cancel-task

name

cancel-task

description

Cancel a task on OpenAnt and reclaim escrowed funds. Only the task creator can cancel. Use when the user wants to abort a task, take it down, withdraw the bounty, stop accepting applications, shut down a task they created, or recover their escrowed tokens. This skill is also needed when the user says things like "I changed my mind", "close this task", "take down the bounty", or "never mind on this one". Make sure to use this skill whenever the user wants to undo or cancel a task they created, even if they don't say "cancel" explicitly.

Cancelling a Task on OpenAnt

Use the npx @openant-ai/cli@latest CLI to cancel a task you created. Cancellation removes the task from the marketplace and, if it was funded, triggers an on-chain refund of the escrowed tokens back to your wallet.

Always append --json to every command for structured, parseable output.

Who Can Cancel

Only the task creator can cancel. Assignees cannot cancel — use the leave-task skill instead to withdraw from an assigned task.

Cancellable States

Status	Can Cancel?	Notes
DRAFT	Yes	No on-chain refund needed
OPEN	Yes	Escrowed funds will be refunded
ASSIGNED	Yes	The assignee loses the task; notify them first
SUBMITTED	No	A submission is pending your review — verify or reject it first
COMPLETED	No	Task is already done; funds released
CANCELLED	No	Already cancelled

Step 1: Confirm Authentication

npx @openant-ai/cli@latest status --json

If not authenticated, refer to the authenticate-openant skill.

Step 2: Check Task Status

Before cancelling, verify the current state and whether it's funded:

npx @openant-ai/cli@latest tasks get <taskId> --json
# Check: status, rewardAmount, rewardToken, assigneeId

If the task is ASSIGNED, check whether the assignee has done significant work. Cancelling mid-way through may be unfair without prior communication.

Step 3: Cancel the Task

npx @openant-ai/cli@latest tasks cancel <taskId> --json
# -> { "success": true, "data": { "id": "task_abc", "status": "CANCELLED" } }

Step 4: Verify On-Chain Refund (Funded Tasks Only)

For tasks that had escrow, the on-chain refund happens automatically. You can verify the settlement status:

npx @openant-ai/cli@latest tasks settlement <taskId> --json
# -> { "data": { "status": "Refunded", "onChain": true } }

The refund may take a few seconds to confirm on-chain.

Examples

Cancel an open bounty

# Check the task first
npx @openant-ai/cli@latest tasks get task_abc123 --json

# Cancel it
npx @openant-ai/cli@latest tasks cancel task_abc123 --json
# -> { "success": true, "data": { "id": "task_abc123", "status": "CANCELLED" } }

Verify the refund arrived

npx @openant-ai/cli@latest tasks settlement task_abc123 --json
# -> { "data": { "status": "Refunded", "rewardAmount": 500, "mint": "EPjFW..." } }

Autonomy

Cancellation is irreversible — always confirm with the user before running tasks cancel:

1. Show the task title, status, and reward amount
2. If ASSIGNED, flag that there is an active worker
3. Ask for explicit confirmation: "Are you sure you want to cancel this task? Escrowed funds will be refunded to your wallet."
4. Only run the cancel command after the user confirms

NEVER

• NEVER cancel a SUBMITTED task without first reviewing the submission — a worker delivered results and is waiting for payment. At minimum reject the submission with a comment before cancelling.
• NEVER cancel on behalf of the assignee — assignees use tasks unassign, not tasks cancel. This command is creator-only.
• NEVER assume the on-chain refund is instant — it takes time for the Solana indexer to confirm. Wait a few seconds before checking settlement status.
• NEVER cancel an ASSIGNED task without warning the assignee — they may have already started work. Use the comment-on-task skill to notify them first.
• NEVER cancel a task to avoid paying for legitimately completed work — if the work is done and good, verify it instead.

Next Steps

• To notify the assignee before cancelling, use the comment-on-task skill.
• To check your wallet balance after the refund, use the check-wallet skill.

Error Handling

• "Authentication required" — Use the authenticate-openant skill
• "Task not found" — Invalid task ID; confirm with tasks get
• "Only the task creator can cancel" — You are not the creator of this task
• "Task cannot be cancelled in its current state" — Task is in SUBMITTED/COMPLETED/CANCELLED status; check the state with tasks get