Action

Its Approvals and Costs attach to it, so one record shows who did what, and why.

Properties

Property	Type	Required	Description
`status`	`string`	required	One of `pending`, `done`, `failed`, `canceled`, or `refused`.
`reason`	`string`		Why a pending Action waits: `queued`, `running`, `retrying`, `awaitingWorker`, `awaitingInput`, `awaitingSource`, `awaitingAction`, or `awaitingTime`.
`mode`	`string`	required	How the caller invoked it: `try`, `send`, or `do`.
`by`	Worker		The Worker that performed it.
`for`	Party		The Party it was done on behalf of.
`via`	`string`		The Interface or request it arrived through.
`on`	`string`		The Action or Event that caused it, such as the failed attempt a retry follows.
`thing`	`string`		The record, at the Version the Action was decided against.
`input`	`json`		The input it was called with.
`createdAt`	`datetime`		When it was called.
`reserved`	`money`		The most this Action may cost, held against its Limits from the check until it settles, billed misses included.

Object

JSON

{
  "$id": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/actions/action_1",
  "$type": "Action",
  "status": "pending",
  "reason": "queued",
  "mode": "try",
  "by": "worker_1",
  "for": "party_1",
  "via": "API",
  "on": "Invoice.overdue",
  "thing": "invoice_1@v3",
  "input": {},
  "createdAt": "2026-10-22T12:00:00Z",
  "reserved": {
    "amount": 39,
    "currency": "USD"
  }
}

Relationships

An Action acts on one Thing: the Thing an Action changes; a Thing’s history is the Actions that acted on it. actsOn, inverse actedOnBy.
An Action has many Approvals: an Approval holds one pending Action that exceeds a Limit or Mandate until someone allows or refuses it. approvals, inverse gates.
An Action asks many Questions: a pending Action asks Questions and waits awaitingInput until each is answered or its deadline passes. asks, inverse action.
An Action emits many Events: a completed Action emits its Events, which Triggers, Watches and Metrics read. emits, inverse emittedBy.
An Action is executed by one Workflow: a Workflow is the durable body of one Action: its steps, retries and waits. executedBy, inverse executes.
An Action invokes one Verb: each Action performs one Verb, which fixes its inputs, the Event it emits and its delay window. invokes, inverse invokedAs.
An Action posts many Costs: every Cost an Action causes posts to the Startup it ran in, so each Startup’s P&L is complete. posts, inverse postedBy.
An Action runs in one Mode: the Mode the caller chose: try stores nothing, send returns a pending Action, do waits for the result. runsIn, inverse modeOf.

Lifecycle

State	Meaning	Moves to
`pending` (first)	Accepted and not finished; its `reason` names who holds the ball.	`done` on `Action.done`; `failed` on `Action.failed`; `canceled` by Action.cancel; `refused` on `Approval.refused` when the Approval holds this Action
`done`	It finished and its effects are written.	None: it ends here.
`failed`	It stopped with an error; a retry is a new Action linked to this one.	None: it ends here.
`canceled`	It was stopped before it finished, and its compensation ran.	None: it ends here.
`refused`	A Guard, a Limit or an Approval refused it, with the reason.	None: it ends here.

Verbs

createCreates an Action.
POST /{namespace}/actionsdoAction.created
getReturns one Action by id.
GET /{namespace}/actions/{id}readNo Event
listReturns Actions, newest first, one page at a time.
GET /{namespace}/actionsreadNo Event
answerAnswer gives the reply to an Action’s open Question, through any Interface, and the Action resumes.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/answerdoAction.answered
askAsk puts a Question to a Party, a Role, or a Worker and holds the Action `pending` with reason `awaitingInput`.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/askdoAction.asked
attestAttest records a credentialed Human’s signed performance of a Reserved Act that an Action needs to finish.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/attestdoAction.attested
cancelCancel stops a pending Action, sets its status to `canceled`, and runs its compensation.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/canceldoAction.canceled
evaluateEvaluate grades an Action’s output against a rubric and records the verdict as an Event.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/evaluatedoAction.evaluated
pausePause holds a pending Action past the close of its delay window until a watcher resumes, redirects, or cancels it.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/pausedoAction.paused
redirectRedirect changes a pending Action’s inputs or target inside its delay window, before it runs.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/redirectdoAction.redirected
resumeResume ends a pause and lets the Action run as reviewed, or reopen what remained of its delay window.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/resumedoAction.resumed
retryRetry runs a failed Action again as a new Action linked to the one that failed.
POST /{namespace}/actions/{action}/retrydoAction.retried

An Action is kept forever and never edited: it has no update or delete.

Events

Events no Verb emits. Each Verb’s Event is in the Verbs table above; every Event is delivered in the same shape.

Action.done

An Action’s work finished and its effects are written. Raised by the runtime.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`name`	`string`	required	`Action.done`.
`at`	`datetime`	required	When it happened.
`seq`	`integer`		Its position in the namespace, one more than the Event before; any seq is a cursor into the history.
`data`	`json`	required	The Thing as the Action left it.
`data.action`	Action	required	The Action as the change left it.
`data.action.status`	`string`	required	One of `pending`, `done`, `failed`, `canceled`, or `refused`.
`data.action.reason`	`string`		Why a pending Action waits: `queued`, `running`, `retrying`, `awaitingWorker`, `awaitingInput`, `awaitingSource`, `awaitingAction`, or `awaitingTime`.
`data.action.mode`	`string`	required	How the caller invoked it: `try`, `send`, or `do`.
`data.action.by`	Worker		The Worker that performed it.
`data.action.for`	Party		The Party it was done on behalf of.
`data.action.via`	`string`		The Interface or request it arrived through.
`data.action.on`	`string`		The Action or Event that caused it, such as the failed attempt a retry follows.
`data.action.thing`	`string`		The record, at the Version the Action was decided against.
`data.action.input`	`json`		The input it was called with.
`data.action.createdAt`	`datetime`		When it was called.
`data.action.reserved`	`money`		The most this Action may cost, held against its Limits from the check until it settles, billed misses included.
`data.previous.status`	`string`	required	The `status` before this Event: `pending`.

JSON

{
  "$id": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/events/event_1",
  "$type": "Event",
  "name": "Action.done",
  "at": "2026-10-22T12:00:00Z",
  "data": {
    "action": {
      "$id": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/actions/action_1",
      "$type": "Action",
      "status": "done",
      "reason": "queued",
      "mode": "try",
      "by": "worker_1",
      "for": "party_1",
      "via": "API",
      "on": "Invoice.overdue",
      "thing": "invoice_1@v3",
      "input": {},
      "createdAt": "2026-10-22T12:00:00Z",
      "reserved": {
        "amount": 39,
        "currency": "USD"
      }
    },
    "previous": {
      "status": "pending"
    }
  },
  "seq": 1
}

Action.failed

An Action stopped with an error before it finished; a retry is a new Action. Raised by the runtime.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`name`	`string`	required	`Action.failed`.
`at`	`datetime`	required	When it happened.
`seq`	`integer`		Its position in the namespace, one more than the Event before; any seq is a cursor into the history.
`data`	`json`	required	The Thing as the Action left it.
`data.action`	Action	required	The Action as the change left it.
`data.action.status`	`string`	required	One of `pending`, `done`, `failed`, `canceled`, or `refused`.
`data.action.reason`	`string`		Why a pending Action waits: `queued`, `running`, `retrying`, `awaitingWorker`, `awaitingInput`, `awaitingSource`, `awaitingAction`, or `awaitingTime`.
`data.action.mode`	`string`	required	How the caller invoked it: `try`, `send`, or `do`.
`data.action.by`	Worker		The Worker that performed it.
`data.action.for`	Party		The Party it was done on behalf of.
`data.action.via`	`string`		The Interface or request it arrived through.
`data.action.on`	`string`		The Action or Event that caused it, such as the failed attempt a retry follows.
`data.action.thing`	`string`		The record, at the Version the Action was decided against.
`data.action.input`	`json`		The input it was called with.
`data.action.createdAt`	`datetime`		When it was called.
`data.action.reserved`	`money`		The most this Action may cost, held against its Limits from the check until it settles, billed misses included.
`data.error`	`string`	required	The error it stopped with; its page gives the fix.
`data.previous.status`	`string`	required	The `status` before this Event: `pending`.

JSON

{
  "$id": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/events/event_1",
  "$type": "Event",
  "name": "Action.failed",
  "at": "2026-10-22T12:00:00Z",
  "data": {
    "action": {
      "$id": "https://api.sb/quietcopy.com/actions/action_1",
      "$type": "Action",
      "status": "failed",
      "reason": "queued",
      "mode": "try",
      "by": "worker_1",
      "for": "party_1",
      "via": "API",
      "on": "Invoice.overdue",
      "thing": "invoice_1@v3",
      "input": {},
      "createdAt": "2026-10-22T12:00:00Z",
      "reserved": {
        "amount": 39,
        "currency": "USD"
      }
    },
    "error": "conflict",
    "previous": {
      "status": "pending"
    }
  },
  "seq": 1
}

Permissions

Which Access level may call each Verb. One-way Verbs wait their delay window.

Operation	`owner`	`admin`	`member`	`viewer`
`Action.create`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.get`	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
`Action.list`	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
`Action.answer`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.ask`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.attest`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.cancel`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.evaluate`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.pause`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.redirect`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.resume`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
`Action.retry`	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Call it

Text

Cancel the latest action.

Bea, the Billing Specialist at a voice-actor marketplace, runs Order.refund on a $90 Order. The Action records by: Bea, for the game studio that asked, mode: do and status: Done, and emits Order.refunded.

Properties

Object

Relationships

Lifecycle

Verbs

Events

Action.done

Action.failed

Permissions

Call it

Example

Contents

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Action.failedCopy Anchor Link

PermissionsCopy Anchor Link

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ExampleCopy Anchor Link

Properties

Object

Relationships

Lifecycle

Verbs

Events

Action.done

Action.failed

Permissions

Call it

Example