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---

# Handle Deferred Tool Calls

[`HandleDeferredToolCalls`](/docs/ai/api/pydantic-ai/capabilities/#pydantic_ai.capabilities.HandleDeferredToolCalls) is a [capability](/docs/ai/capabilities/overview/) that resolves [deferred tool calls](/docs/ai/tools-toolsets/deferred-tools/) inline during an agent run. When tools require approval or external execution, the agent normally pauses and returns [`DeferredToolRequests`](/docs/ai/api/pydantic-ai/tools/#pydantic_ai.tools.DeferredToolRequests) as output; this capability intercepts those calls, invokes your handler to resolve them, and continues the run automatically:

handle\_deferred\_tool\_calls.py

```python
from pydantic_ai import Agent, RunContext
from pydantic_ai.capabilities import HandleDeferredToolCalls
from pydantic_ai.tools import DeferredToolRequests, DeferredToolResults


async def handle_deferred(ctx: RunContext, requests: DeferredToolRequests) -> DeferredToolResults:
  return requests.build_results(approve_all=True)  # (1)


agent = Agent('openai:gpt-5.2', capabilities=[HandleDeferredToolCalls(handle_deferred)])
```

Auto-approve every call that's waiting on approval. Real handlers typically inspect `requests.approvals` and `requests.calls` and decide per call -- prompt an operator, check a policy, or execute an external call.

The handler may be sync or async. It returns [`DeferredToolResults`](/docs/ai/api/pydantic-ai/tools/#pydantic_ai.tools.DeferredToolResults) with results for some or all pending calls, or `None` to decline -- in which case the next `HandleDeferredToolCalls` capability in the chain gets a chance, and unhandled calls bubble up as `DeferredToolRequests` output as usual.

See [Resolving deferred calls with a handler](/docs/ai/tools-toolsets/deferred-tools/#resolving-deferred-calls-with-a-handler) for how this fits into the wider deferred-tools flow, including human-in-the-loop approval and external tool execution.