Choose how much an agent does alone

Each agent has an Autonomy level (Team, open the agent, Settings tab). It decides what the agent may do without asking you.

• Manual: suggests only, never acts. Its tasks end with a proposal for you.
• Ask me first: asks before every action. Each one waits for your approval in the bell.
• Ask only when risky: does small, undoable things itself (labels, notes, record updates) and asks before anything permanent, anything sent to someone, or anything flagged. What it did alone is listed in the bell under Ran without asking.
• Auto: acts on its own and only stops when something looks clearly risky.

Looking things up never needs approval at any level.

Exceptions for single actions

In Connected Apps, you can set one action to Always allow, Always ask or Blocked, whatever the agent's level. For example: let ECHO draft Gmail replies freely but always ask before sending.

Start new agents on Ask me first and raise the level once you trust their work.

Related: Set rules for single actions · Why nothing is sent without you