Email lands the human ON the decision — approval deep links + honest landing states

app/api/access/v1/access-request/route.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/lib/authzen"
 import { createSpendPendingApproval, createToolPendingApproval, createProvisionPendingApproval, createCapabilityPendingApproval } from "@/lib/approvals"
 import { authzenRateLimit } from "@/lib/authzenRateLimit"
-import { deliverEvent, APPROVE_URL } from "@/lib/webhooks"
+import { deliverEvent, approveUrlFor } from "@/lib/webhooks"
 import { sendEscalationEmail } from "@/lib/email"
 import { logger } from "@/lib/log"
 
@@ -243,22 +243,22 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
           agent: agent.name,
           resource: { kind: sarc.t, ...sarc },
           reason,
-          approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+          approve_url: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
         }),
         deliverEvent(agent.walletId, "escalation.created", {
           request_id: escalated.id,
           agent: agent.name,
           amount_usd: amountUsd,
           merchant,
-          approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+          approve_url: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
         }),
         sendEscalationEmail(agent.wallet.ownerEmail, {
           agentName: agent.name,
           amountUsd,
           merchant,
           category: sarc.t === "tool" ? "tool" : sarc.t === "capability" ? "capability" : sarc.category,
           description: reason,
-          approveUrl: APPROVE_URL,
+          approveUrl: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
         }).catch((err) => log.warn("escalation email failed", { err: String(err) })),
       ]),
     )
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ function taskResponse(id: string, status: string, origin: string) {
       id,
       status,
       status_endpoint: `${origin}${ACCESS_REQUEST_PATH}/${id}`,
-      links: { review: APPROVE_URL },
+      links: { review: approveUrlFor(id) },
     },
   }
 }

app/api/v1/authorize/capability/route.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
 import { decisionEvidence } from "@/lib/evidence"
 import { createCapabilityPendingApproval } from "@/lib/approvals"
 import { consumeCapabilityGrant } from "@/lib/grants"
-import { deliverEvent, APPROVE_URL } from "@/lib/webhooks"
+import { deliverEvent, approveUrlFor } from "@/lib/webhooks"
 import { sendEscalationEmail } from "@/lib/email"
 import { REMEDIATION, deriveReplayCode, type DecisionCode } from "@/lib/decisions"
 import { logger } from "@/lib/log"
@@ -144,13 +144,13 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
             agent: agent.name,
             resource: { kind: "capability", capability },
             reason: decision.reason,
-            approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            approve_url: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
           }),
           deliverEvent(agent.walletId, "escalation.created", {
-            request_id: escalated.id, agent: agent.name, action: "use", capability, approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            request_id: escalated.id, agent: agent.name, action: "use", capability, approve_url: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
           }),
           sendEscalationEmail(agent.wallet.ownerEmail, {
-            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: 0, merchant: capability, category: "capability", description: decision.reason ?? null, approveUrl: APPROVE_URL,
+            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: 0, merchant: capability, category: "capability", description: decision.reason ?? null, approveUrl: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
           }).catch((err) => log.warn("escalation email failed", { err: String(err) })),
         ]),
       )

app/api/v1/authorize/provision/route.ts

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { accessRequestOffer, publicOrigin } from "@/lib/authzen"
 import { evaluate } from "@/lib/evaluation"
 import { PROVISION_STATELESS, PROVISION_STATEFUL, type ProvisionContext } from "@/lib/rules/provision"
 import type { SpendContext } from "@/lib/rules/spend"
-import { deliverEvent, APPROVE_URL } from "@/lib/webhooks"
+import { deliverEvent, approveUrlFor } from "@/lib/webhooks"
 import { sendEscalationEmail } from "@/lib/email"
 import { verifyExecutionJWT } from "@/lib/jwt"
 import { logger } from "@/lib/log"
@@ -369,13 +369,13 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
             agent: agent.name,
             resource: approval?.resourceJson ?? { kind: "provision", resource, line_item, quantity, unit_price_usd, amount_usd, category, description },
             reason: approval?.reason ?? "Exceeds escalation threshold",
-            approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            approve_url: approveUrlFor(result.id),
           }),
           deliverEvent(agent.walletId, "escalation.created", {
-            approval_id: approval?.id, request_id: result.id, agent: agent.name, action: "allocate", amount_usd, resource, line_item, quantity, category, description, approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            approval_id: approval?.id, request_id: result.id, agent: agent.name, action: "allocate", amount_usd, resource, line_item, quantity, category, description, approve_url: approveUrlFor(result.id),
           }),
           sendEscalationEmail(agent.wallet.ownerEmail, {
-            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: amount_usd, merchant: resourceSummary, category, description, approveUrl: APPROVE_URL,
+            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: amount_usd, merchant: resourceSummary, category, description, approveUrl: approveUrlFor(result.id),
           }).catch((err) => log.warn("escalation email failed", { err: String(err) })),
         ]),
       )

app/api/v1/authorize/route.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { APPEALABLE_DENIALS, decisionEvidence, limitFromDecision } from "@/lib/e
 import { accessRequestOffer, publicOrigin } from "@/lib/authzen"
 import { evaluate } from "@/lib/evaluation"
 import { SPEND_STATELESS, SPEND_STATEFUL, type SpendContext } from "@/lib/rules/spend"
-import { deliverEvent, APPROVE_URL } from "@/lib/webhooks"
+import { deliverEvent, approveUrlFor } from "@/lib/webhooks"
 import { sendEscalationEmail } from "@/lib/email"
 import { verifyExecutionJWT } from "@/lib/jwt"
 import { logger } from "@/lib/log"
@@ -394,14 +394,14 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
             agent: agent.name,
             resource: approval?.resourceJson ?? { kind: "spend", action, amount_usd, merchant, category, description },
             reason: approval?.reason ?? "Exceeds escalation threshold",
-            approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            approve_url: approveUrlFor(result.id),
           }),
           deliverEvent(agent.walletId, "escalation.created", {
-            approval_id: approval?.id, request_id: result.id, agent: agent.name, action, amount_usd, merchant, category, description, approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            approval_id: approval?.id, request_id: result.id, agent: agent.name, action, amount_usd, merchant, category, description, approve_url: approveUrlFor(result.id),
           }),
           // Email the owner directly, so escalations reach them even with no webhook registered.
           sendEscalationEmail(agent.wallet.ownerEmail, {
-            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: amount_usd, merchant, category, description, approveUrl: APPROVE_URL,
+            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: amount_usd, merchant, category, description, approveUrl: approveUrlFor(result.id),
           }).catch((err) => log.warn("escalation email failed", { err: String(err) })),
         ]),
       )

app/api/v1/authorize/tool/route.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { decideTool, TOOL_REMEDIATION, type ToolDecisionCode } from "@/lib/toolD
 import { decisionEvidence } from "@/lib/evidence"
 import { createToolPendingApproval } from "@/lib/approvals"
 import { consumeToolGrant } from "@/lib/grants"
-import { deliverEvent, APPROVE_URL } from "@/lib/webhooks"
+import { deliverEvent, approveUrlFor } from "@/lib/webhooks"
 import { sendEscalationEmail } from "@/lib/email"
 import { REMEDIATION, deriveReplayCode, isObserved, type DecisionCode } from "@/lib/decisions"
 import { logger } from "@/lib/log"
@@ -166,13 +166,13 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
             agent: agent.name,
             resource: { kind: "tool", tool, server: server ?? null },
             reason: decision.reason,
-            approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            approve_url: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
           }),
           deliverEvent(agent.walletId, "escalation.created", {
-            request_id: escalated.id, agent: agent.name, action: "invoke", tool, server: server ?? null, approve_url: APPROVE_URL,
+            request_id: escalated.id, agent: agent.name, action: "invoke", tool, server: server ?? null, approve_url: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
           }),
           sendEscalationEmail(agent.wallet.ownerEmail, {
-            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: 0, merchant: server ? `${tool} (${server})` : tool, category: "tool", description: decision.reason ?? null, approveUrl: APPROVE_URL,
+            agentName: agent.name, amountUsd: 0, merchant: server ? `${tool} (${server})` : tool, category: "tool", description: decision.reason ?? null, approveUrl: approveUrlFor(escalated.id),
           }).catch((err) => log.warn("escalation email failed", { err: String(err) })),
         ]),
       )

app/dashboard/approvals/page.tsx

@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import { ApprovalQueue, type PendingApproval } from "@/components/approval-queue
 import { WebhookSettings } from "@/components/webhook-settings"
 import { listPendingApprovals } from "@/lib/approvals"
 import { getViewWallet } from "@/lib/session"
+import { redirect } from "next/navigation"
+import Link from "next/link"
 import { subtreeWalletIds } from "@/lib/walletSubtree"
 
 export const metadata: Metadata = {
@@ -64,14 +66,23 @@ const statusClasses: Record<string, string> = {
   expired: "border-border bg-muted text-muted-foreground",
 }
 
-export default async function ApprovalsPage() {
+export default async function ApprovalsPage({ searchParams }: { searchParams: Promise<{ review?: string }> }) {
+  const { review } = await searchParams
   const view = await getViewWallet()
+  // A ?review deep link is someone answering an escalation email. Neither the
+  // public demo fallback nor a bare "no wallet" screen may answer that click —
+  // an empty inbox reads as "already resolved" while the real decision waits
+  // in another wallet. Send them to sign in, and bring them straight back.
+  if (review && (!view || !view.isSession)) {
+    redirect(`/login?next=${encodeURIComponent(`/dashboard/approvals?review=${review}`)}`)
+  }
   if (!view) return <NoWallet />
   const walletId = view.id
 
   const pendingRows = await listPendingApprovals(walletId)
   const pending: PendingApproval[] = pendingRows.map((r) => ({
     id: r.id,
+    sourceId: r.sourceId,
     actionType: r.actionType,
     reason: r.reason,
     code: r.code,
@@ -126,8 +137,119 @@ export default async function ApprovalsPage() {
       : [],
   ])
 
+  // The email landing moment: resolve what the deep-linked decision is doing
+  // right now, and say it plainly — waiting on you, already decided, waiting
+  // on a pool below you, or not visible from this wallet.
+  type Focus =
+    | { kind: "pending" }
+    | { kind: "resolved"; status: string; decidedAt: string | null; note: string | null; grant: string | null; title: string; agentName: string }
+    | { kind: "descendant"; poolName: string; title: string; resolved: boolean }
+    | { kind: "missing" }
+  let focus: Focus | null = null
+  if (review) {
+    if (pending.some((a) => a.id === review || a.sourceId === review)) {
+      focus = { kind: "pending" }
+    } else {
+      const row = await db.pendingApproval.findFirst({
+        where: { OR: [{ id: review }, { sourceType: "authorization_request", sourceId: review }] },
+        include: {
+          agent: { select: { name: true } },
+          wallet: { select: { id: true, name: true } },
+          grants: { select: { status: true }, take: 1, orderBy: { createdAt: "desc" } },
+        },
+      })
+      if (!row) {
+        focus = { kind: "missing" }
+      } else if (row.wallet.id === walletId) {
+        focus = {
+          kind: "resolved",
+          status: row.status,
+          decidedAt: row.resolvedAt?.toLocaleString() ?? null,
+          note: row.resolutionNote,
+          grant: row.grants[0]?.status ?? null,
+          title: resourceTitle(asRecord(row.resourceJson), row.actionType),
+          agentName: row.agent.name,
+        }
+      } else if (descendantIds.includes(row.wallet.id)) {
+        focus = {
+          kind: "descendant",
+          poolName: row.wallet.name,
+          title: resourceTitle(asRecord(row.resourceJson), row.actionType),
+          // A stale email link must not claim "waiting" for a settled decision.
+          resolved: row.status !== "pending",
+        }
+      } else {
+        focus = { kind: "missing" }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className="min-h-screen max-w-6xl mx-auto space-y-6 p-6">
+      {focus && (
+        <Card
+          className={
+            focus.kind === "pending"
+              ? "border-emerald-600/40 bg-emerald-500/[0.06]"
+              : "bg-card border-border"
+          }
+        >
+          <CardContent className="px-4 py-4">
+            {focus.kind === "pending" && (
+              <>
+                <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">This decision is waiting on you.</p>
+                <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+                  It&apos;s highlighted below. The agent is paused mid-action: approving mints a single-use grant it
+                  redeems to proceed; rejecting stops it. If you do nothing, policy settles it at the deadline.
+                </p>
+              </>
+            )}
+            {focus.kind === "resolved" && (
+              <>
+                <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">
+                  Already decided: {focus.title} · {focus.agentName} — <span className="uppercase">{focus.status}</span>
+                  {focus.decidedAt ? ` at ${focus.decidedAt}` : ""}
+                </p>
+                <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+                  {focus.status === "approved"
+                    ? focus.grant === "consumed"
+                      ? "The grant it issued was redeemed — the agent completed the action."
+                      : "It issued a single-use grant" + (focus.grant ? ` (currently ${focus.grant})` : "") + "."
+                    : focus.status === "expired"
+                      ? "No one decided in time, so policy settled it — the fail-closed default."
+                      : "The agent was told no and stood down."}
+                  {focus.note ? ` Note: ${focus.note}` : ""} The full record is in the Resolved list below.
+                </p>
+              </>
+            )}
+            {focus.kind === "descendant" && (
+              <>
+                <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">
+                  This decision ({focus.title}) {focus.resolved ? "was already decided in" : "is waiting in"}{" "}
+                  <strong>{focus.poolName}</strong>.
+                </p>
+                <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+                  {focus.resolved
+                    ? "Its owner settled it — sign in with that pool's key to see the full record."
+                    : 'Each pool\u2019s own owner decides — you can see it waiting under "Waiting in your pools" below, but the approve belongs to that pool\u2019s inbox. Sign in with that pool\u2019s key to decide.'}
+                </p>
+              </>
+            )}
+            {focus.kind === "missing" && (
+              <>
+                <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">That decision isn&apos;t visible from this wallet.</p>
+                <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+                  The email went to the owner of the wallet that raised it. {" "}
+                  <Link className="underline" href={`/login?next=${encodeURIComponent(`/dashboard/approvals?review=${review}`)}`}>
+                    Sign in with that wallet&apos;s key
+                  </Link>{" "}
+                  to land back here on the decision.
+                </p>
+              </>
+            )}
+          </CardContent>
+        </Card>
+      )}
       <div>
         <h1 className="font-display text-xl font-semibold tracking-tight text-foreground">Authorization inbox</h1>
         <p className="mt-1 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
@@ -178,7 +300,7 @@ export default async function ApprovalsPage() {
           <Badge className="bg-[oklch(0.55_0.1_85)]/10 text-[oklch(0.5_0.1_85)] dark:text-[oklch(0.82_0.11_85)] border border-[oklch(0.55_0.1_85)]/25 font-mono">{pending.length}</Badge>
         )}
       </div>
-      <ApprovalQueue pending={pending} editable={view.isSession} />
+      <ApprovalQueue pending={pending} editable={view.isSession} focusId={review} />
 
       {orgPending.length > 0 && (
         <Card className="bg-card border-border">

app/login/actions.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ import { sendMagicLinkEmail } from "@/lib/email"
 
 export type LoginState = { error: string }
 
+// Only ever redirect within the app: a next must be a local absolute path.
+// Rejected: protocol-relative //host, and anything carrying a backslash (raw
+// or %5C-encoded) — browsers normalize \ to / so "/\evil.com" becomes the
+// off-site "//evil.com". Anything suspicious falls back to the dashboard.
+function safeNext(raw: unknown): string {
+  const next = typeof raw === "string" ? raw : ""
+  const ok = next.startsWith("/") && !next.startsWith("//") && !next.includes("\\") && !/%5c/i.test(next)
+  return ok ? next : "/dashboard"
+}
+
 export async function loginAction(_prev: LoginState, form: FormData): Promise<LoginState> {
   const ip = ipFromHeaders(await headers())
   const rl = await rateLimit("login", ip, 30, 600)
@@ -24,7 +34,7 @@ export async function loginAction(_prev: LoginState, form: FormData): Promise<Lo
   if (!wallet) return { error: "That key doesn't match a wallet. Use the management key (sk_…) from signup." }
 
   await setSession(key)
-  redirect("/dashboard")
+  redirect(safeNext(form.get("next")))
 }
 
 export async function logoutAction() {

app/login/page.tsx

@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ function Divider({ label }: { label: string }) {
 
 export const dynamic = "force-dynamic"
 
-export default function LoginPage() {
+export default async function LoginPage({ searchParams }: { searchParams: Promise<{ next?: string }> }) {
+  const { next } = await searchParams
   return (
     <div className={`sanction ${brandFontVars}`} style={{ minHeight: "100vh", background: "var(--surface-page)", color: "var(--text-body)" }}>
       <header className="border-b" style={{ borderColor: "var(--paper-3)" }}>
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ export default function LoginPage() {
             Have a management key (<code className="font-mono">sk_…</code>)? Sign in with it →
           </summary>
           <div className="mt-4">
-            <LoginForm />
+            <LoginForm next={next} />
           </div>
         </details>