Check your rule (Control › Rules) for a protected API route before the handler runs
POST /api/v1/api-calls/decide · operationId decideApiCall
For developers: your server sends this request with a server key; it is not a button in the dashboard.
The branch of the call's verdict decides: AI agent (any agent evidence) or Unknown; there is no Human branch on this channel. With no saved rule the defaults apply (AI agent: hold for review; Unknown: allow). A Declared name is medium confidence: a Deny becomes a hold unless the site blocks medium confidence. A valid agent token issued with apiRoutes for this route turns a hold into allow; a held call approved in the dashboard or by the step-up endpoint is allowed once within 15 minutes with approvedDecisionId. A hold is returned as decision "review" with a decisionId and a stepUp hint: the dashboard shows it as Held for review; poll GET /api/v1/api-calls/decisions/{decisionId} or settle it with your own step-up. Not authorization.
Authentication
Send Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SERVER_KEY (siteServerKey: Site server key in Authorization: Bearer <key> (the scheme is case-insensitive and required; a bare key is 401). Shown once on creation or rotation. Publishable keys cannot authenticate). Keep the server key in server-only configuration; never send it to a browser.
Request body
Content-Type: application/json (required)
method("GET" | "HEAD" | "POST" | "PUT" | "PATCH" | "DELETE" | "OPTIONS", required)route(string, required)actionId(string, optional) · pattern^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{1,64}$accountId(string, optional) · maxLength 512userId(string, optional) · maxLength 512evidence(object, optional): The same transient evidence material as a recorded call.approvedDecisionId(string, optional)
{
"method": "POST",
"route": "/v1/invoices",
"actionId": "create_invoice",
"accountId": "acct_456",
"userId": "usr_123"
}Responses
- 200: Success · body
object - 400: bad_request: the request is invalid; message says what to fix and field names the request field · body
Error - 401: unauthorized (missing or invalid server key, missing Bearer scheme) · body
Error - 403: forbidden: the call came from a browser page or another Site; call from your server with this Site’s server key · body
Error - 404: not_found: unknown path, or an ID in the path that is not on this Site · body
Error - 409: conflict: approvedDecisionId was already used, has expired, or belongs to another route or account · body
Error - 413: payload_too_large: the request body exceeds 131072 bytes · body
Error - 429: rate_limited: wait for Retry-After · body
Error· headersRetry-After - 500: internal_error: fail the protected action; do not retry automatically · body
Error - 503: service_unavailable: temporarily unavailable; only verify retries · body
Error
Success body fields
decision("allow" | "review" | "deny", required)basis("rule" | "default_rule" | "agent_token" | "approval", required)verdict("agent" | "unknown", required)agent(object | null, optional)agent.name(string | null, required)agent.howWeKnow("Verified by token" | "Verified" | "Published IP range" | "Declared", required)agent.confidence("high" | "medium", required)actionId(string, required)route(string, optional)decisionId(string, optional)heldInsteadOfDeny(true, optional)stepUp(StepUpHint, optional)accountId(string | null, optional)userId(string | null, optional)
Failures are not verdicts. Error bodies follow the Error schema: code is one of bad_request, unauthorized, session_reinit_required, forbidden, not_found, conflict, identity_required, payload_too_large, rate_limited, internal_error, service_unavailable, request_failed, approval_invalid, approval_used, approval_expired, approval_mismatch, step_up_not_held, step_up_mismatch, step_up_settled, step_up_expired, step_up_superseded, agent_tokens_disabled, tool_not_approved, tool_not_read_only. Errors and retries explains each code and what to do.
Example
/api/v1/api-calls/decideServer key · run it from your backendEdit the JSON and the examples below update. Nothing is sent from this page.
curl -sS -X POST 'https://app.trytelltale.dev/api/v1/api-calls/decide' \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TELLTALE_SERVER_KEY" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{"method":"POST","route":"/v1/invoices","actionId":"create_invoice","accountId":"acct_456","userId":"usr_123"}'const response = await fetch("https://app.trytelltale.dev/api/v1/api-calls/decide", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.TELLTALE_SERVER_KEY,
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"method": "POST",
"route": "/v1/invoices",
"actionId": "create_invoice",
"accountId": "acct_456",
"userId": "usr_123"
}),
signal: AbortSignal.timeout(5000)
});
const result = await response.json();Machine-readable contract: openapi.json. Request builder: the API explorer shows every operation as curl; it sends requests only on a local dashboard.