Request Approval

Request Approval Skill

Use Preloop's request_approval MCP tool to get human approval before executing risky operations. Preloop will notify the user (via Slack, email, mobile apps, etc.) and wait for their response.

Setup

Preloop must be configured as an MCP server. See references/SETUP.md for configuration details.

When to Request Approval

ALWAYS Request Approval For:

• Deleting anything (files, directories, database records, cloud resources)
• Production changes (deployments, config changes, environment variables)
• Database operations (schema changes, migrations, bulk deletions/updates)
• External modifications (creating/merging PRs, posting to APIs, sending emails)
• Security changes (permissions, access controls, API keys)
• Financial operations (purchases, charges, refunds)
• System modifications (installing packages, changing system settings, CI/CD changes)

Usually Request Approval For:

• Creating pull requests or issues (unless explicitly requested)
• Pushing commits to main/master branches
• Modifying critical files (package.json, requirements.txt, docker-compose.yml, etc.)
• Running commands that modify system state
• Making bulk changes (affecting many files/records)

DON'T Request Approval For:

• Reading files or data
• Searching or querying
• Creating feature branches
• Running tests (in isolated environments)
• Making commits to feature branches

How to Use

Call the request_approval tool BEFORE executing the risky operation.

Parameters

Required:

• operation (string): Clear, specific description of what you'll do

  • ✅ Good: "Delete the logs/2024-01/ directory containing 1,234 log files (2.3GB)"
  • ❌ Bad: "Delete some logs"

• context (string): Additional details about what will be affected

  • ✅ Good: "This directory contains archived application logs from January 2024. The logs have been backed up to S3. Deleting will free up 2.3GB."
  • ❌ Bad: "Old logs"

• reasoning (string): Why this operation is necessary

  • ✅ Good: "Disk usage is at 92% capacity. These logs are archived in S3 and no longer needed locally."
  • ❌ Bad: "Need more space"

Optional:

• caller (string): Auto-populated by Preloop
• approval_policy (string): Specific approval policy name (uses account default if omitted)

Response

The tool returns a string:

• Approved: Success message → proceed with the operation
• Denied: "Approval denied" or "Approval denied: {reason}" → STOP, don't execute
• Error: Error message → check configuration or try again

Quick Example

Task: User asks to delete old cache files

Your workflow:

1. Check what exists: 3,421 cache files, 1.8GB, from last week
2. Call request_approval:
   • operation: "Delete the temp-cache/ directory"
   • context: "Contains 3,421 cache files totaling 1.8GB from batch jobs that ran last week. All jobs completed successfully."
   • reasoning: "Cache is no longer needed and is consuming disk space. Results are in the database."
3. Wait for response
4. If "denied" in response → tell user it's cancelled, ask for alternatives
5. If approved → proceed with deletion

See references/EXAMPLES.md for more examples.

Decision Framework

When unsure:

1. Can this be undone easily? NO → Request approval
2. Could this cause harm or data loss? YES → Request approval
3. Is this modifying production or external systems? YES → Request approval
4. Would a human want to review this first? YES → Request approval
5. Am I uncertain about the safety? YES → Request approval

Golden Rule: When in doubt, request approval. Better to ask unnecessarily than to cause harm.

If Approval is Denied

1. Stop immediately - do NOT proceed
2. Check for comments - denial may include reasoning
3. Inform the user - explain why it was cancelled
4. Look for alternatives - can you accomplish the goal differently?
5. Don't retry - don't ask again unless circumstances change

Best Practices

DO:

• ✅ Request approval BEFORE executing
• ✅ Be specific and detailed
• ✅ Include numbers (file count, size, affected records)
• ✅ Explain the impact
• ✅ Respect denials

DON'T:

• ❌ Execute first, then ask
• ❌ Be vague
• ❌ Bundle multiple operations
• ❌ Proceed if denied
• ❌ Skip approval because you think it's "probably fine"

Additional Resources

• references/SETUP.md - Configuration and MCP server setup
• references/EXAMPLES.md - Detailed examples and workflows
• references/TROUBLESHOOTING.md - Common errors and solutions

Remember: Safety first! Trust is earned by being cautious and respectful of the user's systems and data.