How to Give an AI Assistant Access to Your Work Accounts

Quick answer

Give an AI assistant access to work accounts through supported connection flows, choosing the exact account and reviewing the provider permissions. Assign access only for the task you need. Keep account access separate from permission to communicate or make changes. Test a bounded workflow, confirm the identity used, and remove connections when they are no longer necessary.

The useful question is not simply whether an assistant supports your email or calendar provider. It is which account it can access, under whose identity it acts, and what controls apply to the action you want. A team may have several connected accounts, only some of which should be available to a particular assistant.

Prepare before connecting

List the initial workflow and the minimum information it needs. A meeting brief may need calendar records and approved documents. Client follow-up preparation may need an email account and project sources. Avoid connecting unrelated services because they might be useful later.

For each connection, record:

• The provider and exact account identity.
• The business purpose and task owner.
• The permissions shown during authorization.
• Which assistant should receive access.
• Which external actions require approval.
• The person who can revoke or renew the connection.

Use the supported provider flow rather than putting passwords into a conversation. Authentication methods vary by integration, so inspect the actual setup instead of assuming every connection works the same way.

Righthand's documented assignment boundary

Righthand's connection architecture distinguishes accounts connected to the team from accounts assigned to a particular Righthand. Its connection-link flow lets the user authorize a requested new connection or renew an assigned expired one. A Righthand does not grant itself access to an existing team connection; the user handles that assignment.

At the practical level, this means “our team has Gmail connected” is not enough to establish that your Righthand may use that account. Confirm the assignment and current connection status before depending on it in a task. The public security page also describes connections as optional and explicitly assigned.

An illustrative first connection

A consultant wants an assistant to prepare an internal meeting brief using a work calendar. The consultant connects the intended account through the supported flow, reviews the permissions, and assigns it to the assistant. The first task is preparation only.

The assistant should produce a brief tied to the correct meeting and account. It should not send invitations or contact attendees unless those actions are separately authorized. The consultant can then inspect whether the context is correct before adding other workflows.

If the account authorization expires, the useful response is an identified access gap and a supported renewal path. The assistant should not quietly switch to another team account or ask for the password in chat.

A connection setup brief

Help me set up the supported connection for my work calendar account. Identify the provider flow and the account identity I should verify. After I authorize and assign it, prepare an internal brief for the named meeting. Do not create events, send invitations, or contact attendees. If access is unavailable or expired, tell me which connection needs attention rather than using another account. Show the source event and account used in the result.

Adjust the task to the actual provider and available tools. A published integration page is a starting point; current account state determines whether your particular workflow can run.

Review and revoke access deliberately

Keep a small inventory of connections and their purposes. Review it when roles change, a project ends, or an account is replaced. Remove unnecessary access through the product and provider controls as appropriate.

Verify revocation behavior for the specific integration. Righthand's security information notes that authentication methods and revocation behavior can vary by provider. Do not assume disconnecting one surface necessarily describes every third-party credential or retained record.

Ask your administrator about organization requirements before connecting sensitive work systems. An assistant can help organize the setup questions, but your team's access policy still governs what you may authorize.

Frequently asked questions

Does connecting an account authorize automatic sending?

No general assumption should be made. Account access and communication authority are separate controls and task instructions. Inspect both before allowing an external workflow.

Should I connect every work app initially?

Start with the accounts required for a bounded task. Expand only when another workflow creates a specific need and you can review its permissions.

Where can I check Righthand integrations?

Review integrations and relevant provider pages such as Google Calendar. Confirm current assignment, status, and supported actions during setup.