How the Approval Flow Works
1
Agent makes a request
Your agent calls
sesame request POST https://api.example.com/v1/endpoint. The Sesame CLI forwards the request to the broker along with the agent’s EdDSA JWT.2
Broker checks for an existing policy
The broker verifies the JWT, confirms the agent is active, and looks up whether an approved policy already exists for
api.example.com scoped to this agent.3
No policy found — notification sent
If no matching policy exists, the broker holds the request and immediately sends you an approval notification via the Sesame app, the Sesame dashboard, or Telegram, whichever you have configured.
4
You review the request
The notification shows you the target hostname, the HTTP method, and the requested path pattern. You have everything you need to make an informed decision before any credential moves.
5
You approve or deny
Tap Approve to allow the request, or Deny to reject it. Your response is recorded in the audit log immediately.
6
Approved — credential injected and request forwarded
If you approve, the broker retrieves the credential from its vault, injects it as an
Authorization header, and forwards the request to the target API. The approved policy is cached so future requests to the same hostname matching the same pattern are handled automatically.7
Denied — agent receives an error
If you deny, the broker returns an error to the agent. No credential is accessed. The denial is recorded in the audit log with a timestamp.
Notification Channels
Sesame supports three channels for real-time approval notifications. Configure whichever you like in your account settings.Sesame Mobile App
Receive push notifications on iOS or Android via the Sesame app. Approve or deny directly from the notification without opening the dashboard.
Sesame Dashboard
Approve or deny in the Sesame dashboard in your browser. Enable browser notifications under Settings to get system-level approval prompts even when the tab is closed.
Telegram
Connect a Telegram bot to your account and receive approval requests in any chat or channel. Ideal if you spend your day in Telegram and want approvals inline with your workflow.
Scoped Policies and Auto-Approval
Once you approve a hostname, Sesame lets you configure a scoped policy for it — a set of permitted HTTP methods and URL path patterns specific to that agent. Future requests that match the policy are auto-approved without interrupting you. Any request that falls outside the policy — a new method, a different path prefix, a previously unseen endpoint — is routed back to you for explicit approval. This keeps automation fast for expected behavior while preserving a human checkpoint for anything unexpected.
Auto-Expiring Access (JIT Provisioning)
Approved credentials are provisioned just-in-time and expire automatically after a short window measured in minutes, not months. This limits the blast radius of any single approval: even if an agent is later compromised, its active credential expires quickly. You are never granting permanent access when you tap Approve — you are granting a tightly scoped, short-lived pass for the task at hand.Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don't respond to an approval request?
What if I don't respond to an approval request?
The request stays blocked indefinitely until you either approve or deny it. The agent will wait, and the connection will eventually time out on the client side if you take no action. No credential is injected while the request is pending.
Can I approve all requests from an agent without per-hostname approval?
Can I approve all requests from an agent without per-hostname approval?
Yes. You can configure a broad policy in the Sesame dashboard that covers all hostnames or a wide path pattern for a given agent. Any request matching that policy is auto-approved without sending you a notification. Use this for trusted agents in controlled environments where per-request approval would create too much friction.
How do I set up Telegram notifications?
How do I set up Telegram notifications?
Navigate to Settings in the Sesame dashboard and enter your Telegram bot token and the chat ID where you want to receive approval requests. Sesame will send a test message to confirm the connection. You can disconnect Telegram at any time from the same settings page — removing the integration does not affect your existing policies or approval history.