# title: Update Work Item url: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/beta/environments/work/update

# Update Work Item

POST /v1/environments/{environment_id}/work/{work_id}

Note: these endpoints are called automatically by the pre-built environment worker provided in the SDKs and CLI, for orchestrating sessions with self-hosted sandbox environments. They are included here as a reference; you do not need to invoke them directly.

Update work item metadata with merge semantics.

# Path parameters

• environment_id: string

• work_id: string

# Headers

• "anthropic-beta": optional array of AnthropicBeta

  Optional header to specify the beta version(s) you want to use.

  • string

  • "message-batches-2024-09-24" or "prompt-caching-2024-07-31" or "computer-use-2024-10-22" or 43 more

    • "message-batches-2024-09-24"

    • "prompt-caching-2024-07-31"

    • "computer-use-2024-10-22"

    • "computer-use-2025-01-24"

    • "pdfs-2024-09-25"

    • "token-counting-2024-11-01"

    • "token-efficient-tools-2025-02-19"

    • "output-128k-2025-02-19"

    • "files-api-2025-04-14"

    • "mcp-client-2025-04-04"

    • "mcp-client-2025-11-20"

    • "dev-full-thinking-2025-05-14"

    • "interleaved-thinking-2025-05-14"

    • "code-execution-2025-05-22"

    • "extended-cache-ttl-2025-04-11"

    • "context-1m-2025-08-07"

    • "context-management-2025-06-27"

    • "model-context-window-exceeded-2025-08-26"

    • "skills-2025-10-02"

    • "fast-mode-2026-02-01"

    • "output-300k-2026-03-24"

    • "user-profiles-2026-03-24"

    • "user-profiles-2026-08-18"

    • "user-profiles-2026-09-04"

    • "advisor-tool-2026-03-01"

    • "managed-agents-2026-04-01"

    • "cache-diagnosis-2026-04-07"

    • "dreaming-2026-04-21"

    • "thinking-token-count-2026-05-13"

    • "server-side-fallback-2026-06-01"

    • "server-side-fallback-2026-07-01"

    • "fallback-credit-2026-06-01"

    • "fallback-credit-2026-07-01"

    • "agent-memory-2026-07-22"

    • "mid-conversation-tool-changes-2026-07-01"

    • "compact-2026-01-12"

    • "computer-use-2025-11-24"

    • "mcp-tunnels-2026-06-22"

    • "structured-outputs-2025-11-13"

    • "task-budgets-2026-03-13"

    • "thinking-display-updates-2026-08-18"

    • "ce-user-management-2026-07-13"

    • "mid-conversation-output-config-2026-07-01"

    • "thinking-binding-controls-2026-08-01"

    • "mid-conversation-system-clear-at-2026-08-21"

    • "compact-2026-09-04"

• "anthropic-workspace-id": optional string

# Body parameters

• metadata: map[string]

  Metadata patch. Set a key to a string to upsert it, or to null to delete it. Omit the field to preserve existing metadata.

# Returns

• BetaSelfHostedWork object

  Work resource representing a unit of work in a self-hosted environment.

  Work items are queued when sessions are created or when long-dormant sessions receive new messages. The environment worker polls for work to execute in a self-hosted sandbox.

  • type: "work"

    The type of object (always 'work')

    default: work

  • id: string

    Work identifier (e.g., 'work_...')

  • acknowledged_at: string or null

    RFC 3339 timestamp when the work item was acknowledged and assigned to a self-hosted sandbox

  • created_at: string

    RFC 3339 timestamp when work was created

  • data: BetaSessionWorkData

    The actual work to be performed

    • type: "session"

      Type of work data

    • id: string

      Session identifier (e.g., 'session_...')

  • environment_id: string

    Environment identifier this work belongs to (e.g., env_...)

  • latest_heartbeat_at: string or null

    RFC 3339 timestamp of the most recent heartbeat

  • metadata: map[string]

    User-provided metadata key-value pairs associated with this work item

  • secret: string or null

    Credential payload used by the environment worker to execute this work item. May be populated when polling for work; null on all other retrieval paths.

  • started_at: string or null

    RFC 3339 timestamp when work execution started

  • state: "queued" or "starting" or "active" or 2 more

    Current state of the work item

    • "queued"

    • "starting"

    • "active"

    • "stopping"

    • "stopped"

  • stop_requested_at: string or null

    RFC 3339 timestamp when stop was requested

  • stopped_at: string or null

    RFC 3339 timestamp when work execution stopped

# Example

curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/environments/$ENVIRONMENT_ID/work/$WORK_ID \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -H 'anthropic-version: 2023-06-01' \
    -H 'anthropic-beta: managed-agents-2026-04-01' \
    -H "X-Api-Key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
    -d '{
          "metadata": {
            "foo": "string"
          }
        }'

# Response (200)

{
  "id": "id",
  "acknowledged_at": "acknowledged_at",
  "created_at": "created_at",
  "data": {
    "id": "id",
    "type": "session"
  },
  "environment_id": "environment_id",
  "latest_heartbeat_at": "latest_heartbeat_at",
  "metadata": {
    "foo": "string"
  },
  "secret": "secret",
  "started_at": "started_at",
  "state": "queued",
  "stop_requested_at": "stop_requested_at",
  "stopped_at": "stopped_at",
  "type": "work"
}