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Your workers need the right tools to do their jobs. Just like you wouldn’t hire someone and then lock them out of your email system, your AI workers need access to the apps and services they’ll use every day. Here’s what you need to know about how tool access works at Spinnable.

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Understanding Tool Permissions

For workers to use a tool they need two things:
  1. To have the tool (think of it like installing a tool on the computer)
  2. An account connected to the tool
To connect the account they can either use your account, or use their own account (if you have created one).
Note: Slack is set up as a communication channel by inviting your worker directly to your Slack workspace, rather than through Settings > Tools. Learn more in the Communication Channels guide.
Want to understand how this two-level system works in detail? Check out our Tool Permissions guide.
Want to see all available tools? Browse our complete Tools & Integrations directory.

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Setting Up Your Tools

1

Connect the app in Settings

Switch to the workspace with your worker. Open Settings > Tools and connect the intended app account. Complete authorization and check that the connection is available. Connections belong to the workspace and record who connected them.
2

Grant access to the worker

Open the worker’s Tools, add the required tool and select the intended connection. A workspace connection alone does not give every worker access.
3

Test the connection

Ask for a small task using the connected app, for example checking tomorrow’s calendar. Verify the worker used the correct account and capabilities.

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Connection Status

After connecting a tool in Tools, each connection displays a color-coded status indicator. Understanding these statuses is important — only active connections allow your workers to use the tool.
Pending (yellow) connections are non-functional. If all your tool connections are stuck in “pending” status, your workers will not be able to use any tools — even if those tools are enabled in the worker’s settings. This is one of the most common setup issues.

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Resolving a Pending Connection

If a connection shows as 🟡 Pending, follow these steps:
1

Open Tools

Go to Settings > Tools and locate the tool with the pending status.
2

Disconnect the tool

Click Disconnect next to the pending connection to remove the incomplete setup.
3

Reconnect from scratch

Click Connect again and complete the full authentication flow. Make sure to:
  • Allow all requested permissions in the OAuth prompt
  • Avoid closing the browser tab or pop-up before the flow finishes
4

Verify the status turns green

After reconnecting, confirm the indicator changes to 🟢 Active. If it stays yellow or turns red, see the Troubleshooting page.
Before testing with a worker, visit Settings > Tools and verify that every connection you plan to use shows a 🟢 green (Active) status. This quick check prevents the most common “my worker can’t use the tool” issues.

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Best Practices

Always connect tools in Settings > Tools before configuring worker access. This ensures smooth setup and prevents workers from requesting tools mid-task.Why this matters: If a worker needs a tool that isn’t connected, they’ll have to ask you to add it, interrupting their workflow.
Begin by connecting only the tools your workers need immediately. You can always add more later as requirements evolve.Recommended starting tools:
  • Email (Gmail or Outlook) for communication
  • Calendar for scheduling
  • One productivity tool (Notion, Google Drive, or Trello)
Avoid tool overload — workers perform better with focused, relevant access.
Match tool access to each worker’s specific responsibilities rather than giving everyone access to everything.Example:
  • Marketing worker: Email, social media tools, analytics
  • Operations worker: Calendar, project management, spreadsheets
  • Technical worker: Code repositories, documentation tools
This specialization helps workers stay focused and reduces confusion.
As your workers’ responsibilities evolve, audit their tool access monthly to ensure:
  • They have access to everything they need
  • They’re not cluttered with unnecessary tools
  • Permissions align with current tasks
Think of this like managing access for human employees — it should grow with their role.
After connecting a tool and granting worker access, verify it works by:
  1. Asking the worker to perform a simple task with the tool
  2. Checking that the worker can both read and write (if applicable)
  3. Confirming any automated workflows trigger correctly
Quick test example: “Can you draft an email to test@example.com using Gmail?”

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Troubleshooting

Most common cause: The tool is connected to your account but not granted to that specific worker.Solution:
  1. Open the worker
  2. Select the worker’s name or the ⋮ menu in the chat header, then select Tools
  3. Add the tool and select its connection for that worker
  4. Test access
Remember: Connecting a tool in Settings > Tools doesn’t automatically give workers access. You must explicitly grant it per worker.
Common causes and solutions:
  • Authentication expired: Re-authorize the tool in Settings > Tools
  • Insufficient permissions: Check that you granted all required permissions during OAuth
  • Third-party restrictions: Some organizations block third-party app access — contact your IT admin
Still stuck? Disconnect and reconnect the tool from scratch:
  1. Go to Settings > Tools
  2. Click disconnect next to the tool
  3. Follow the connection steps again
Workers learn and adapt through conversational feedback, just like human employees.Solution approach:
  • Give clear, specific feedback: “When sending emails, please keep them to 3-4 bullet points”
  • The worker will memorize this preference and adjust behavior
  • You can review what they’ve learned in the worker’s Settings → Memory section
Don’t over-configure in settings. Instead, guide workers conversationally — they’ll adapt and improve over time.
To remove a worker’s access to a tool:
  1. Open the worker
  2. Select the worker’s name or the ⋮ menu in the chat header, then select Tools
  3. Remove the worker’s access to the tool
  4. Confirm the change
The worker will immediately lose access. They’ll let you know if they need it back for a specific task.
Diagnostic steps:
  1. Check tool status: Go to Settings > Tools — look for warning icons
  2. Verify API limits: Some tools have rate limits that may be exceeded
  3. Review permissions: Ensure the connected account has necessary privileges
  4. Test manually: Try using the tool yourself to confirm it’s operational
If all checks pass but issues persist, disconnect and reconnect the tool.

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Next Steps

Configure Worker Access

Learn how to grant and manage tool permissions for individual workers

Tool Permissions Guide

Understand the two-level permission system and common access patterns

Managing Workers

Explore best practices for organizing and scaling your AI workforce

Providing Feedback

Master conversational feedback to improve worker performance