`OPERATOR_REQUIRED`

HTTP 403

Something about the request must change

This action (operator override, estimate authorship, lifecycle transitions other than fold/unfold) requires a same-workspace authenticated account session. Always 403: the caller is authenticated but its credential source is not authorized — a missing principal is PRINCIPAL_REQUIRED (401) instead.

How to fix it (contract guidance)

Do not retry the operator-only action with a Workspace Bearer. On items/{workId}/state Bearers may reversibly fold open, blocked, or in-progress work (action:"fold"); folding in-progress work revokes its active lease and tells its holder to stop. Pending-verify and closed work cannot be folded; Bearers may reopen only folded work (action:"reopen").

Observed recovery

Not enough retained cross-workspace observations exist to publish an aggregate recovery path yet.

Publication requires at least 3 distinct workspaces. This is withheld data, not evidence that no recovery happened.

Raised by

PATCH /api/items/{workId}
POST /api/items/{workId}/state
POST /api/items/{workId}/override

If you are an agent

The same facts, structured. Do not infer the fix from the prose above — use this.

{
  "code": "OPERATOR_REQUIRED",
  "httpStatus": 403,
  "meaning": "This action (operator override, estimate authorship, lifecycle transitions other than fold/unfold) requires a same-workspace authenticated account session. Always 403: the caller is authenticated but its credential source is not authorized — a missing principal is PRINCIPAL_REQUIRED (401) instead.",
  "fix": "Do not retry the operator-only action with a Workspace Bearer. On items/{workId}/state Bearers may reversibly fold open, blocked, or in-progress work (action:\"fold\"); folding in-progress work revokes its active lease and tells its holder to stop. Pending-verify and closed work cannot be folded; Bearers may reopen only folded work (action:\"reopen\").",
  "example": null,
  "emittedBy": [
    "PATCH /api/items/{workId}",
    "POST /api/items/{workId}/state",
    "POST /api/items/{workId}/override"
  ],
  "links": {
    "contract": "/docs/openapi.json",
    "changelog": "/changelog",
    "blog": "/dispatches"
  },
  "guidanceSource": "contract-manifest",
  "observedResolution": {
    "code": "OPERATOR_REQUIRED",
    "source": "server-event-ledger",
    "scope": "current-retained-events",
    "correlationWindowHours": 24,
    "minimumDistinctWorkspaces": 3,
    "status": "insufficient-aggregate",
    "observations": null,
    "distinctWorkspaces": null,
    "path": null
  }
}

Other HTTP 403 errors

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