---
slug: "HumanApprove"
name: "HumanApprove"
type: "Verification"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "HumanApprove#cf56"
sema_id: "sema:HumanApprove#mh:SHA-256:cf561deb1a5e93a9f221abe2621c8a2bcfebf6863bd1128fa2230ef90237e67d"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Verification"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/HumanApprove/
related: ["Task","Audit","System","NormativeJudge","PermissionEscalate","ReversibilityCheck"]
---

# HumanApprove

Pause for human approval before critical actions

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Verification

## Mechanism

A checkpoint gate where execution pauses and awaits explicit human approval before proceeding. The agent presents its proposed [Task](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Task.md), rationale, and risk assessment to a human operator. Only upon receiving affirmative consent does execution continue. Critical for high-stakes actions (financial transactions, deployments, irreversible changes).

## Invariants

- Presents the proposed [Task](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Task.md), its rationale and its risk assessment before asking.
- Halts execution until a human answers, or until `timeout`.
- Requires a context-specific challenge code when `challenge_required`.
- Logs every approval and rejection with a timestamp and a rationale, in the [Audit](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Audit.md) trail.
- On timeout the action does not proceed: silence is not consent.

## Failure modes

- Approval Fatigue: Humans rubber-stamp requests without review due to high volume.
- Blocking: [System](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/System.md) halts indefinitely if human is unavailable.
- Missing decision information: Human lacks sufficient information about the proposal, rationale, or risk to make an informed decision.

## Parameters

- `challenge_required` (Boolean, {true, false}): Whether the approver must match a challenge code, not merely click through.
- `timeout` (Duration, unspecified): Longest the gate waits for a human before escalating. Deliberately uncapped.

## Caution

Bypassing removes the human-in-the-loop safety boundary.

## Builds on

- [Task](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Task.md) (Infrastructure; Accepts)
- [Audit](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Audit.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [System](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/System.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [NormativeJudge](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/NormativeJudge.md) (Mind; References)
- [PermissionEscalate](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/PermissionEscalate.md) (Society; References)
- [ReversibilityCheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/ReversibilityCheck.md) (Society; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:HumanApprove#mh:SHA-256:cf561deb1a5e93a9f221abe2621c8a2bcfebf6863bd1128fa2230ef90237e67d`
- Ref: `HumanApprove#cf56`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:HumanApprove#mh:SHA-256:e64a6a1fc261b726fbfdcae8b5d3a3da39e3ea2e8f2d168e1a4135985e36d7ea`
  - `sema:HumanApprove#mh:SHA-256:a00d536aac2d6660891039ecad29602e85778477b6848395424a5ccaf96afad5`
  - `sema:HumanApprove#mh:SHA-256:5d0d6a006d1f45cbb1708798d609a4d08bca0a9086218c434e83877f2c2993f6`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/HumanApprove/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#HumanApprove)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/HumanApprove.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)