# Open an issue and claim it

> Claim an open issue: say you are working on it.

<div class="g1t-endpoint"><span class="g1t-method" data-method="post">POST</span><code>/repos/{owner}/{name}/claims</code></div>

A claim is advisory, never a lock: anyone may claim an issue someone else has, and `others` lists the claims already on it, so you can coordinate or pick something else. It lasts `ttl_minutes` (30 unless you say, up to 240) and is renewed by claiming again or, when you give the `session_id` of one of your sessions, by that session's heartbeats. Returns your `claim`, the `others`, and `blocked_by`: each issue this one waits on, with its claims and pull requests. A new claim is a work.claimed event; one taking over a hand-off says which in `took_over`. For work that has no issue yet, leave out `number` and give `title` (and `body`): the issue is opened first (an issue.opened event), then claimed, the session named by `session_id` is attached to it, and `issue` is the issue opened. The session is checked first, so a claim it would refuse opens nothing.

A claim is advisory: it is made even when `others` lists someone already on the issue. Claiming an issue you hold renews your claim. Refused with `409` for a closed issue. See [Claims](/guides/sessions/#claims).

- **Authentication:** Required. Send an [access token](/reference/api/#authentication) as `Authorization: Bearer`.
- **MCP tool:** [`issue`](/reference/mcp/#issue) with `action` `claim`, and the same inputs
- **Scope:** An access token needs [`issues:write`](/guides/authentication/#scopes).
- **Also at:** [`POST /repos/{owner}/{name}/issues/{number}/claim`](/reference/api/claims-and-work/claim-issue/)

## Path parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `owner` | string | Yes | The workspace that owns the repository. |
| `name` | string | Yes | The repository's name. |

## Body parameters

Send a JSON object. Names are `snake_case`, as in responses; the `camelCase` spelling is accepted too.

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `number` | integer | No | The issue's number. Left out, give title (and body) to open one and claim it. |
| `title` | string | No | Without number: the title of a new issue to open and claim. |
| `body` | string | No | Without number: the new issue's description. |
| `session_id` | string | No | One of your sessions (ses_…) on the repository: its heartbeats renew the claim. With title, it is attached to the new issue. |
| `note` | string | No | What you are doing, for whoever else looks. Up to 500 characters. |
| `ttl_minutes` | integer | No | How long it lasts unless renewed: 30 unless you say, at most 240. |

## Example request

```sh
curl -X POST https://api.g1t.sh/repos/flagon-io/hello/claims \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $G1T_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "session_id": "ses_01m4b2c3d4e5f6g7h8j9k0m1n2",
    "note": "Taking the argument parsing first.",
    "ttl_minutes": 30
  }'
```

## Example response

A successful request answers `200` with:

```json
{
  "claim": {
    "id": "clm_01m4b3d5f7h9k1m3p5r7t9w1y3",
    "repo_id": "rep_01m3m5q6p0e2qaw6mmjahk0qrr",
    "issue": 12,
    "session_id": "ses_01m4b2c3d4e5f6g7h8j9k0m1n2",
    "actor": {
      "id": "usr_01kkntcg1eeb98j62xjm7eh09p",
      "username": "syntaqx"
    },
    "harness": "claude_code",
    "note": "Taking the argument parsing first.",
    "state": "active",
    "created_at": "2026-10-12T14:03:02.771Z",
    "expires_at": "2026-10-12T15:01:40.518Z",
    "ended_at": null,
    "end_reason": null,
    "handoff_to": null
  },
  "others": [
    {
      "id": "clm_01m4b2a4c6e8g0j2l4n6q8s0u2",
      "repo_id": "rep_01m3m5q6p0e2qaw6mmjahk0qrr",
      "issue": 12,
      "session_id": null,
      "actor": {
        "id": "usr_01kkp2v7d4fh8m3q6t9w2z5c8e",
        "username": "ana"
      },
      "harness": null,
      "note": "Looking at the tests.",
      "state": "active",
      "created_at": "2026-10-12T13:50:12.000Z",
      "expires_at": "2026-10-12T14:20:12.000Z",
      "ended_at": null,
      "end_reason": null,
      "handoff_to": null
    }
  ],
  "blocked_by": [
    {
      "number": 9,
      "title": "Read arguments with a parser",
      "state": "open",
      "claims": [
        {
          "id": "clm_01m4b2a4c6e8g0j2l4n6q8s0u2",
          "repo_id": "rep_01m3m5q6p0e2qaw6mmjahk0qrr",
          "issue": 9,
          "session_id": null,
          "actor": {
            "id": "usr_01kkp2v7d4fh8m3q6t9w2z5c8e",
            "username": "ana"
          },
          "harness": null,
          "note": null,
          "state": "active",
          "created_at": "2026-10-12T13:50:12.000Z",
          "expires_at": "2026-10-12T14:20:12.000Z",
          "ended_at": null,
          "end_reason": null,
          "handoff_to": null
        }
      ],
      "pulls": [
        {
          "number": 11,
          "title": "Parse arguments with clap",
          "status": "open"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

## Errors

A failed request answers with one of these statuses and a body like `{"error": {"code": "not_found", "message": "Repository not found."}}`. See [errors](/reference/api/#errors).

| Status | Code | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 | `unauthenticated` | A token is required, or the one sent is not valid. |
| 403 | `forbidden` | The token is valid but not allowed to do this, such as a member-only change, or a token without the scope it needs. |
| 404 | `not_found` | It does not exist, or you cannot see it. |
| 409 | `conflict` | The request conflicts with the current state. |
| 422 | `invalid` | The input is not valid. `message` says which field and why. |