> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.qoder.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Acknowledge work item

> Acknowledge a delivered work item before executing it.

`POST /api/v1/cloud/environments/{environment_id}/work/{work_id}/ack`

Acknowledges a delivered work item and moves it from `queued` to `starting`. Workers should ack after poll and before executing the Session work.

Ack is safe to retry for items already in `starting` or `active`. It conflicts for `stopping` or `stopped` items.

## Path parameters

| Parameter        | Type   | Description                           |
| ---------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------- |
| `environment_id` | string | Environment ID with the `env_` prefix |
| `work_id`        | string | Work item ID with the `work_` prefix  |

## Headers

| Header          | Required | Description                                                                     |
| --------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Authorization` | Yes      | `Bearer $QODER_PAT`                                                             |
| `Worker-ID`     | No       | Stable worker identity. If poll stored a different `Worker-ID`, ack returns 409 |

## Example request

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "https://api.qoder.com/api/v1/cloud/environments/env_019e64e01a137caf953ac2ac7b42ec5c/work/work_019f3be4fd2475d9a784bf2c739e1194/ack" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $QODER_PAT" \
  -H "Worker-ID: byoc-worker-01"
```

## Example response

**HTTP 200 OK**

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "work_019f3be4fd2475d9a784bf2c739e1194",
  "type": "work",
  "environment_id": "env_019e64e01a137caf953ac2ac7b42ec5c",
  "data": {
    "type": "session",
    "id": "sess_019f3be3fa66750bb9a1fbcde85b5fe1"
  },
  "state": "starting",
  "created_at": "2026-07-01T08:15:01Z",
  "acknowledged_at": "2026-07-01T08:15:04Z",
  "started_at": null,
  "latest_heartbeat_at": null,
  "stop_requested_at": null,
  "stopped_at": null,
  "metadata": {}
}
```

## Response fields

Returns the acknowledged [Work item object](/cloud-agents/api/environments/work/schemas#work-item-object).

## Errors

| HTTP | Type                    | Trigger                                                                                         |
| ---- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 400  | `invalid_request_error` | The Environment is not `self_hosted`                                                            |
| 401  | `authentication_error`  | PAT invalid or expired                                                                          |
| 403  | `permission_error`      | Not authorized for this operation                                                               |
| 404  | `not_found_error`       | Environment or work item not found                                                              |
| 409  | `invalid_request_error` | Work item was claimed by another worker, changed state concurrently, or is `stopping`/`stopped` |

See [Errors](/cloud-agents/api/conventions/errors) for the full error envelope.

## Notes

* After ack, the first heartbeat usually uses `expected_last_heartbeat=NO_HEARTBEAT`.
* Ack triggers an immediate dispatch pass so work can proceed without waiting for the next dispatcher tick.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Cloud environment setup" icon="server" href="/cloud-agents/environments">
    Choose the container, network, and dependencies your agent runs in.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>