> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://85be67f-opencomputer.manicule.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
> For every page in one file, fetch https://85be67f-opencomputer.manicule.dev/llms-full.txt (large).
> To search and read these docs as tools, connect the MCP server at https://85be67f-opencomputer.manicule.dev/api/mcp.
> Every agent surface: https://85be67f-opencomputer.manicule.dev/.well-known/llms-manifest.json

# Asks (/api/asks)

<!-- agent-signals: reading_time_min: 3 · est_tokens: 1568 · updated: 2026-11-13 -->
Related: [Overview](/api/overview.md), [Sessions](/api/sessions.md), [Turns](/api/turns.md), [Events](/api/events.md), [Subagents](/api/subagents.md), [Terminals](/api/terminals.md)

> An ask is an approval or question the agent waits on; while open it keeps the session `waiting`, and it never expires

<Note>Not in the public code yet: launch blocker 4 (API on a self-hosted instance). See [API overview](/api/overview).</Note>

The Slack side is in [Approvals, questions and plans](/slack/approvals-questions-plans). An ask's id is `ak_` followed by 12 characters.

| `kind`     | Body                 | Answer                                                             |
| ---------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `approval` | `approval`           | `{"decision": "allow" \| "deny" \| "always", "message"?, "mode"?}` |
| `question` | `question.questions` | `{"answers": [{"questionId", "choices", "text"}]}`                 |
| `secret`   | `secret`             | None: `asks.answer` returns `400 answer_with_secret`               |

The runner in the public code opens `approval` and `question` asks only. Body fields: [API schema](/reference/api-schema#objects).

## Status

The first close wins.

| `status`      | Closed by                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `open`        | Not closed                                                                                                                                |
| `answered`    | An answer, from Slack or the API                                                                                                          |
| `dismissed`   | `asks.dismiss`                                                                                                                            |
| `declined`    | A message steered into the turn. `answer` is `{message, messageSeq}`; `messageSeq` is the `seq` of the message's `message.received` event |
| `interrupted` | An interrupt, a suspend, or the runner ending                                                                                             |

`closedBy` is the actor and `closedAt` the time. A message sent with `ifBusy: "queue"` leaves asks open; see [Turns](/api/turns#send).

## Find open asks

| Source                                         | What it gives                |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| `Session` object                               | Open asks in its `asks` list |
| `ask.opened` event                             | The whole ask                |
| `asks.get` (`GET /sessions/{id}/asks/{askId}`) | One ask                      |
| `asks.list` (`GET /sessions/{id}/asks`)        | Asks, newest first           |

`asks.list` params:

| Param    | Meaning                                                                                             |
| -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `status` | One status, several separated by commas, or `all`. Default `open`                                   |
| `limit`  | 1 to 100. Default 20                                                                                |
| `cursor` | The previous page's `nextCursor`. A cursor from a listing with another `status` is `invalid_cursor` |

## Answer

`asks.answer` (`POST /sessions/{id}/asks/{askId}/answer`) closes the ask with an answer. Over HTTP the request body is the answer itself. It needs the `asks:answer` scope, as does `asks.dismiss`.

```json
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":4,"method":"asks.answer","params":{"sessionId":"cs_0123456789abcdef","askId":"ak_0123456789ab","answer":{"decision":"allow"}}}
```

```json
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":5,"method":"asks.answer","params":{"sessionId":"cs_0123456789abcdef","askId":"ak_0123456789ab","answer":{"answers":[{"questionId":"q1","choices":["Postgres"],"text":null}]}}}
```

The result is the closed ask and the `seq` of its `ask.closed` event. The prompt message in Slack is deleted or updated, naming who answered.

| Answer field | Rule                                                                                                                                                       |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `decision`   | Required on an approval                                                                                                                                    |
| `always`     | Only when the ask's `approval.alwaysAllows` is set                                                                                                         |
| `mode`       | Only on a plan approval (`toolName` is `ExitPlanMode`) with `allow`. Sets the mode after the plan: `default`, `acceptEdits`, `auto` or `bypassPermissions` |
| `answers`    | Required on a question, one per question, each with a choice or `text`                                                                                     |
| `choices`    | Each is the `label` of one of the question's options; more than one only when `multiSelect` is true                                                        |

| Error                    | Cause                                                                                                      |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `400 invalid_answer`     | A rule above is broken. `field` names the field at fault                                                   |
| `400 answer_with_secret` | The ask's `kind` is `secret`                                                                               |
| `409 ask_closed`         | The ask is closed. The error carries the ask. The same answer from the same person returns the ask instead |

## Dismiss

`asks.dismiss` (`POST /sessions/{id}/asks/{askId}/dismiss`) closes an ask with no answer; the agent reads it as a denial. An optional `message` (up to 2,000 characters) is passed along.