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What does validate do?

The validate command checks a transaction against the policy engine before your agent signs anything. If the policy allows it, you get an intentId. If it blocks, you get a blockReason. If it requires approval, you get an intentId and a prompt to wait. Preflight validation is action-based. You describe what you want to do, and the policy engine evaluates it. No gas parameters, no calldata, no intentHash computation. 
npx @mandate.md/cli validate \
  --action transfer \
  --amount 50 \
  --to 0x036CbD53842c5426634e7929541eC2318f3dCF7e \
  --token USDC \
  --reason "Payment for API access"

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Options

FlagRequiredDescription
--actionYesAction type: transfer, approve, swap, or custom
--reasonYesPlain-language explanation of why the agent is transacting
--amountNoAmount in token units
--toNoDestination address (0x…)
--tokenNoToken symbol (e.g. USDC) or contract address
--chainNoChain name or chain ID

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Success output

{
  "ok": true,
  "intentId": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
  "feedback": "Mandate: policy check passed"
}

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Blocked output

{
  "error": "POLICY_BLOCKED",
  "message": "Mandate: blocked: amount exceeds per-transaction limit",
  "blockReason": "SPEND_LIMIT_PER_TX"
}
The blockReason code tells you exactly which policy check failed. See the block reasons reference for the full list.

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Approval required

When the transaction triggers an approval workflow, the response includes the intentId and a next step: 
{
  "ok": true,
  "requiresApproval": true,
  "intentId": "a1b2c3d4-...",
  "feedback": "Mandate: approval required, waiting for owner decision",
  "next": "Run: mandate approve a1b2c3d4-..."
}
Run mandate approve <intentId> to poll until the owner approves or rejects in the dashboard.

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The reason field

Every validation requires a --reason. This is not optional decoration. The policy engine scans the reason for prompt injection patterns, anomalous behavior, and policy violations. A clear, specific reason (“Payment for March invoice from Acme Corp”) is more likely to pass than a vague one (“sending money”).
If you omit --reason, the command returns an error. The policy engine requires it for every transaction.

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Raw mode (legacy)

Raw mode sends full EVM transaction parameters and computes an intentHash locally. Use this only for self-custodial flows where you build the transaction yourself.
Deprecated. Use preflight mode instead. Raw validation is kept for legacy self-custodial flows but will be removed in a future version.
npx @mandate.md/cli validate --raw \
  --to 0x036CbD53842c5426634e7929541eC2318f3dCF7e \
  --calldata 0xa9059cbb000000000000000000000000 \
  --nonce 42 \
  --gasLimit 90000 \
  --maxFeePerGas 1000000000 \
  --maxPriorityFeePerGas 1000000000 \
  --reason "Invoice #127 from Alice"

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Raw mode required flags

FlagDescription
--rawEnable raw EVM validation
--toContract or recipient address
--nonceTransaction nonce
--gasLimitGas limit
--maxFeePerGasMax fee per gas (wei)
--maxPriorityFeePerGasMax priority fee per gas (wei)
--reasonWhy this transaction is being sent

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Raw mode optional flags

FlagDefaultDescription
--calldata0xTransaction calldata
--valueWei0Value in wei
--chainIdFrom credentialsChain ID
--txType2Transaction type
--accessList[]Access list (JSON string)
Raw mode returns an additional next field pointing to the event command for posting the txHash after broadcast.

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Next Steps

Transfer Command

Shorthand for ERC20 transfers with automatic action mapping.

Wait for Approval

Poll until the owner approves a pending intent.

Validate Guide

End-to-end walkthrough of the validation flow.