# Archive an Approval Flow

> Archives an approval flow: it disappears from the sidebar, its templates stop being gated by it, and its slug can be reused.

- **URL**: https://orshot.com/docs/api-reference/approvals-flows-archive

---

The Approvals API is available on Enterprise plans, or through first-party apps (the Orshot app and the Orshot MCP server). This endpoint needs [`manage` access](/docs/api-reference/approvals-overview#access-levels).
See [Enterprise pricing](https://orshot.com/pricing) to get access.

Archives an approval flow: it disappears from the sidebar, its templates stop being gated by it, and its slug can be reused. History is kept. It also works on a flow past the plan's limit; archiving an active flow makes the next one in the list active. Reviewers can't archive flows. Destructive: ask the person first and pass confirm: true.

This is destructive: send `"confirm": true`. Agents must ask the person before calling it.

## Endpoint

```markdown tab="Endpoint"
https://api.orshot.com/v1/approval-flows/:flow/archive
```

## Path Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --------- | ---- | -------- | ----------- |
| `flow` | String | Yes | The approval flow's id or slug. A number is an id, anything else a slug. |

## Request Body

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --------- | ---- | -------- | ----------- |
| `confirm` | Boolean | Yes | Must be true. Confirms you want to archive this approval flow; ask the person first. Must be `true`. |

## Headers

| Header | Required | Description |
| ------ | -------- | ----------- |
| `Authorization` | Yes | `Bearer <API key or OAuth token>` |
| `x-workspace-id` | No | OAuth tokens with several workspaces: the workspace to act in. API keys ignore it. |
| `X-Orshot-User-Id` | No | API keys only: the user id of the owner, admin or member this call is for. See Acting for a Team Member below. |
| `X-Session-Id` | No | Groups the calls of one agent or MCP session in the activity history. |

## Acting for a Team Member

With an API key, you can send `X-Orshot-User-Id` with the user id of an owner, admin or member of the workspace to make this call for them. It needs both the key's access level and that person's own access, and it's credited to them: people see "Priya Shah, via API key", and they aren't notified about their own change. See [acting for a team member](https://orshot.com/docs/api-reference/approvals-overview#acting-for-a-team-member).

## Request

**Request**
```js
await fetch("https://api.orshot.com/v1/approval-flows/developers/archive", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    Authorization: "Bearer <ORSHOT_API_KEY>",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "confirm": true
  }),
});
```

**Response**
```json
{
  "flow": {
    "id": 2,
    "slug": "developers",
    "name": "Developers",
    "description": "Templates the dev team wires into automation workflows",
    "color": null,
    "blocksRenders": false,
    "settings": {
      "entry": {
        "mode": "manual",
        "stage": null,
        "filters": {
          "folderIds": [],
          "tags": []
        },
        "includeEmbedTemplates": false
      },
      "onEdit": "require_reapproval"
    },
    "presetSlug": null,
    "presetVersion": null,
    "sortKey": "r",
    "createdAt": "2026-09-28T09:30:00.000Z",
    "updatedAt": "2026-09-28T09:30:00.000Z",
    "archivedAt": "2026-09-28T09:30:00.000Z"
  },
  "warnings": []
}
```

## Response Fields

Responds `200` with:

| Field | Type | Description |
| ----- | ---- | ----------- |
| `flow` | Object | One ApprovalFlow, fields below. |
| `flow.id` | Integer | Numeric id. |
| `flow.slug` | String | Stable; use it in URLs and tool calls. |
| `flow.name` | String | Display name. |
| `flow.description` | String | Can be `null`. |
| `flow.color` | String | Can be `null`. |
| `flow.blocksRenders` | Boolean | Templates render through the API only from stages that allow it. Downloads from the studio and the embed editor are never blocked. |
| `flow.settings` | Object | Flow settings v1 (rules.js). |
| `flow.presetSlug` | String | Can be `null`. |
| `flow.presetVersion` | Integer | Can be `null`. |
| `flow.sortKey` | String | Position in its list, as sortable text. |
| `flow.stages` | Array | List of ApprovalStage (on get). |
| `flow.viewer` | Object | `{ capabilities, stages, canArchive }`. On get, what you may do here: capabilities for the flow as a whole (approvals.view, flow.manage, item.add, item.move, item.remove, item.decide, item.override, comment.create...), stages maps each stage id to the capabilities you have in it. item.move in a stage means you may put a template there (approved stages take approvers only); its enter.from rule still applies. canArchive says whether you may archive the flow, which stays open when it is over the plan's limit. |
| `flow.overPlanLimit` | Boolean | True when the flow is past the plan's limit of live approval flows (on list and get; the first flows in list order stay active). Such a flow can be read, commented on and archived. Every other change to it or its templates (add, move, take out, approve, request changes, withdraw an approval, change the flow, its stages or its access) is refused with 403 flow_limit_reached, code approval.flow.over_plan_limit. It doesn't block API renders, lock edits or wait on anyone. Archiving an active flow makes the next one active; upgrading makes them all active. |
| `flow.createdAt` | String | ISO 8601 timestamp. |
| `flow.updatedAt` | String | ISO 8601 timestamp. |
| `flow.archivedAt` | String | ISO 8601 timestamp. Can be `null`. |
| `warnings` | Array | Non-blocking notices, each `{ code, message? }`, for example `no_approver`. Always present on writes, empty when there is nothing to say. |

## Error Responses

Every error has the same body: `error`, `code`, `message` and `helpUrl`, plus the fields that apply (`required`, `role`, `context`, `blockers`, `violations`, `issues`, `current`). Branch on `error`; `code` is more specific. See the [error reference](https://orshot.com/docs/error-reference).

| Status Code | Error | Description |
| ----------- | ----- | ----------- |
| 401 | `oauth_token_invalid` | The OAuth token is invalid, expired or revoked. |
| 403 | `api_key_missing` | No `Authorization: Bearer` header. |
| 403 | `permission_denied` | You don't have access to do this. Ask an owner or admin. `code` names the capability, for example `approval.item.decide_denied`; `required` and `role` say what was missing. With `code: insufficient_scope`: the OAuth token lacks `workspace:approvals:admin`. With `code: approval.member_header_not_member`: `X-Orshot-User-Id` names someone who isn't an owner, admin or member of the workspace now. With `code: approval.member_header_not_allowed`: an OAuth token sent `X-Orshot-User-Id`. |
| 403 | `plan_required` | The workspace's plan doesn't include Approvals, or doesn't include this part of it. |
| 403 | `enterprise_api_required` | Using approvals with an API key needs an Enterprise plan. Contact hi@orshot.com to turn it on. |
| 404 | `not_found` | This doesn't exist or isn't available to you. Reviewers get this, never 403, for flows and templates outside their access. |
| 422 | `validation_failed` | Some fields aren't valid: the fields listed in issues. `issues` lists each field with a path and a reason. |
| 422 | `validation_failed` | With `code: approval.member_header_invalid`: `X-Orshot-User-Id` isn't a user id. |
| 429 | `rate_limit_exceeded` | More than 120 approvals requests in a minute from one person or key. Wait for Retry-After. |
| 503 | `approvals_unavailable` | Approvals aren't available right now. Try again in a moment. Also returned while approvals are not switched on for the API. |