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Commands for approving and denying tool calls that require human review.

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Usage

rampart pending
rampart approve <approval-id>
rampart deny <approval-id>

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Commands

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pending

rampart pending [flags]
List all pending approval requests. Flags:
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--api
string
default:"http://127.0.0.1:9091"
Rampart API address (proxy or daemon)
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--token
string
Proxy auth token (or set RAMPART_TOKEN)
Examples: 
# List pending approvals
rampart pending

# With explicit API and token
rampart pending --api http://localhost:9090 --token $RAMPART_TOKEN
Output: 
ID       TOOL  COMMAND                   AGENT        EXPIRES   MESSAGE
01HGW1   exec  kubectl apply -f prod...  claude-code  59m23s    Production deployment requires approval
02HGW2   exec  rm -rf /tmp/data          wrapped      1h0m0s    Destructive operation requires approval

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approve

rampart approve <approval-id> [flags]
Approve a pending tool call. The command will execute after approval. Flags:
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--api
string
default:"http://127.0.0.1:9091"
Rampart API address (proxy or daemon)
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--token
string
Proxy auth token (or set RAMPART_TOKEN)
Examples: 
# Approve by full ID
rampart approve 01HGW1ABCD1234567890ABCDEF

# Approve by short ID (8 chars)
rampart approve 01HGW1AB

# With explicit token
rampart approve 01HGW1AB --token $RAMPART_TOKEN
Output: 
✓ Approval 01HGW1AB approved

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deny

rampart deny <approval-id> [flags]
Deny a pending tool call. The command will not execute. Flags:
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--api
string
default:"http://127.0.0.1:9091"
Rampart API address (proxy or daemon)
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--token
string
Proxy auth token (or set RAMPART_TOKEN)
Examples: 
# Deny by ID
rampart deny 01HGW1AB

# With explicit token
rampart deny 01HGW1AB --token $RAMPART_TOKEN
Output: 
✓ Approval 01HGW1AB denied

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Approval flow

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Policy triggers approval

When a command matches an action: ask rule: 
policies:
  - name: production-deploys
    match:
      tool: ["exec"]
    rules:
      - action: ask
        when:
          command_matches: ["kubectl apply *", "terraform apply *"]
        message: "Production deployment requires approval"

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Agent blocks and waits

The agent receives a response indicating approval is required: 
{
  "decision": "require_approval",
  "approval_id": "01HGW1ABCD1234567890ABCDEF",
  "message": "Production deployment requires approval",
  "expires_at": "2026-03-03T15:23:01Z"
}

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Human reviews and decides

Via CLI: 
rampart pending
rampart approve 01HGW1AB
Via Dashboard: Open http://localhost:9090/dashboard/ and click Approve/Deny. Via Watch TUI: 
rampart watch
# Press 'a' to approve or 'd' to deny highlighted request
Via Webhook: If notify is configured, click the HMAC-signed approval URL in Slack/Discord.

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Command executes or fails

  • Approved → Command executes normally
  • Denied → Command fails with exit 126
  • Expired → Command fails after timeout (default: 1 hour)

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Token resolution

Token is resolved in this order:
  1. --token flag
  2. RAMPART_TOKEN env var
  3. ~/.rampart/token file (persisted by rampart serve install)
# Check token
cat ~/.rampart/token

# Set token env var
export RAMPART_TOKEN=$(cat ~/.rampart/token)

# Use in command
rampart pending

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Approval expiration

Default timeout: 1 hour Configure with --approval-timeout on rampart serve: 
# 30 minute timeout
rampart serve --approval-timeout 30m

# 2 hour timeout
rampart serve --approval-timeout 2h
Expired approvals:
  • Automatically removed from pending list
  • Command fails with exit 126
  • Audit event shows status: expired

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Audit trail

All approval decisions are logged: 
{
  "id": "01HGW1...",
  "tool": "exec",
  "request": {"command": "kubectl apply -f prod.yaml"},
  "decision": {
    "action": "require_approval",
    "approval_id": "01HGW1...",
    "approval_status": "approved",
    "approved_by": "cli",
    "approved_at": "2026-03-03T14:25:00Z"
  }
}

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Environment-specific behavior

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Claude Code

Uses native action: ask prompts when possible. Falls back to dashboard approvals if rampart serve is running.

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MCP servers

Blocks the JSON-RPC request until approved/denied. Client sees no response until resolved.

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OpenClaw

Chat message with approval ID. Resolve via CLI: 
rampart approve <id>

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Webhook

Signed approval URL sent to Slack/Discord: 
Production deployment requires approval
[✅ Approve] [❌ Deny]

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Examples

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Workflow

# Terminal 1: Run agent
claude

# Agent attempts: kubectl apply -f prod.yaml
# ⏳ waiting for approval — Production deployment requires approval
# approval id: 01HGW1AB

# Terminal 2: Review and approve
rampart pending
rampart approve 01HGW1AB

# Terminal 1: Command executes
# ✅ approved
# deployment.apps/myapp configured

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Deny dangerous command

# Agent attempts: rm -rf /important
# ⏳ waiting for approval — Destructive operation requires approval
# approval id: 02HGW2CD

rampart deny 02HGW2CD

# Agent receives:
# ❌ denied
# rampart: blocked — Destructive operation requires approval

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Troubleshooting

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”proxy auth token required”

Check token file: 
cat ~/.rampart/token
Set token: 
export RAMPART_TOKEN=$(cat ~/.rampart/token)
rampart pending

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“failed to connect to proxy”

Check serve is running: 
curl http://localhost:9090/healthz
Start serve: 
rampart serve install

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Approvals not showing

Check API address: 
rampart pending --api http://localhost:9090
Check logs: 
journalctl --user -u rampart -f

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Exit codes

  • 0 - Success
  • 1 - API error or not found

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See also

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