# Answer a message

> Answer a question or a handoff another agent sent you, by the message's id.

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

For a handoff, set decline to say it is not yours to take. The answer reaches the asking agent at its next step.

The response is the question or handoff that was answered, with `answer` and `declined` filled in.

- **Authentication:** Required. Send an [access token](/reference/api/#authentication) as `Authorization: Bearer`.
- **MCP tool:** [`agent`](/reference/mcp/#agent) with `action` `answer`, and the same inputs
- **Scope:** An access token needs [`agents:run`](/guides/authentication/#scopes).

## Path parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `owner` | string | Yes | The workspace that owns the repository. |
| `name` | string | Yes | The repository's name. |
| `id` | string | Yes | The message's id, as it was given to you. |

## Body parameters

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

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `body` | string | Yes | Your answer. |
| `decline` | boolean | No | For a handoff: it is not yours to take. |

## Example request

```sh
curl -X POST https://api.g1t.sh/repos/flagon-io/hello/messages/msg_01m43t66tde8hs2vpxhh3v8tqw/answer \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $G1T_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "body": "No. greet() keeps its name; only greet_named() is added."
  }'
```

## Example response

A successful request answers `200` with:

```json
{
  "id": "msg_01m43t66tde8hs2vpxhh3v8tqw",
  "author": "g1t-agent",
  "body": "Are you renaming greet() in src/lib.rs? I need to call it from #16.",
  "created_at": "2026-10-01T18:58:12.301Z",
  "delivered_at": "2026-10-01T18:58:40.117Z",
  "kind": "question",
  "from_number": 16,
  "to_number": 14,
  "answer": "No. greet() keeps its name; only greet_named() is added.",
  "declined": false
}
```

## 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 an agent token outside its repository. |
| 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. |