# activate

URL: /business/nouns/customer/activate · Id: `verb:Customer.activate` · Call: `await $.Customer.activate({ … })` (SDK) or the `do` tool at `https://api.sb/mcp`. Inputs says what to pass, Outputs what returns, When it waits who approves.

> Activate marks a Customer activated on an Offer once its declared activation Event reaches the count within the window.

Activate marks a [Customer](/business/nouns/customer) activated on an [Offer](/business/nouns/offer) once its declared activation [Event](/business/nouns/event) reaches the count within the window.

## Inputs
| Input | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `customer` | [Customer](/business/nouns/customer) | Yes | The Customer who crossed the line. |
| `offer` | [Offer](/business/nouns/offer) | Yes | The Offer whose `activation` was met. |

## Outputs
| Output | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `customer` | [Customer](/business/nouns/customer) | Yes | The activated Customer. |

## Effects
- Emits [`Customer.activated`](/business/events/Customer.activated).
- Performed by the [Analyst](/agents/marketing/analyst).
- Two-way: it runs at once, in the `try`, `send` and `do` modes.
- Runs once per Customer per Offer, from Product analytics, never by hand.
- Activation rate, the onboarding checklist and the silence Watch read the Event.

## Refuses when
| Check | Error | Fix | Then call |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The key is valid, but its scopes do not allow this operation. | [`forbidden`](/code/api/errors/forbidden) | Use a key whose scopes cover the operation, or ask an owner of the namespace to grant them. | [Customer.activate](/business/nouns/customer/activate) |

## When it waits
| Gate | Default |
| --- | --- |
| Decision class | Low: two-way, nothing at stake |
| [Delay window](/systems/trust-and-governance/controls/one-way-windows) | None: it runs once review passes. |
| Limit | The call [Limit](/business/nouns/limit) of the [Permission](/business/nouns/permission) it runs under. |
| Over the Limit | It waits `pending` for an [Approval](/business/nouns/approval) from the [Founder](/agents/founding/founder). Approved, it runs; refused, it ends `refused` with [`limit-exceeded`](/code/api/errors/limit-exceeded); unanswered by its deadline, it ends `canceled`. |

## Example

**Ask**

```text
Activate the latest customer with an offer.
```

**API**

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.sb/patentpad.com/customers/customer_1/activate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $STARTUP_BUILDER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"offer":"offer_1"}'
```

```json
{
  "api": "https://api.sb/patentpad.com",
  "customer": {
    "$id": "https://api.sb/patentpad.com/customers/customer_1",
    "$type": "Customer",
    "since": "2026-10-22T12:00:00Z"
  },
  "action": {
    "$id": "https://api.sb/patentpad.com/actions/action_1",
    "operation": "Customer.activate",
    "status": "done"
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "https://api.sb/patentpad.com/actions/action_1"
  }
}
```

**SDK**

```ts
import { $ } from 'startup-builder'

const customer = await $.Customer.activate({ customer: 'customer_1', offer: 'offer_1' })
```

**CLI**

```bash
npx startup-builder do Customer.activate --json '{"customer":"customer_1","offer":"offer_1"}'
```

**MCP**

```json
{
  "name": "do",
  "arguments": {
    "code": "return await $.Customer.activate({ customer: 'customer_1', offer: 'offer_1' })"
  }
}
```