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 → `CANCELLED`
`ASSIGNED` (single slot)	Yes	Worker loses task; OPEN slots close immediately; notify them first
`ASSIGNED` (multi-slot, partial)	Partial	OPEN slots close immediately; ASSIGNED slots remain valid (workers can still submit)
`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
`REFUNDED`	No	Auto-refunded when deadline passed with no submission

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 OPEN 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:

Show the task title, status, and reward amount
If ASSIGNED, flag that there is an active worker
Ask for explicit confirmation: "Are you sure you want to cancel this task? Escrowed funds will be refunded to your wallet."
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 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.
NEVER expect cancellation to remove active workers in multi-slot tasks — existing ASSIGNED slots remain valid even after you cancel; those workers can still submit.

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

cancel-task