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Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)

When the AI backend requests approval before executing a potentially destructive or irreversible action, kube-q pauses and waits for your explicit confirmation. Nothing runs until you say so.

How it works

When a HITL action is pending, kube-q displays an approval panel and changes the prompt to HITL>:

╭─ Action requires approval ──────────────────────╮
│ The following action is pending approval:       │
│                                                 │
│   kubectl delete deployment nginx --namespace   │
│   production                                    │
│                                                 │
│ Type /approve to proceed or /deny to cancel.   │
╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
HITL>

The AI backend decides which actions require approval — typically anything that modifies cluster state (deletes, restarts, scaling, patching).

Commands

Command Effect
/approve Execute the pending action — the AI continues
/deny Cancel the pending action — nothing is applied

Once you approve or deny, the REPL returns to the normal prompt.

Safety guarantees

  • kube-q never executes a HITL action without an explicit /approve
  • Closing the REPL (Ctrl+D, /quit) while a HITL action is pending is treated as a deny
  • The action details (command, risk level, diff) are shown before you decide — what you see is exactly what will run

In single-query mode

HITL is not supported in kq --query (non-interactive) mode. If the backend raises a HITL request during a non-interactive query, the action will be denied automatically. Use the interactive REPL for workflows that may require approval.