Connecting tools safely: permissions, scopes and the off switch

Every project on this site that reads real data asks you to connect an account. This lesson is the one to read before you click Allow.

Three questions for any connection

1. What can it read? Most services let you grant scopes. "Read mail" is a different grant from "read and send mail." If a project only needs to read, never grant more. The project pages here list the minimum scope they need.

2. What can it change? Sending, deleting, publishing and paying are the actions you cannot undo. For a first project, keep all of them out. Let the Agent draft, and you send.

3. How do I turn it off? Find the revoke page of the service before you connect, not after. For Google it is the "Third-party apps & services" page of your account; Microsoft and Slack have equivalents. Bookmark it.

Read-only is not "harmless"

Read access still means your data leaves the service and passes through whatever runs the Agent. Two rules:

• Use a workflow tool or model provider with a clear data policy. The news section tracks changes to those policies.
• Never paste customer data, salaries or health information into a tool you have not checked. If in doubt, use a test account with made-up data; every project here works with sample data.

A simple ladder

Start at the bottom and climb one rung per week:

Most useful workplace Agents live on rungs 2 to 4.

Checklist before you click Allow

• [ ] I know which scopes are requested and why.
• [ ] No scope allows sending, deleting or paying.
• [ ] I have the revoke page bookmarked.
• [ ] I have tried the workflow on sample data first.

Next: build Your first no-code workflow, which stays on rung 2.