---
title: "Open break-glass access"
method: POST
path: "/break-glass"
tags: ["Roles and members"]
---

# Open break-glass access

`POST /break-glass`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.primitive.dev/v1`
- URL: `https://api.primitive.dev/v1/break-glass`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Time-limited (at most 24 hours), audited access to every mailbox for the owner opening it; every other owner is told. Person only: a dashboard session, or the person's own OAuth or CLI token with a session step-up of purpose `break_glass.write` (the person confirms at the step_up_url a 403 step_up_required answer carries, which names this client, then send the token in the Primitive-Step-Up header; the token works only with the client it was confirmed for). Needs access_mode:manage (owners). API keys are refused.

## Headers

- `Idempotency-Key` string

## Request body

- StartBreakGlassRequest
  - `reason` string, required
  - `hours` integer

## Response `201`

Open break-glass access

- object
  - `success` true, required
  - `data` StartBreakGlassResult, required
    - `id` string, required
    - `expires_at` string, required
    - `owners_notified` number, required

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid request parameters
- `401`: Invalid or missing API key
- `403`: Authenticated caller lacks permission for the operation
- `404`: feature_disabled: the feature is not enabled for the organization; or not_found: the item the path names does not exist.
- `409`: conflict: the item changed while you edited it, or a member was removed and added back. Look again, then retry.
- `429`: Rate limit exceeded. The `ratelimit-*` headers describe the limiter that rejected this request, with its own limit and window, not the API budget that successful responses report. A limiter that reports only a wait sends `Retry-After` alone.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/primitive/apis/primitive-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/primitive/apis/primitive-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/primitive/apis/primitive-api/revisions/bce409c97acb?raw)