Request Flow approval

Create a pending review request for a flow and one named approver.

Outcome

Create a pending review request for a flow and one named approver.

Before you start

Verify authenticated identity, environment and the approved organization context before preparing an action.
The published application permission is workspace:write. Discover and bind the exact granted Flow workspace. Supplied ids do not grant access.
Session callers need read_write or admin workspace access. Auth-introspected API keys must bind that workspace and satisfy workspace:write. The application permission and workspace boundary are separate checks.
Authorize the documented mutation effects before CLI --confirm or MCP confirm:true. Fixture credentials and ids authorize no live operation.

Discover the target

topolo whoami --json
topolo actions get app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --detail --json
topolo resources topolo-flow --json
topolo workspaces list topolo-flow --json

Set FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID to the exact id returned by granted workspace discovery.
Discover flowId using flows.list or a retained creation response in this workspace.
Resolve the actual canonical approver user id through authorized identity discovery; an email address or sample id is not a substitute.

Request

POST /api/flows/{flowId}/approvals

Inspect and test this action. Save the exact input object as payload.json; resource context is supplied separately.

Input fields

Field	Required	Meaning	Constraints
`flowId`	Required	Exact flow.id returned by creation, flows.list or flows.get in this granted workspace.	{"minLength":1}
`subject`	Required	Nonempty approval subject, at most 160 characters.	{"minLength":1,"maxLength":160}
`summary`	Required	Nonempty approval summary, at most 2000 characters; explain the actual decision being requested.	{"minLength":1,"maxLength":2000}
`approverUserId`	Required	Actual canonical user id for the named approver, discovered through authorized identity discovery.	{"minLength":1}

View the full input schema through the action reference or CLI/MCP discovery.

Effects

Creates approval and pending notification-outbox entries together in the execution database. The requester must be a user and the flow must exist. Repeated requests create new approvals; approval does not automatically run or activate the flow.
Session callers need read_write or admin access to the exact granted Flow workspace, in addition to the published application permission. Auth-introspected API keys use their bound workspace and workspace:write; supplying an id never grants access.

Interpret the response

Read $.approval.id for the returned approval identifier. An empty collection does not discover a target.

Read approvals.list with flowId and match the returned id, pending status and approver. Local outbox insertion is not proof of notification delivery.

View the complete success schema. Success examples below preserve the actual exported Worker responses; errors have their original refusal shapes. CLI/MCP add their transport envelope, and --detail requests the full CLI response.

Worked examples

Captured from the actual exported Flow Worker with both local SQLite D1 stores and all committed migrations, synthetic Auth identity/grants and simulated Nexus, archive and Workflow-acceptance transports. Fixture credentials and identifiers authorize no live operation. No live provider invocation, credential storage, notification delivery, metering acceptance, durable Workflow execution, deployment, backup erasure or production completion is established by these captures. Refused examples explain boundaries and must not be executed as successful workflows.

Refused request · HTTP 401

Actual exported Worker response with both local SQLite D1 databases and all committed migrations; synthetic Auth/grants and simulated Nexus/archive transport. No live credentials, provider calls, delivery, deployment or durable Workflow execution proof. Scenario: anonymous action.

Input · payload.json:

{
  "flowId": "synthetic_missing"
}

CLI:

topolo actions validate app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions plan app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --json

Captured local response · HTTP 401:

{
  "error": "Authentication token required"
}

HTTP 401. The handler refused this request. Resolve the exact cause before retrying; invalid input can be refused by CLI validation before reaching the handler.

Successful request

Input · payload.json:

{
  "flowId": "flow_08cd96ed939b4f04ad8a",
  "subject": "Fixture",
  "summary": "Pending fixture",
  "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture"
}

CLI:

topolo actions validate app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions plan app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions call app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --confirm --detail --json

MCP tool and arguments:

{
  "tool": "topolo_call_action",
  "arguments": {
    "actionId": "app_topolo_flow.approvals.create",
    "input": {
      "flowId": "flow_08cd96ed939b4f04ad8a",
      "subject": "Fixture",
      "summary": "Pending fixture",
      "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture"
    },
    "resourceType": "workspace",
    "resourceId": "<id returned by granted resource discovery>",
    "confirm": true
  }
}

Captured local response · HTTP 201:

{
  "approval": {
    "id": "flow_approval_7d9a41d3-cc98-4631-bdfe-c96798570154",
    "flowId": "flow_08cd96ed939b4f04ad8a",
    "subject": "Fixture",
    "summary": "Pending fixture",
    "status": "pending",
    "requestedByUserId": "usr_flow_fixture",
    "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture",
    "decidedByUserId": null,
    "createdAt": "2026-10-05T16:42:03.387Z",
    "decidedAt": null
  }
}

HTTP 201. Read approvals.list with flowId and match the returned id, pending status and approver. Local outbox insertion is not proof of notification delivery.

Refused request · HTTP 403

Input · payload.json:

{
  "flowId": "synthetic_missing",
  "subject": "Fixture",
  "summary": "Synthetic decision",
  "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture"
}

CLI:

topolo actions validate app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions plan app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --json

Captured local response · HTTP 403:

{
  "error": "This workspace requires read_write access",
  "code": "workspace_access_insufficient"
}

HTTP 403. The handler refused this request. Resolve the exact cause before retrying; invalid input can be refused by CLI validation before reaching the handler.

Refused request · HTTP 404

Input · payload.json:

{
  "flowId": "flow_missing",
  "subject": "Fixture",
  "summary": "Fixture",
  "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture"
}

CLI:

topolo actions validate app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions plan app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --json

Captured local response · HTTP 404:

{
  "error": "flow_not_found"
}

HTTP 404. The handler refused this request. Resolve the exact cause before retrying; invalid input can be refused by CLI validation before reaching the handler.

Another supported response

Input · payload.json:

{
  "flowId": "flow_89ead3237f0245859c5d",
  "subject": "Approve fixture",
  "summary": "Synthetic approval only",
  "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture"
}

CLI:

topolo actions validate app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions plan app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --json
topolo actions call app_topolo_flow.approvals.create --resource-type workspace --resource-id "$FLOW_WORKSPACE_ID" --data @payload.json --confirm --detail --json

MCP tool and arguments:

{
  "tool": "topolo_call_action",
  "arguments": {
    "actionId": "app_topolo_flow.approvals.create",
    "input": {
      "flowId": "flow_89ead3237f0245859c5d",
      "subject": "Approve fixture",
      "summary": "Synthetic approval only",
      "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture"
    },
    "resourceType": "workspace",
    "resourceId": "<id returned by granted resource discovery>",
    "confirm": true
  }
}

Captured local response · HTTP 201:

{
  "approval": {
    "id": "flow_approval_dd6c3341-85ee-4349-a123-d6a8d71b84ca",
    "flowId": "flow_89ead3237f0245859c5d",
    "subject": "Approve fixture",
    "summary": "Synthetic approval only",
    "status": "pending",
    "requestedByUserId": "usr_flow_fixture",
    "approverUserId": "usr_flow_fixture",
    "decidedByUserId": null,
    "createdAt": "2026-10-05T16:42:00.798Z",
    "decidedAt": null
  }
}

HTTP 201. Read approvals.list with flowId and match the returned id, pending status and approver. Local outbox insertion is not proof of notification delivery.

Verify the result

Read approvals.list with flowId and match the returned id, pending status and approver. Local outbox insertion is not proof of notification delivery.

Errors and recovery

flow_not_found (HTTP 404): Read existing approvals after an uncertain write before making another request. No published cancellation action exists; do not decide on behalf of the approver.
Authentication token required (HTTP 401): Authenticate normally in the approved environment and organization, verify identity, then rediscover the action and its granted resource before retrying.
organization_required (HTTP 403): Authenticate into the specifically approved organization. Do not guess a different organization or bypass the refusal.
action_permission_required (HTTP 403): The credential lacks the exact published application permission. Stop and obtain authorized access; changing target ids cannot grant it.
workspace_required (HTTP 400): Discover an explicitly granted Flow workspace and bind its exact resource id.
user_required (HTTP 403): This mutation must record a canonical user actor. A service-only identity cannot request or decide an approval.
workspace_access_insufficient (HTTP 403): Stop when the selected workspace grant is insufficient. Obtain authorized read_write or admin access, or an Auth-introspected key with the correct workspace binding and workspace:write; do not widen context or retry with guessed ids.

Preserve the exact status, response, request id and resource context. Runtime input validation, authentication and platform resource resolution can refuse a request before the handler. Dynamic dependency messages are not stable provider error codes.

Recovery boundary

Read existing approvals after an uncertain write before making another request. No published cancellation action exists; do not decide on behalf of the approver.

List Flow approvals: Read up to 200 workspace approval requests, optionally filtered by flow.
Decide Flow approval: Record an approved or rejected decision as the assigned approver.

Evidence

Captured from the actual exported Flow Worker with both local SQLite D1 stores and all committed migrations, synthetic Auth identity/grants and simulated Nexus, archive and Workflow-acceptance transports. Fixture credentials and identifiers authorize no live operation. No live provider invocation, credential storage, notification delivery, metering acceptance, durable Workflow execution, deployment, backup erasure or production completion is established by these captures. Original scenario labels and response digests are retained in the source fixtures.

Request Flow approval

Outcome

Before you start

Discover the target

Request

Input fields

Effects

Interpret the response

Worked examples

Refused request · HTTP 401

Successful request

Refused request · HTTP 403

Refused request · HTTP 404

Another supported response

Verify the result

Errors and recovery

Recovery boundary

Related actions

Evidence