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What happens when an approval expires?

When a transaction triggers an approval requirement, the intent enters approval_pending state with a 1-hour TTL. If the owner does not approve or reject within that window, the intent transitions to expired. The reserved quota is released, and the transaction must be re-validated to create a new approval request. After approval, the agent has a 10-minute window to broadcast the transaction. If the agent does not post a transaction hash within 10 minutes, the approved intent also expires.

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TTL reference

StateTTLWhat happens on expiry
approval_pending1 hourIntent moves to expired, quota released
approved10 minutesIntent moves to expired, quota released

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Common causes of timeout

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Owner did not see the notification

The owner may not have the dashboard open. By default, approval requests only appear in the dashboard. Set up Telegram or Slack notifications so the owner receives a push notification immediately.

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Slow decision

Some transactions need discussion before approval. If 1 hour is not enough, re-validate after expiry to restart the approval window.

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Agent not polling

The agent’s waitForApproval() call may have timed out before the owner responded. Increase the timeoutMs parameter.

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How to handle approval expiry in code

import { ApprovalRequiredError, MandateError } from '@mandate.md/sdk';

try {
  await client.validate(payload);
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof ApprovalRequiredError) {
    try {
      const status = await client.waitForApproval(err.intentId, {
        timeoutMs: 3600_000, // Match the 1-hour server TTL
        onPoll: (s) => console.log(`Status: ${s.status}`),
      });

      if (status.status === 'approved') {
        // Proceed with broadcast within 10 minutes
      }
    } catch (pollErr) {
      if (pollErr instanceof MandateError && pollErr.message.includes('expired')) {
        console.log('Approval expired. Re-validating...');
        // Re-validate to create a new approval request
        await client.validate(payload);
      }
    }
  }
}

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Set up notifications

Reduce timeout risk by enabling real-time notifications:
  1. Telegram: Connect your Telegram account in the dashboard under Settings > Notifications. You receive a message with transaction details and approve/reject buttons.
  2. Slack: Add the Mandate Slack app to your workspace. Configure the channel in dashboard Settings > Notifications.
  3. Dashboard: Always available. Keep a browser tab open at https://app.mandate.md/approvals.
With notifications enabled, the owner sees the approval request within seconds, reducing the chance of expiry.

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Recovering from expired broadcasts

If the intent reaches approved but the agent fails to broadcast within 10 minutes, the intent expires. Start the entire flow over: call /validate again, wait for a new approval, then broadcast promptly.
Design your agent to broadcast immediately after approval. Do not add delays between receiving the approved status and posting the transaction hash.

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Next Steps

Handle Approvals

Complete guide to implementing approval workflows.

Dashboard Notifications

Configure Telegram, Slack, and webhook notifications.

Intent States

Full state machine reference with all TTLs.