667f29a3c0",
    "organization_id": "org_documentation-attachment_muvnpnbr2",
    "workspace_id": "ws_documentation-attachment_muvnpnbr2",
    "posted_on": null,
    "description": "",
    "reference": null,
    "auto_reverse_on": null,
    "override_soft_lock": 0,
    "created_by": "usr_test",
    "created_at": "2026-10-05T19:42:39.449Z",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-05T19:42:39.449Z",
    "notes": "Fixture evidence"
  },
  "lines": []
}