---
summary: "Advanced exec approvals: safe bins, interpreter binding, approval forwarding, native delivery"
read_when:
  - Configuring safe bins or custom safe-bin profiles
  - Forwarding approvals to Slack/Discord/Telegram or other chat channels
  - Implementing a native approval client for a channel
title: "Exec approvals — advanced"
---

Advanced exec-approval topics: the `safeBins` fast-path, interpreter/runtime
binding, and approval-forwarding to chat channels (including native delivery).
For the core policy and approval flow, see [Exec approvals](/tools/exec-approvals).

## Safe bins (stdin-only)

`tools.exec.safeBins` names **stdin-only** binaries (for example `cut`) that
run in allowlist mode **without** explicit allowlist entries. Safe bins reject
positional file args and path-like tokens, so they can only operate on the
incoming stream. Treat this as a narrow fast-path for stream filters, not a
general trust list.

<Warning>
Do **not** add interpreter or runtime binaries (for example `python3`, `node`,
`ruby`, `bash`, `sh`, `zsh`) to `safeBins`. If a command can evaluate code,
execute subcommands, or read files by design, prefer explicit allowlist entries
and keep approval prompts enabled. Custom safe bins must define an explicit
profile in `tools.exec.safeBinProfiles.<bin>`.
</Warning>

Default safe bins:

[//]: # "SAFE_BIN_DEFAULTS:START"

`cut`, `uniq`, `head`, `tail`, `tr`, `wc`

[//]: # "SAFE_BIN_DEFAULTS:END"

`grep` and `sort` are not in the default list. If you opt in, keep explicit
allowlist entries for their non-stdin workflows. For `grep` in safe-bin mode,
provide the pattern with `-e`/`--regexp`; positional pattern form is rejected
so file operands cannot be smuggled as ambiguous positionals.

### Argv validation and denied flags

Validation is deterministic from argv shape only (no host filesystem existence
checks), which prevents file-existence oracle behavior from allow/deny
differences. File-oriented options are denied for default safe bins; long
options validate fail-closed (unknown flags and ambiguous abbreviations are
rejected).

Denied flags by safe-bin profile:

[//]: # "SAFE_BIN_DENIED_FLAGS:START"

- `grep`: `--dereference-recursive`, `--directories`, `--exclude-from`, `--file`, `--recursive`, `-R`, `-d`, `-f`, `-r`
- `jq`: `--argfile`, `--from-file`, `--library-path`, `--rawfile`, `--slurpfile`, `-L`, `-f`
- `sort`: `--compress-program`, `--files0-from`, `--output`, `--random-source`, `--temporary-directory`, `-T`, `-o`
- `wc`: `--files0-from`

[//]: # "SAFE_BIN_DENIED_FLAGS:END"

Safe bins also force argv tokens to be treated as **literal text** at execution
time (no globbing and no `$VARS` expansion) for stdin-only segments, so
patterns like `*` or `$HOME/...` cannot be used to smuggle file reads. `awk`,
`sed`, and `jq` are always denied as safe bins because their semantics cannot be
validated to stdin-only: `jq` can read environment data and load jq code from
modules or startup files. Use an explicit allowlist entry or approval prompt for
those tools instead of `safeBins`.

### Trusted binary directories

Safe bins must resolve from trusted binary directories (system defaults plus
optional `tools.exec.safeBinTrustedDirs`). `PATH` entries are never auto-trusted.
Default trusted directories are intentionally minimal: `/bin`, `/usr/bin`. If
your safe-bin executable lives in package-manager/user paths (for example
`/opt/homebrew/bin`, `/usr/local/bin`, `/opt/local/bin`, `/snap/bin`), add them
explicitly to `tools.exec.safeBinTrustedDirs`.

### Shell chaining, wrappers, and multiplexers

Shell chaining (`&&`, `||`, `;`) is allowed when every top-level segment
satisfies the allowlist (including safe bins or skill auto-allow). Redirections
remain unsupported in allowlist mode. Command substitution (`$()` / backticks) is
rejected during allowlist parsing, including inside double quotes; use single
quotes if you need literal `$()` text.

On macOS companion-app approvals, raw shell text containing shell control or
expansion syntax (`&&`, `||`, `;`, `|`, `` ` ``, `$`, `<`, `>`, `(`, `)`) is
treated as an allowlist miss unless the shell binary itself is allowlisted.

For shell wrappers (`bash|sh|zsh ... -c/-lc`), request-scoped env overrides are
reduced to a small explicit allowlist (`TERM`, `LANG`, `LC_*`, `COLORTERM`,
`NO_COLOR`, `FORCE_COLOR`).

For `allow-always` decisions in allowlist mode, transparent dispatch wrappers
(for example `env`, `flock`, `nice`, `nohup`, `stdbuf`, `timeout`) persist the
inner executable path instead of the wrapper path. Shell multiplexers
(`busybox`, `toybox`) are unwrapped for shell applets (`sh`, `ash`, etc.) the
same way. If a wrapper or multiplexer cannot be safely unwrapped, no allowlist
entry is persisted automatically.

If you allowlist interpreters like `python3` or `node`, prefer
`tools.exec.strictInlineEval=true` so inline eval still requires an explicit
approval. In strict mode, `allow-always` can still persist benign
interpreter/script invocations, but inline-eval carriers are not persisted
automatically.

### Safe bins versus allowlist

| Topic            | `tools.exec.safeBins`                                  | Allowlist (`exec-approvals.json`)                                                  |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Goal             | Auto-allow narrow stdin filters                        | Explicitly trust specific executables                                              |
| Match type       | Executable name + safe-bin argv policy                 | Resolved executable path glob, or bare command-name glob for PATH-invoked commands |
| Argument scope   | Restricted by safe-bin profile and literal-token rules | Path match by default; optional `argPattern` can restrict parsed argv              |
| Typical examples | `head`, `tail`, `tr`, `wc`                             | `jq`, `python3`, `node`, `ffmpeg`, custom CLIs                                     |
| Best use         | Low-risk text transforms in pipelines                  | Any tool with broader behavior or side effects                                     |

Configuration location:

- `safeBins` comes from config (`tools.exec.safeBins` or per-agent `agents.list[].tools.exec.safeBins`).
- `safeBinTrustedDirs` comes from config (`tools.exec.safeBinTrustedDirs` or per-agent `agents.list[].tools.exec.safeBinTrustedDirs`).
- `safeBinProfiles` comes from config (`tools.exec.safeBinProfiles` or per-agent `agents.list[].tools.exec.safeBinProfiles`). Per-agent profile keys override global keys.
- allowlist entries live in the host-local approvals file under `agents.<id>.allowlist` (or via Control UI / `openclaw approvals allowlist ...`).
- `openclaw security audit` warns with `tools.exec.safe_bins_interpreter_unprofiled` when interpreter/runtime bins appear in `safeBins` without explicit profiles.
- `openclaw doctor --fix` can scaffold missing custom `safeBinProfiles.<bin>` entries as `{}` (review and tighten afterward). Interpreter/runtime bins are not auto-scaffolded.

Custom profile example:

```json5
{
  tools: {
    exec: {
      safeBins: ["myfilter"],
      safeBinProfiles: {
        myfilter: {
          minPositional: 0,
          maxPositional: 0,
          allowedValueFlags: ["-n", "--limit"],
          deniedFlags: ["-f", "--file", "-c", "--command"],
        },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

## Interpreter/runtime commands

Approval-backed interpreter/runtime runs are intentionally conservative:

- Exact argv/cwd/env context is always bound.
- Direct shell script and direct runtime file forms are best-effort bound to one concrete local
  file snapshot.
- Common package-manager wrapper forms that still resolve to one direct local file (for example
  `pnpm exec`, `pnpm node`, `npm exec`, `npx`) are unwrapped before binding.
- If OpenClaw cannot identify exactly one concrete local file for an interpreter/runtime command
  (for example package scripts, eval forms, runtime-specific loader chains, or ambiguous multi-file
  forms), approval-backed execution is denied instead of claiming semantic coverage it does not
  have.
- For those workflows, prefer sandboxing, a separate host boundary, or an explicit trusted
  allowlist/full workflow where the operator accepts the broader runtime semantics.

When approvals are required, the exec tool returns immediately with an approval id. Use that id to
correlate later approved-run system events (`Exec finished`, and `Exec running` when configured).
If no decision arrives before the timeout, the request is treated as an approval timeout and
surfaced as a terminal host-command denial. For main-agent async approvals with an originating
session, OpenClaw also resumes that session with an internal followup so the agent observes that
the command did not run instead of later repairing a missing result. Pending exec approvals expire
after 30 minutes by default.

### Followup delivery behavior

After an approved async exec finishes, OpenClaw sends a followup `agent` turn to the same session.
Denied async approvals use the same main-session followup path for the denial status, but they do
not register elevated runtime handoffs and they do not run the command. Denials without a resumable
main session are either suppressed or reported through a safe direct route when one exists.

- If a valid external delivery target exists (deliverable channel plus target `to`), followup delivery uses that channel.
- In webchat-only or internal-session flows with no external target, followup delivery stays session-only (`deliver: false`).
- If a caller explicitly requests strict external delivery with no resolvable external channel, the request fails with `INVALID_REQUEST`.
- If `bestEffortDeliver` is enabled and no external channel can be resolved, delivery is downgraded to session-only instead of failing.

## Approval forwarding to chat channels

You can forward exec approval prompts to any chat channel (including plugin channels) and approve
them with `/approve`. This uses the normal outbound delivery pipeline.

Config:

```json5
{
  approvals: {
    exec: {
      enabled: true,
      mode: "session", // "session" | "targets" | "both"
      agentFilter: ["main"],
      sessionFilter: ["discord"], // substring or regex
      targets: [
        { channel: "slack", to: "U12345678" },
        { channel: "telegram", to: "123456789" },
      ],
    },
  },
}
```

Reply in chat:

```
/approve <id> allow-once
/approve <id> allow-always
/approve <id> deny
```

The `/approve` command handles both exec approvals and plugin approvals. If the ID does not match a pending exec approval, it automatically checks plugin approvals instead. This fallback is bounded to "approval not found" failures; a real exec approval denial/error does not silently retry as a plugin approval.

### Plugin approval forwarding

Plugin approval forwarding uses the same delivery pipeline as exec approvals but has its own
independent config under `approvals.plugin`. Enabling or disabling one does not affect the other.
For plugin-authoring behavior, request fields, and decision semantics, see
[Plugin permission requests](/plugins/plugin-permission-requests).

```json5
{
  approvals: {
    plugin: {
      enabled: true,
      mode: "targets",
      agentFilter: ["main"],
      targets: [
        { channel: "slack", to: "U12345678" },
        { channel: "telegram", to: "123456789" },
      ],
    },
  },
}
```

The config shape is identical to `approvals.exec`: `enabled`, `mode`, `agentFilter`,
`sessionFilter`, and `targets` work the same way.

Channels that support shared interactive replies render the same approval buttons for both exec and
plugin approvals. Channels without shared interactive UI fall back to plain text with `/approve`
instructions. Plugin approval requests may restrict the available decisions: approval surfaces use
the request's declared decision set, and the Gateway rejects attempts to submit a decision that was
not offered.

### Same-chat approvals on any channel

When an exec or plugin approval request originates from a deliverable chat surface, that same chat
can approve it with `/approve` by default. This applies to Slack, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, and
similar deliverable chats, in addition to the existing Web UI and terminal UI flows, using the
normal channel auth model for that conversation. If the originating chat can already send commands
and receive replies, approval requests no longer need a separate native delivery adapter just to
stay pending.

Discord, Telegram, and QQ bot also support same-chat `/approve`, but those channels still use their
resolved approver list for authorization even when native approval delivery is disabled.

### Native approval delivery

Some channels can also act as native approval clients: Discord, Slack, Telegram, Matrix, and QQ bot.
Native clients add approver DMs, origin-chat fanout, and channel-specific interactive approval UX on
top of the shared same-chat `/approve` flow.

When native approval cards/buttons are available, that native UI is the primary agent-facing path.
The agent should not also echo a duplicate plain chat `/approve` command unless the tool result says
chat approvals are unavailable or manual approval is the only remaining path.

If a native approval client is configured but no native runtime is active for the originating
channel, OpenClaw keeps the local deterministic `/approve` prompt visible. If the native runtime is
active and attempts delivery but no target receives the card, OpenClaw sends a same-chat fallback
notice with the exact `/approve <id> <decision>` command so the request can still be resolved.

Generic model:

- host exec policy still decides whether exec approval is required
- `approvals.exec` controls forwarding approval prompts to other chat destinations
- `channels.<channel>.execApprovals` controls whether Discord, Slack, Telegram, QQ bot, and similar
  channel-specific native clients are enabled
- Slack plugin approvals can use Slack's native approval client when the request comes from Slack
  and Slack plugin approvers resolve; `approvals.plugin` can also route plugin approvals to Slack
  sessions or targets even when Slack exec approvals are disabled
- Google Chat native approval cards handle exec and plugin approvals that originate from Google
  Chat spaces or threads when stable `users/<id>` approvers resolve from `dm.allowFrom` or
  `defaultTo`; they do not use reaction events for decisions
- WhatsApp and Signal reaction approval delivery are gated by `approvals.exec` and
  `approvals.plugin`; they do not have `channels.<channel>.execApprovals` blocks

Native approval clients auto-enable DM-first delivery when all of these are true:

- the channel supports native approval delivery
- approvers can be resolved from explicit `execApprovals.approvers` or owner
  identity such as `commands.ownerAllowFrom`
- `channels.<channel>.execApprovals.enabled` is unset or `"auto"`

Set `enabled: false` to disable a native approval client explicitly. Set `enabled: true` to force
it on when approvers resolve. Public origin-chat delivery stays explicit through
`channels.<channel>.execApprovals.target`. When native `target` enables origin-chat delivery,
approval prompts include the command text.

FAQ: [Why are there two exec approval configs for chat approvals?](/help/faq-first-run)

- Discord: `channels.discord.execApprovals.*`
- Slack: `channels.slack.execApprovals.*`
- Telegram: `channels.telegram.execApprovals.*`
- QQ bot: `channels.qqbot.execApprovals.*`
- Google Chat: configure stable approvers with `channels.googlechat.dm.allowFrom` or
  `channels.googlechat.defaultTo`; no `execApprovals` block is required
- WhatsApp: use `approvals.exec` and `approvals.plugin` to route approval prompts to WhatsApp
- Signal: use `approvals.exec` and `approvals.plugin` to route approval prompts to Signal

Native-client-specific routing:

- Telegram defaults to approver DMs (`target: "dm"`). Switch to `channel` or `both` to also show
  approval prompts in the originating Telegram chat/topic. For Telegram forum topics, OpenClaw
  preserves the topic for the approval prompt and the post-approval follow-up.
- Discord and Telegram approvers can be explicit (`execApprovals.approvers`) or inferred from
  `commands.ownerAllowFrom`; only resolved approvers can approve or deny.
- Slack approvers can be explicit (`execApprovals.approvers`) or inferred from
  `commands.ownerAllowFrom`. Slack plugin approval DMs use Slack plugin approvers from `allowFrom`
  and account default routing, not Slack exec approvers. Slack native buttons preserve approval id
  kind, so `plugin:` ids can resolve plugin approvals without a second Slack-local fallback layer.
- Google Chat native cards preserve the manual `/approve` fallback in message text, but card button
  callbacks carry only opaque action tokens; the approval id and decision are recovered from
  server-side pending state.
- WhatsApp emoji approvals handle both exec and plugin prompts only when the matching top-level
  forwarding family is enabled and routes to WhatsApp; target-only WhatsApp forwarding stays on the
  shared forwarding path unless it matches the same native origin target.
- Signal reaction approvals handle both exec and plugin prompts only when the matching top-level
  forwarding family is enabled and routes to Signal. Direct same-chat Signal exec approvals can
  suppress the local `/approve` fallback without explicit approvers; Signal reaction resolution
  still requires explicit Signal approvers from `channels.signal.allowFrom` or `defaultTo`.
- Matrix native DM/channel routing and reaction shortcuts handle both exec and plugin approvals;
  plugin authorization still comes from `channels.matrix.dm.allowFrom`. Matrix native prompts
  include `com.openclaw.approval` custom event content on the first prompt event so OpenClaw-aware
  Matrix clients can read structured approval state while stock clients keep the plain-text
  `/approve` fallback.
- Native Discord approval buttons route by approval id kind: `plugin:` ids go straight to plugin
  approvals, everything else goes to exec approvals. Native Telegram approval buttons follow the
  same bounded exec-to-plugin fallback as `/approve`.
- The requester does not need to be an approver.
- If no operator UI or configured approval client can accept the request, the prompt falls back to
  `askFallback`.

Sensitive owner-only group commands such as `/diagnostics` and `/export-trajectory` use private
owner routing for approval prompts and final results. OpenClaw first tries a private route on the
same surface where the owner ran the command. If that surface has no private owner route, it falls
back to the first available owner route from `commands.ownerAllowFrom`, so a Discord group command
can still send the approval and result to the owner's Telegram DM when Telegram is the configured
primary private interface. The group chat only gets a short acknowledgement.

See:

- [Discord](/channels/discord)
- [Telegram](/channels/telegram)
- [QQ bot](/channels/qqbot)

### macOS IPC flow

```
Gateway -> Node Service (WS)
                 |  IPC (UDS + token + HMAC + TTL)
                 v
             Mac App (UI + approvals + system.run)
```

Security notes:

- Unix socket mode `0600`, token stored in `exec-approvals.json`.
- Same-UID peer check.
- Challenge/response (nonce + HMAC token + request hash) + short TTL.

## FAQ

### When would `accountId` and `threadId` be used on an approval target?

Use `accountId` when the channel has multiple configured identities and the approval prompt must
leave through one specific account. Use `threadId` when the destination supports topics or
threads and the prompt should stay inside that thread instead of the top-level chat.

A concrete Telegram case is an operations supergroup with forum topics and two Telegram bot
accounts. The `to` value names the supergroup, `accountId` selects the bot account, and `threadId`
selects the forum topic:

```json5
{
  approvals: {
    exec: {
      enabled: true,
      mode: "targets",
      targets: [
        {
          channel: "telegram",
          to: "-1001234567890",
          accountId: "ops-bot",
          threadId: "77",
        },
      ],
    },
  },
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      accounts: {
        default: {
          name: "Primary bot",
          botToken: "env:TELEGRAM_PRIMARY_BOT_TOKEN",
        },
        "ops-bot": {
          name: "Operations bot",
          botToken: "env:TELEGRAM_OPS_BOT_TOKEN",
        },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

With that setup, forwarded exec approvals are posted by the `ops-bot` Telegram account into topic
`77` of chat `-1001234567890`. A target without `accountId` uses the channel's default account, and
a target without `threadId` posts to the top-level destination.

### When approvals are sent to a session, can anyone in that session approve them?

No. Session delivery only controls where the prompt appears. It does not by itself authorize every
participant in that chat to approve.

For generic same-chat `/approve`, the sender must already be authorized for commands in that
channel session. If the channel exposes explicit approval approvers, those approvers can authorize
the `/approve` action even when they are not otherwise command-authorized in that session.

Some channels are stricter. Discord, Telegram, Matrix, Slack native approval DMs, and similar
native approval clients use their resolved approver lists for approval authorization. For example,
a Telegram forum-topic approval prompt can be visible to everyone in the topic, but only numeric
Telegram user IDs resolved from `channels.telegram.execApprovals.approvers` or
`commands.ownerAllowFrom` can approve or deny it.

## Related

- [Exec approvals](/tools/exec-approvals) — core policy and approval flow
- [Exec tool](/tools/exec)
- [Elevated mode](/tools/elevated)
- [Skills](/tools/skills) — skill-backed auto-allow behavior
