# l4 rec reject

> Reject a savings recommendation from the terminal, with an optional reason and free-text explanation.

Source: https://docs.levelfour.ai/cli/commands/recommendations/reject


`l4 rec reject` records a reject decision on a savings recommendation. The recommendation's status becomes `rejected`. The reason is optional, and you can add or change it later in the dashboard.

```bash
l4 rec reject <id> [flags]
```

`rec` and `recs` are [aliases for `recommendations`](/cli/commands/recommendations).

## What it changes

The command posts to `/api/v1/recommendations/{id}/decision` with `{"decision": "rejected"}` plus the `--reason` and `--explanation` values you passed. On the recommendation:

* `status` becomes `rejected`
* `saving_acceptance` becomes `rejected`, stamped with your identity and the time
* `rejection_reason` and `rejection_explanation` are set when you pass them, and stay `null` when you do not
* if a member had requested execution and left the recommendation awaiting approval, the reject resolves that request

## Flags

| Flag                   | Description                                                           |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--reason <r>`         | One of `operational`, `strategy`, `not_applicable`, `other`. Optional |
| `--explanation <text>` | Free-text explanation, used when `--reason` is `other`                |
| `--yes` / `-y`         | Skip the confirmation prompt                                          |

`l4` checks `--reason` before it sends anything. A value outside that set fails locally, and the error prints the ones it accepts. The API enforces the same set.

Global flags (`--json`, `--jq`, `--template`, `--quiet`, `--token`, `--api`) apply. See [CLI overview](/cli#global-flags).

## Confirmation

By default the command prompts before sending:

```text
Reject recommendation REC-1234? [y/N]:
```

Anything other than `y` or `yes` aborts, prints `Aborted.`, and exits `0` without calling the API. Pass `--yes` to skip the prompt in an interactive shell.

> **Warning**
>
> Two things send the decision with no prompt: `--yes`, and a stdout that is not a TTY. A piped or scheduled run closes the recommendation without asking, so check the id before you put this in a pipeline or a CI job.

## Requires a read-write key

The endpoint requires the `read-write` scope, and `l4 auth login` mints a read-only key. See [CLI authentication](/cli/authentication#browser-login-mints-a-read-only-key) for how to create one that has it.

## Re-running it

Each invocation sends its own `Idempotency-Key`, which lets the API discard a duplicate delivery of the same request. A deliberate re-run is a new request: it re-stamps the same decision fields and adds another entry to the recommendation's audit timeline.

## Examples

```bash
l4 rec reject REC-1234
l4 rec reject REC-1234 --reason operational
l4 rec reject REC-1234 --reason other --explanation "Owned by a team that is migrating off"
l4 rec reject REC-1234 --reason not_applicable --yes --json
```

## Output

Default output is a success line plus the fields the API returned:

```text
Recommendation REC-1234 rejected
Reason         operational
```

With `--json` the whole API envelope is printed. The fields it carries:

```text
.success
.data.recommendation_id
.data.saving_acceptance          # "rejected"
.data.status                     # "rejected"
.data.rejection_reason
.data.rejection_explanation
.timestamp
```

> **Success**
>
> `Recommendation REC-1234 rejected` is the proof the decision landed. Find the recommendation again with [`l4 rec list --status rejected`](/cli/commands/recommendations#list).

## Errors

| Exit | Symptom                     | Cause                                                                  |
| ---- | --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `4`  | Authentication required     | No token resolvable; run `l4 auth login` or set `LEVELFOUR_TOKEN`      |
| `1`  | `invalid --reason`          | The value is not one of the reasons the API accepts                    |
| `1`  | `401` authentication failed | Token revoked, expired, or from the wrong environment                  |
| `1`  | `403` permission denied     | The key has the `read` scope, or your role lacks `org:savings:execute` |
| `1`  | `404`                       | No recommendation with that id in this organization                    |

## Related

* [`l4 rec accept`](/cli/commands/recommendations/accept): the other half of the decision
* [`l4 rec execute`](/cli/commands/recommendations/execute): request execution of an accepted recommendation
* [`l4 recommendations`](/cli/commands/recommendations): list and view recommendations
* [CLI authentication](/cli/authentication): read versus read-write keys