/approve-review

description: "Open a review-action approval window by creating the ./.review-approved flag file. Takes an optional reason string that is recorded in the flag file and an unsigned approval log."
argument-hint: "[reason for approval]"

Approve Review

Open a human-approval window for review-surface actions (PR reviews, comments, merges, CI edits). The window stays open until you remove the flag file with `rm ./.review-approved` or restart the session.

Usage

/approve-review "Approving LGTM on PR #42 after visual inspection"
/approve-review                     # no reason, still opens the window

What this does

1. Creates a `./.review-approved` flag file in the project root. 2. If the user provided a reason, writes it into the file and into a timestamped entry under `./review-receipts/approvals/`. 3. Prints a confirmation with the timestamp and, if provided, the reason. 4. Reminds the user to close the window with `rm ./.review-approved` as soon as the approved action completes.

Implementation

Run this in a shell. Capture the full user argument as `$ARGUMENTS` (the marketplace slash-command convention) so a reason with spaces is preserved verbatim.

REASON="$ARGUMENTS"
TS="$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
FLAG="./.review-approved"

# JSON-escape the reason so quotes, backslashes, newlines do not break
# the approval-record JSON below.
REASON_ESCAPED="$(printf '%s' "$REASON" | python3 -c 'import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.stdin.read()))')"

# Write the flag file (human-readable key=value, not JSON).
{
  echo "approved_at=$TS"
  if [ -n "$REASON" ]; then
    echo "reason=$REASON"
  fi
} > "$FLAG"

# Record the approval. This is a plain JSON log file, NOT a signed
# receipt. The README explicitly notes that approval records are not
# signed by protect-mcp; only the PostToolUse tool-call receipts flow
# through the signer.
mkdir -p ./review-receipts/approvals
cat > "./review-receipts/approvals/$TS.json" <<JSON
{
  "approved_at": "$TS",
  "reason": $REASON_ESCAPED,
  "flag_file": "$FLAG"
}
JSON

# Confirmation to the user
echo "Approval window opened at $TS"
if [ -n "$REASON" ]; then
  echo "Reason: $REASON"
fi
echo ""
echo "Close the window with: rm $FLAG"
echo "The next tool call will be permitted without policy evaluation."

What to show the user

Approval window opened at 2026-04-17T12:34:56Z
Reason: Approving LGTM on PR #42 after visual inspection

Close the window with: rm ./.review-approved
The next tool call will be permitted without policy evaluation.

Remember: every tool call that runs in the window still gets a signed
receipt, but the receipt does not show that the window was open.
The approval log records the reason and time, and it is not signed.

Important notes

• **This does NOT grant blanket approval.** It opens a short window during

which the Cedar policy's review-surface rules are bypassed. Everything else still runs through the policy.

• **Every action in the window still gets a signed receipt.** The receipt

does not record the window or the reason. Only the unsigned approval log under `./review-receipts/approvals/` does.

• **The window stays open until closed.** If you forget to `rm ./.review-approved`,

the agent could make additional review actions without prompting. Close the window immediately after the approved action.

• **The flag file is session-scoped.** A new Claude Code session in the same

project directory starts clean if the file was removed at the end of the previous session.

References

• Plugin README: `../README.md`
• Policy authoring: `../agents/review-policy-author.md`
• Close the window: `rm ./.review-approved`
• See calls blocked in this session: `/list-pending`