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

# Approve a pending journal entry

> <Note>Required API key scope: `accounting:approve`</Note>

Approves a `pending_approval` journal entry. Approver must differ from
the creator (separation of duties -- self_approval_forbidden).
After approval the entry transitions to `posted`.




## OpenAPI

````yaml /openapi.yaml post /journal-entries/{id}/approve
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Arcus ERP Public API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >
    Arcus ERP public REST API. Designed for external integrations and data
    migration.


    **Authentication.** Bearer token (API key) via the `Authorization` header.

    Format: `Authorization: Bearer ark_live_ent_<code>_<random>` (or
    `ark_test_*` for sandbox).

    API keys are issued per-entity in **Settings > Developers > API Keys**.


    **Entity scoping.** The entity is encoded in the API key prefix; routes are
    flat

    (e.g. `/v1/accounts`, `/v1/orders`, `/v1/products`). A small set of platform
    endpoints

    (migration, reconciliation, events, webhook endpoints, API keys) use the

    `/v1/entities/{entity_id}/...` form -- those are noted in their tags.


    **Key capabilities.**
      - Related-resource hydration via `?expand[]=` (see `x-arcus-expand` on each resource).
      - Cursor-based pagination (`starting_after` / `ending_before` / `limit`).
      - Idempotency via the `Idempotency-Key` header.
      - Webhook events for asynchronous notification.
      - Conditional requests / ETag for cache validation.
servers:
  - url: https://api.arcuserp.com/v1
    description: Arcus ERP API (accepts both live `ark_live_*` and test `ark_test_*` keys)
  - url: https://dev-api.arcuserp.com/v1
    description: >-
      Dev sandbox API (test-only data, accepts `ark_test_*` keys against dev
      RDS)
security: []
paths:
  /journal-entries/{id}/approve:
    post:
      tags:
        - Accounting
      summary: Approve a pending journal entry
      description: |
        <Note>Required API key scope: `accounting:approve`</Note>

        Approves a `pending_approval` journal entry. Approver must differ from
        the creator (separation of duties -- self_approval_forbidden).
        After approval the entry transitions to `posted`.
      operationId: approveJournalEntryV1
      parameters:
        - name: id
          in: path
          required: true
          schema:
            type: string
            format: uuid
      requestBody:
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              properties:
                notes:
                  type: string
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Approved journal entry
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/JournalEntry'
        '400':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '403':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '404':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
        '422':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Error'
      security:
        - ApiKeyAuth: []
components:
  schemas:
    JournalEntry:
      type: object
      description: >
        A double-entry journal entry. DR sum = CR sum across all lines (Rule A1
        / assertGLBalance). entry_date must fall in an open accounting period
        (Rule A3). Once posted, entries are immutable -- use reverse to undo.
        Verified against live dev RDS accounting.journal_entries.
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          readOnly: true
        entity_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          readOnly: true
        entry_number:
          type: string
          readOnly: true
          description: Human-readable number (e.g. SB-JE-0000001)
        entry_date:
          type: string
          format: date
        period_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        entry_type:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        status:
          type: string
          enum:
            - draft
            - pending_approval
            - posted
            - reversed
            - voided
            - rejected
          readOnly: true
        approval_status:
          type: string
          enum:
            - auto_approved
            - pending_approval
            - approved
            - rejected
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        description:
          type: string
        source_type:
          type: string
          description: >
            Event source. Postgres ENUM-locked per P0-JE-SOURCE-TYPE-ENUM
            (2026-05-18, FIX REQUIRED #18 closed). Invalid values rejected with
            HTTP 400 at the API boundary and Postgres 22P02 at the database
            layer. Values mirror `JE_SOURCE_TYPE` in
            `arcus-api-core/utils/constants.mjs`.
          enum:
            - INVOICE
            - FULFILLMENT
            - TAX
            - SHIPPING
            - SHIPPING_COST
            - DISCOUNT
            - PRICING_DISCOUNT
            - COUPON_DISCOUNT
            - PROCESSING_FEE
            - ORDER_CANCELLATION
            - LATE_FEE
            - PAYMENT
            - REFUND
            - CREDIT_APPLIED
            - WRITE_OFF
            - CREDIT_MEMO
            - CUSTOMER_DEPOSIT
            - CUSTOMER_DEPOSIT_APPLICATION
            - CUSTOMER_DEPOSIT_REFUND
            - RETURN
            - RETURN_FEE
            - COGS_REVERSAL
            - VENDOR_RETURN
            - AP_BILL
            - AP_PAYMENT
            - VENDOR_BILL
            - VENDOR_INVOICE
            - VENDOR_PAYMENT
            - VENDOR_CREDIT
            - BILL_REVALUATION
            - VENDOR_PREPAYMENT
            - VENDOR_PREPAYMENT_APPLICATION
            - VENDOR_PREPAYMENT_REFUND
            - INVENTORY_ADJUSTMENT
            - INVENTORY_ADJ
            - INVENTORY_RECEIVED
            - INVENTORY_TRANSFER
            - INTERCOMPANY_TRANSFER
            - CYCLE_COUNT
            - PO_RECEIPT
            - PO_DAMAGED_WRITEOFF
            - COST_REVALUATION
            - BANK_RECON
            - BANK_DEPOSIT
            - CASH_MOVEMENT
            - CHECK_CLEARED
            - PAYOUT
            - REGISTER
            - REGISTER_SALE
            - SHOPIFY_IMPORT
            - SHOPIFY_PAYOUT
            - AMAZON_IMPORT
            - AMAZON_SETTLEMENT
            - EBAY_IMPORT
            - EBAY_PAYOUT
            - MARKETPLACE_PAYOUT
            - AMAZON_FEES
            - FBA_INBOUND
            - FBA_SYNC
            - TAX_REMITTANCE
            - DISPUTE_HOLD
            - DISPUTE_WON
            - DISPUTE_LOST
            - MANUAL
            - MANUAL_REVERSAL
            - PERIOD_CLOSE
            - FISCAL_YEAR_CLOSE
            - ADJUSTMENT
            - RECURRING_JE
            - MANUFACTURING
            - WO_COMPLETION
            - WO_VARIANCE
            - WO_LABOR
            - WO_OVERHEAD
            - DEPRECIATION
            - ASSET_ACQUISITION
            - ASSET_DISPOSAL
            - IMPAIRMENT
            - LEASE_COMMENCEMENT
            - LEASE_PAYMENT
            - LEASE_MODIFICATION
            - LEASE_TERMINATION
            - LEASE_BUYOUT
            - LABEL_REFUND_DENIED
        source_id:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        source_module:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        is_reversing:
          type: boolean
          readOnly: true
        reversed_by_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        reversal_of_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        reverse_in_period_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        batch_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          description: >
            Groups JEs from one business event (e.g. fulfillment posts revenue +
            COGS + tax + shipping in one batch). Use GET
            /v1/journal-entries?batch_id= to retrieve all JEs in a batch.
        total_debit:
          type: number
          readOnly: true
        total_credit:
          type: number
          readOnly: true
        posted_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        approved_by:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        approved_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        rejected_by:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        rejected_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        rejection_reason:
          type: string
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        idempotency_key:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        created_by:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
          description: >-
            User who created the entry. Stamped from the authenticated user on
            manual JEs; from the posting helper's created_by on system JEs.
        created_by_name:
          type: string
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
          description: >-
            Display name of the creating user (JOIN on users). Null for
            system-generated entries with no user attribution.
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          readOnly: true
        updated_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          readOnly: true
        lines:
          type: array
          readOnly: true
          description: JE lines (included on GET single; omitted on list responses)
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/JournalEntryLine'
    JournalEntryLine:
      type: object
      description: >
        A single debit or credit line within a journal entry. Exactly one of
        debit_amount or credit_amount is > 0. account_id must reference a
        postable leaf account (Rule A2). Verified against live dev RDS
        accounting.journal_entry_lines.
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          readOnly: true
        journal_entry_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          readOnly: true
        line_number:
          type: integer
          readOnly: true
        account_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        debit_amount:
          type: number
          minimum: 0
          description: Debit amount (0 if credit line)
        credit_amount:
          type: number
          minimum: 0
          description: Credit amount (0 if debit line)
        description:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        location_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
        department_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
        class_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
        project_id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
          nullable: true
        reconciled:
          type: boolean
          readOnly: true
        reconciled_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          nullable: true
          readOnly: true
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          readOnly: true
    ErrorEnvelope:
      type: object
      description: |
        Canonical error response envelope. All API errors use this shape.
      required:
        - error
        - code
      properties:
        error:
          type: string
          description: Machine-readable error key
          example: not_found
        code:
          type: string
          description: Machine-readable error code (often same as error)
          example: not_found
        type:
          type: string
          enum:
            - validation_error
            - permission_error
            - not_found
            - conflict
            - rate_limit
            - internal
            - expand_error
            - not_implemented
          example: not_found
        hint:
          type: string
          description: Human-readable one-sentence explanation (English)
          example: >-
            The requested order does not exist or does not belong to this
            entity.
        param:
          type: string
          description: The parameter that caused the error, if applicable
          example: expand[0]
        required:
          type: string
          description: The scope required (only on insufficient_scope errors)
          example: accounts:read
        request_id:
          type: string
          description: >-
            Unique request ID for support tracing (maps to CloudWatch log
            stream)
          example: req_abc123
  responses:
    Error:
      description: Error response (400/401/403/404/409/422/429/500)
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelope'
  securitySchemes:
    ApiKeyAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      description: |
        API key issued per entity via Settings > Developers > API Keys.
        Each key carries scopes (e.g. orders:read, products:write).
        Bearer token format: Authorization: Bearer ark_live_ent_<code>_<random>
        Test keys use ark_test_ent_<code>_<random>. Both are issued per entity
        via Settings > Developers > API Keys.

````