---
title: "Prepare a reply to a buyer (step 1 of 2)"
method: POST
path: "/api/conversations/{id}/reply/prepare"
tags: ["Orders"]
---

# Prepare a reply to a buyer (step 1 of 2)

`POST /api/conversations/{id}/reply/prepare`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://clearlist.me`
- URL: `https://clearlist.me/api/conversations/{id}/reply/prepare`
- Auth: one of:
  - API key in header `X-ClearList-API-Key`
  - OAuth 2 (authorization code, authorization URL `https://clearlist.me/oauth/authorize`, token URL `https://clearlist.me/api/oauth/token`, scopes: `write`)

Checks the message the way the send would, names who would receive it, freezes the text, and returns a single-use confirmation token valid for 10 minutes. SENDS NOTHING: no message is written and the buyer cannot tell this was called. Show the seller the returned recipient and message, then send with POST /api/conversations/{id} and `confirmation_token`. The text sent is the text frozen here.

## Request body

- object
  - `message` string, required: Message text. Truncated to 2000 characters.

## Response `200`

Message checked and frozen. Nothing sent.

- object
  - `success` boolean
  - `data` object
    - `confirmation_token` string
    - `expires_at` string, date-time
    - `conversation_id` string
    - `recipient` object
      - `name` string
      - `email` string: The buyer's email, or an empty string when the conversation has none.
    - `message` string: The exact text that will be sent.

## Other responses

- `400`: Message missing or empty.
- `401`: Missing or invalid API key.
- `403`: The credential is read-only, or does not own this conversation, or `code: ADDRESS_USE_SHARE_FLOW`: the message contains the seller's stored street address. Use the address share flow for the address and send other details separately.
- `404`: Resource (or API route) not found. Returned as JSON, never HTML.
- `429`: Too many messages prepared by this seller in the last hour.
- `500`: Unexpected server error.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/clearlist/apis/clearlist-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/clearlist/apis/clearlist-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/clearlist/apis/clearlist-api/revisions/b1c1c4221cb8?raw)