diff --git a/apps/worker/src/core/approval.test.ts b/apps/worker/src/core/approval.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d407499
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/worker/src/core/approval.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+import { handleStarReaction } from './approval';
+import { NormalizedReaction } from '@tower/types';
+
+function makeReaction(overrides: Partial<NormalizedReaction> = {}): NormalizedReaction {
+  return {
+    reactorJid: '919876543210@s.whatsapp.net',
+    targetMsgId: 'TARGET_MSG_123',
+    sourceGroupJid: '120363043312345678@g.us',
+    emoji: '⭐',
+    accountId: 'acc_1',
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+const adminJids = ['919876543210@s.whatsapp.net'];
+
+describe('handleStarReaction', () => {
+  it('returns null for non-star emoji', async () => {
+    const result = await handleStarReaction(makeReaction({ emoji: '👍' }), adminJids, {} as any);
+    expect(result).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when reactor is not an admin', async () => {
+    const result = await handleStarReaction(
+      makeReaction({ reactorJid: 'stranger@s.whatsapp.net' }),
+      adminJids,
+      {} as any,
+    );
+    expect(result).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when message not found', async () => {
+    const prisma = { message: { findUnique: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(null) } } as any;
+    const result = await handleStarReaction(makeReaction(), adminJids, prisma);
+    expect(result).toBeNull();
+    expect(prisma.message.findUnique).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      where: {
+        platform_platformMsgId: { platform: 'whatsapp', platformMsgId: 'TARGET_MSG_123' },
+      },
+      include: {
+        approval: true,
+        sourceGroup: {
+          include: {
+            syncRoutesFrom: { where: { isActive: true }, include: { targetGroup: true } },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when message status is not PENDING', async () => {
+    const prisma = {
+      message: {
+        findUnique: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+          id: 'msg_1',
+          status: 'REJECTED',
+          approval: null,
+          sourceGroup: { name: 'Test Group', syncRoutesFrom: [] },
+        }),
+      },
+    } as any;
+    expect(await handleStarReaction(makeReaction(), adminJids, prisma)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when message is already approved (approval record exists)', async () => {
+    const prisma = {
+      message: {
+        findUnique: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+          id: 'msg_1',
+          status: 'APPROVED',
+          approval: { id: 'appr_1' },
+          sourceGroup: { name: 'Test Group', syncRoutesFrom: [] },
+        }),
+      },
+    } as any;
+    expect(await handleStarReaction(makeReaction(), adminJids, prisma)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('approves message and returns empty array when no sync routes', async () => {
+    const prisma = {
+      message: {
+        findUnique: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+          id: 'msg_1',
+          status: 'PENDING',
+          approval: null,
+          content: 'hello',
+          senderName: 'Alice',
+          sourceGroup: { name: 'UP Parivar Dallas', syncRoutesFrom: [] },
+        }),
+        update: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+      },
+      approval: { create: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}) },
+    } as any;
+
+    const result = await handleStarReaction(makeReaction(), adminJids, prisma);
+    expect(result).toEqual([]);
+    expect(prisma.message.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      where: { id: 'msg_1' },
+      data: { status: 'APPROVED' },
+    });
+    expect(prisma.approval.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      data: {
+        messageId: 'msg_1',
+        adminId: '919876543210@s.whatsapp.net',
+        decision: 'APPROVED',
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('returns ForwardJobData for each active sync route', async () => {
+    const prisma = {
+      message: {
+        findUnique: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+          id: 'msg_1',
+          status: 'PENDING',
+          approval: null,
+          content: 'important announcement',
+          senderName: 'Bob',
+          sourceGroup: {
+            name: 'Source Group',
+            syncRoutesFrom: [
+              { targetGroup: { platformId: '999@g.us', accountId: 'acc_2' } },
+              { targetGroup: { platformId: '888@g.us', accountId: null } },
+            ],
+          },
+        }),
+        update: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+      },
+      approval: { create: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}) },
+    } as any;
+
+    const result = await handleStarReaction(makeReaction(), adminJids, prisma);
+    expect(result).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(result![0]).toMatchObject({
+      messageId: 'msg_1',
+      content: 'important announcement',
+      sourceGroupName: 'Source Group',
+      senderName: 'Bob',
+      toGroupJid: '999@g.us',
+      fromAccountId: 'acc_2',
+    });
+    // falls back to reaction.accountId when targetGroup.accountId is null
+    expect(result![1]).toMatchObject({
+      toGroupJid: '888@g.us',
+      fromAccountId: 'acc_1',
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/worker/src/core/approval.ts b/apps/worker/src/core/approval.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb553c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/worker/src/core/approval.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { NormalizedReaction, ForwardJobData } from '@tower/types';
+
+export async function handleStarReaction(
+  reaction: NormalizedReaction,
+  adminJids: string[],
+  prisma: any,
+): Promise<ForwardJobData[] | null> {
+  if (reaction.emoji !== '⭐') return null;
+  if (!adminJids.includes(reaction.reactorJid)) return null;
+
+  const message = await prisma.message.findUnique({
+    where: {
+      platform_platformMsgId: {
+        platform: 'whatsapp',
+        platformMsgId: reaction.targetMsgId,
+      },
+    },
+    include: {
+      approval: true,
+      sourceGroup: {
+        include: {
+          syncRoutesFrom: { where: { isActive: true }, include: { targetGroup: true } },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  });
+
+  if (!message) return null;
+  if (message.status !== 'PENDING') return null;
+  if (message.approval) return null;
+
+  await prisma.message.update({
+    where: { id: message.id },
+    data: { status: 'APPROVED' },
+  });
+
+  await prisma.approval.create({
+    data: {
+      messageId: message.id,
+      adminId: reaction.reactorJid,
+      decision: 'APPROVED',
+    },
+  });
+
+  const jobs: ForwardJobData[] = message.sourceGroup.syncRoutesFrom.map((route: any) => ({
+    messageId: message.id,
+    content: message.content,
+    sourceGroupName: message.sourceGroup.name,
+    senderName: message.senderName ?? undefined,
+    toGroupJid: route.targetGroup.platformId,
+    fromAccountId: route.targetGroup.accountId ?? reaction.accountId,
+  }));
+
+  return jobs;
+}