> Call POST /v1/check before a tool that writes. DENY means do not invoke the tool. For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. For the complete index, fetch https://docs.withwrit.com/llms.txt.

# Define a custom verb

POST https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs
Content-Type: application/json

API key required. Adds a tenant-specific verb to the vocabulary so
the tenant's own domain language (e.g. `phi.export`,
`trade.settle`) can carry policy. Names are lowercase
domain.action-style: 1–64 characters of letters, digits, dots, and
underscores, with at least one dot — bare words are reserved for
built-in verbs. A name may not collide with a built-in verb
(case-insensitive) or an existing custom verb. A custom verb can be
used in verb policies the moment it is created. Writes a
VERB_CREATE receipt. Limited to 200 verbs per tenant, including
deprecated ones.


Reference: https://docs.withwrit.com/api-reference/custom-verbs/define-a-custom-verb

## Servers

- `https://api.withwrit.com` (Writ gate, default)
- `https://j72ckh66ukck2kcbq3oiwxaalm0olxwb.lambda-url.us-east-1.on.aws` (Direct Lambda Function URL (fallback))

## Request

### Body (application/json)

This endpoint expects an object.

- `name` (string, required) — The verb name, e.g. phi.export. Stored lowercase.
- `description` (string, optional) — What the verb means — shown in the dashboard and docs.

## Response

### 201

The created verb record.

## Errors

### 400 Bad Request Error

Invalid name or a built-in collision.

### 401 Unauthorized Error

API key required — missing, malformed, or unknown key.

- `any`

### 409 Conflict Error

The name is taken (or is a deprecated alias, which can never be reused), or the registry was updated concurrently — fetch the manifest and retry.

- `any`

## Examples

**Request**

```json
{
  "name": "phi.export",
  "description": "Agent exported PHI outside the enclave"
}
```

**Response**

```json
{
  "aliasOf": null,
  "builtin": false,
  "createdAt": 1759000000,
  "deprecatedAt": null,
  "description": "Agent exported PHI outside the enclave",
  "name": "phi.export",
  "status": "live"
}
```

**SDK Code**

```python Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
import requests

url = "https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs"

payload = {
    "name": "phi.export",
    "description": "Agent exported PHI outside the enclave"
}
headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json"}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.json())
```

```javascript Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
const url = 'https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs';
const options = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: '{"name":"phi.export","description":"Agent exported PHI outside the enclave"}'
};

try {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}
```

```go Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"strings"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs"

	payload := strings.NewReader("{\n  \"name\": \"phi.export\",\n  \"description\": \"Agent exported PHI outside the enclave\"\n}")

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, payload)

	req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}
```

```ruby Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["Content-Type"] = 'application/json'
request.body = "{\n  \"name\": \"phi.export\",\n  \"description\": \"Agent exported PHI outside the enclave\"\n}"

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body
```

```java Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
import com.mashape.unirest.http.HttpResponse;
import com.mashape.unirest.http.Unirest;

HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs")
  .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
  .body("{\n  \"name\": \"phi.export\",\n  \"description\": \"Agent exported PHI outside the enclave\"\n}")
  .asString();
```

```php Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
<?php
require_once('vendor/autoload.php');

$client = new \GuzzleHttp\Client();

$response = $client->request('POST', 'https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs', [
  'body' => '{
  "name": "phi.export",
  "description": "Agent exported PHI outside the enclave"
}',
  'headers' => [
    'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
  ],
]);

echo $response->getBody();
```

```csharp Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
using RestSharp;

var client = new RestClient("https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
request.AddParameter("application/json", "{\n  \"name\": \"phi.export\",\n  \"description\": \"Agent exported PHI outside the enclave\"\n}", ParameterType.RequestBody);
IRestResponse response = client.Execute(request);
```

```swift Custom verbs_defineACustomVerb_example
import Foundation

let headers = ["Content-Type": "application/json"]
let parameters = [
  "name": "phi.export",
  "description": "Agent exported PHI outside the enclave"
] as [String : Any]

let postData = JSONSerialization.data(withJSONObject: parameters, options: [])

let request = NSMutableURLRequest(url: NSURL(string: "https://api.withwrit.com/v1/verbs")! as URL,
                                        cachePolicy: .useProtocolCachePolicy,
                                    timeoutInterval: 10.0)
request.httpMethod = "POST"
request.allHTTPHeaderFields = headers
request.httpBody = postData as Data

let session = URLSession.shared
let dataTask = session.dataTask(with: request as URLRequest, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) -> Void in
  if (error != nil) {
    print(error as Any)
  } else {
    let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse
    print(httpResponse)
  }
})

dataTask.resume()
```