# Task behavior

`task` controls what happens while a thread already has active work.

## Config

```ts
createHeypi({
  task: { busy: "steer", cancel: "initiator" },
  // ...state, adapters, agent, runtime
});
```

## Options

| Option | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `busy` | No | `"steer"` | Same-thread behavior while a task is active. |
| `cancel` | No | `"initiator"` | Who can cancel an active task. Admins can always cancel when configured. |

`busy` values:

| Value | Behavior |
| --- | --- |
| `"steer"` | Pass the new message to the current run as additional context. |
| `"followUp"` | Acknowledge the message and queue it as a follow-up. |
| `"reject"` | Reply that the thread is busy. |

`cancel` values:

| Value | Behavior |
| --- | --- |
| `"admin"` | Configured admins can cancel. |
| `"approver"` | Configured approvers and admins can cancel. |
| `"initiator"` | The task initiator, configured approvers, and admins can cancel. |
| `"allowed"` | Any actor accepted by adapter access filters can cancel. |

Cancellation is enforced server-side. Shared chat surfaces may show cancel controls to everyone who can see the task, but unauthorized clicks return a private denial. Successful cancellation produces one terminal task message, such as `Task cancelled by Ronan Berder.` Raw cancellation signal output is kept out of the final chat reply.

## Messages

`messages` is top-level app config shown here because busy replies are one of the most common values to customize. It also controls errors, approval copy, cancellation copy, and runtime startup/failure text:

```ts
createHeypi({
  messages: {
    busySteer: "Got it. I'll include that.",
    error: "Something went wrong. Ask an admin to check logs.",
    runtimeStarting: "Preparing runtime...",
  },
  // ...state, adapters, agent, runtime
});
```

Set `runtimeStarting: false` to suppress runtime startup progress text.

### Message keys

| Key | Default |
| --- | --- |
| `error` | `Something went wrong. Ask an admin to check the server logs.` |
| `busyReject` | `I'm still working on the previous message. Send this again after I reply, or use \`/cancel\`.` |
| `busyFollowUp` | `Got it. I'll handle that next.` |
| `busySteer` | `Got it. I'll include that.` |
| `pendingApprovalReject` | `I'm waiting for the pending approval first.` |
| `approvalUnavailable` | `Approval unavailable. Ask me to try again if this is still needed.` |
| `approvalAlreadyResolved` | Function receiving `{ state, resolvedBy }`; returns `Approval already <state> by <resolvedBy>.` |
| `approvalResolved` | `Approval already resolved.` |
| `approvalExpired` | `Approval expired. Ask me to try again if this is still needed.` |
| `approvalUnauthorized` | `You are not allowed to resolve this action.` |
| `cancelled` | Function receiving `{ actor }`; returns `Task cancelled by <actor>.` or `Task cancelled.` |
| `cancelUnauthorized` | `You are not allowed to cancel this task.` |
| `cancelNotFound` | `No active task found for that id.` |
| `approvalsUnauthorized` | `You are not allowed to view pending approvals.` |
| `runtimeStarting` | `Preparing runtime...` |
| `runtimeFailed` | `Runtime failed. Ask an admin to check the server logs.` |

## Related

- [Adapters](/docs/adapters) for provider-specific delivery behavior.
- [Approvals](/docs/configuration/approvals) for approval and control commands.