# Managing Your Subscription
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/account/managing-subscription
Upgrade, downgrade, cancel, and monitor your Spinnable plan
## Overview
Your Spinnable subscription is flexible—upgrade immediately when you need more capacity, or downgrade/cancel at any time with no penalties.
## Upgrading Your Plan
### When to Upgrade
Consider upgrading when you:
* Consistently reach 80%+ of any plan limit
* Need more active workers for growing operations
* Require higher external message capacity
* Hit AI-capacity limits before month-end
You can upgrade anytime, even mid-month. You'll only pay the prorated difference for the remaining days.
### How to Upgrade
While logged in, go to [app.spinnable.ai/pricing](https://app.spinnable.ai/pricing)
Click "Get started" on the plan you want to upgrade to
You'll see the prorated amount for the remaining days in your current billing cycle
Your new limits are active right away—workers can immediately use the increased capacity
### Prorated Billing Example
**Scenario:** You're on Basic ($50/month) and upgrade to Standard ($149/month) on day 15 of your 30-day billing cycle.
**You pay:**
* Credit for unused Basic days: -$25 (15 days × $50/30)
* Charge for Standard days: +$74.50 (15 days × $149/30)
* **Total due now: \$49.50**
Your next full month bills at \$149.
## Downgrading Your Plan
### How Downgrades Work
Downgrades take effect at the start of your **next billing cycle**, not immediately.
This gives you time to:
* Adjust your worker configuration
* Put extra workers on holidays if needed
* Complete any tasks that require current plan limits
### How to Downgrade
While logged in, go to [app.spinnable.ai/pricing](https://app.spinnable.ai/pricing)
Click "Get started" on the plan you want to downgrade to
You'll see confirmation that the change takes effect on your next billing date
Continue using your current plan limits until the billing cycle ends
### What Happens When Downgrade Takes Effect
**Example: Standard (5 workers) → Basic (2 workers)**
On your next billing date:
1. If you have more than 2 active workers, the system will put workers on holidays to match your new limit
2. You'll need to manually choose which workers to keep active
3. All other limits (external messages, AI capacity, recurring tasks) reset to the new plan's limits
Before downgrading, review which workers are most critical and ensure they'll fit within your new plan limits.
## Canceling Your Subscription
### How Cancellation Works
When you cancel:
* Your subscription remains active until the end of your current billing period
* You won't be charged for the next month
* Your workers remain fully functional until the subscription ends
There are no cancellation fees or penalties. Cancel anytime.
### How to Cancel
Cancellation is handled through the Stripe billing portal, accessible directly from your billing settings.
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, and open the **Billing** tab
Click **Manage Billing & Payment** to open the Stripe billing portal
In the billing portal, locate your subscription and select the option to cancel it
Follow the prompts to confirm — your access continues until the end of the current billing period
You'll receive an email confirming your cancellation and the date your subscription ends
### What Happens After Cancellation
On your final subscription date:
* Your workers become inactive
* You lose access to the Spinnable platform
* Your data is retained for 30 days in case you want to reactivate
After 30 days, your worker configurations, memories, and conversation history may be permanently deleted.
## Monitoring Your Usage
### Where to Check Usage
Access your usage dashboard at **Settings > Usage** in your account.
### What You'll See
* Current active workers vs. your plan limit
* List of active workers and workers on holidays
* Quick toggle between Working and On Holidays
* Messages sent this billing cycle
* Percentage of monthly limit used
* Days remaining until reset
* Total AI capacity consumed this month
* Percentage of AI capacity used
* Estimated days until limit based on current usage rate
* Active recurring tasks vs. plan limit
* List of all scheduled recurring tasks
* Option to delete tasks to free capacity
### Usage Notifications
Your workers will proactively notify you when:
* You reach 80% of any limit
* You hit 100% of a limit
* You need to take action (like putting workers on holidays)
Check your usage dashboard weekly to stay ahead of limits and avoid disruptions.
## Billing & Payments
### Billing Cycle
* **Billing frequency**: Monthly only (annual plans not currently available)
* **Billing date**: The same day each month when you first subscribed
* **Payment method**: Credit/debit card
### Updating Payment Information
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, and open the **Billing** tab
Click to add or update your credit card information
Your new payment method will be used for the next billing cycle
### Accessing Your Invoices
All your past invoices are available in the same place you manage your payment method.
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, and open the **Billing** tab
Click **Manage Billing & Payment** to open the billing portal
You'll find a complete list of all your past invoices. Click any invoice to view or download it as a PDF.
Need a tax ID or company name on your invoices? See [Updating Fiscal Information on Invoices](#updating-fiscal-information-on-invoices) below.
### Updating Fiscal Information on Invoices
Need to add your company's tax ID (such as a NIF or VAT number), company name, or billing address to your invoices? You can update this directly from your billing settings.
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, and open the **Billing** tab
Open the payment method section—fiscal details are managed here alongside your payment information
Fill in your company name, tax ID (NIF, VAT number, etc.), and billing address
Your updated fiscal information will automatically appear on all future invoices
Changes to fiscal information only apply to future invoices. Previously issued invoices are not updated retroactively.
### Failed Payments
If a payment fails:
1. You'll receive an email notification
2. We'll retry the payment within 3-5 days
3. If payment continues to fail, your account may be suspended
4. Update your payment method to restore service
## Refund Policy
Spinnable operates on a monthly subscription with no refunds for partial months.
**However:**
* You can cancel anytime and won't be charged next month
* Upgrades are prorated—you only pay for what you use
* No cancellation fees or penalties
If you experience technical issues or have concerns, contact support at [support contact page](/support/contact).
## Common Questions
Yes! You can upgrade anytime (immediate, prorated) and downgrade anytime (takes effect next month). There are no limits or penalties for changing plans.
Workers exceeding your new plan limit go on holidays automatically. You'll need to manually choose which workers to keep active within your new limit.
Yes! When you upgrade, all limits immediately increase to your new plan's capacity. You don't have to wait until the next billing cycle.
Not currently. You can cancel and resubscribe later, but your data is only retained for 30 days after cancellation.
Workers' configurations and memories are retained for 30 days after cancellation. Resubscribe within that window to restore everything.
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, open the **Billing** tab, and click **Manage Billing & Payment**. You'll find all your past invoices there, available to view and download as PDFs.
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, open the **Billing** tab, and click **Update Payment Method**. You can enter your company name, tax ID (NIF, VAT, etc.), and billing address there. Changes apply automatically to all future invoices.
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, open the **Billing** tab, and click **Manage Billing & Payment** to open the Stripe billing portal. From there, you can cancel your subscription directly. Your access continues until the end of your current billing period.
## Need Help?
Questions about billing or plan changes? Reach out to our team.
Learn more about what each plan limit means
# Plans & Pricing
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/account/plans-and-pricing
Choose the right plan for your needs
## Overview
Spinnable offers three plans designed to grow with your business. All plans include access to all available integrations and tools—no feature gates on tooling. For the most up-to-date pricing information, visit the pricing page in your account.
## Plan Comparison
**\$50/month**
Perfect for getting started with AI workers
* 2 active AI workers
* 30 external messages/month
* 2 recurring tasks
* AI capacity for getting started
* No co-managers
* Email support
**\$149/month**
Build your AI team to grow your business
* 5 active AI workers
* 150 external messages/month
* 5 recurring tasks
* More than 3× the AI capacity of Basic
* Up to 2 co-managers per worker
* **Custom worker email address**
* Email support
**\$399/month**
Run your business with AI at scale
* Unlimited active AI workers
* 400 external messages/month
* 50 recurring tasks
* More than 8× the AI capacity of Basic
* Up to 2 co-managers per worker
* **Custom worker email address**
* Priority support
All prices shown in USD. Taxes/VAT may apply based on your location.
## Which Plan Is Right for You?
### Start with Basic if you:
* Are trying out Spinnable for the first time
* Need 1-2 specialized workers (e.g., Executive Assistant + Sales Assistant)
* Primarily communicate with your workers (not having them send many external messages)
### Upgrade to Standard if you:
* Need a small team of specialized workers (3-5 workers)
* Have workers regularly communicating with external contacts (clients, prospects, vendors)
* Run multiple automated workflows or recurring tasks
* Want to share worker management with colleagues via [Co-Managers](/guides/co-managers)
* Need workers to send and receive email from a **custom email address** (e.g., `support@yourcompany.com`)
### Choose Premium if you:
* Need a full AI workforce with many specialized roles
* Have high-volume external communication needs
* Run your operations primarily through AI workers
* Need priority support for business-critical workflows
## What's Included in All Plans
### All Integrations & Tools
Every plan includes access to all available integrations (Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, Notion, and more). There are no premium-only tools—connect whatever your workers need.
### Unlimited Internal Communication
Talk to your workers as much as you want via email, WhatsApp, or chat. Internal messages between you and your workers don't count toward any limits.
### Persistent Memory & Learning
All workers on all plans have the same learning capabilities. They remember your preferences, adapt to feedback, and build expertise over time.
### Multiple Communication Channels
Configure your workers to use email, WhatsApp, Slack, or a combination based on their role—available on all plans.
## Understanding Plan Limits
Each plan has specific limits designed to match different usage patterns. Learn more about what each limit means and what happens when you reach them:
Understand external messages, AI capacity, active workers, and recurring tasks
## Next Steps
Learn how to upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your plan
Check your current usage under the Usage tab in Settings
# Teams
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/account/teams
Collaborate with your team by sharing workers
## Why Teams?
Teams are groups of AI workers and human colleagues who collaborate and share workers — creating a single directory where people and AI co-workers sit side by side.
See and talk to your colleagues' workers, even ones you didn't hire. If your teammate has a Product Manager worker, you can interact with it directly — no separate setup needed.
Workers in a team can access the team directory. They can look up a colleague's email, know who's on the team, and understand the team structure — just like a real team member would.
Think of a team as a single directory where humans and AI coworkers sit side by side. Anyone can find and reach anyone — whether they're a person or a worker.
Teams are available on all plans. You can be part of multiple teams at the same time.
**Note on Workspaces:** Teams represent collaborative groups of AI workers and human colleagues who share workers within Spinnable. Teams are distinct from future building-level Workspace concepts.
***
## Creating a Team
1. Open **Teams** from the left sidebar
2. Click **Create Team**
3. Name your team and optionally select existing AI workers to assign directly to the team during creation
4. Click **Create**
You become the **Owner** of the new team and will be guided through inviting human team members right away. If you don't belong to any team yet, the Teams view provides empty-state guidance and workspace prompts highlighting team collaboration benefits.
***
## Team Roles
| Role | Access |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Owner** | Full control over team settings and member management |
| **Member** | Access shared workers, create personal workers, and add workers to the team |
***
## Plans & Billing for Members
You don't need a paid plan to join a team.
* **With a paid plan**: You hire your own workers (you're their manager), *and* you get access to your colleagues' shared workers through the team.
* **Without a paid plan**: You can still join and talk to your colleagues' workers — you just won't have your own.
**Easiest way to get started:** Sign up for a free trial to explore and hire your own workers. If you cancel before the trial ends, you won't be charged. Your workers become inactive, but you keep access to your team and your colleagues' shared workers.
Workers recognize team members as colleagues, not as the manager. They'll accept tasks and collaborate with you, but some actions — like changing worker settings — are reserved for the worker's manager.
***
## Inviting Team Members
1. Open **Teams** from the left sidebar
2. Open your team
3. Click **Invite Member**
4. Enter their email address
The invited person will receive an email notification. See below for what they need to do next.
***
## Accepting an Invitation
If someone invited you to their team, here's how to join:
Go to [spinnable.ai](https://spinnable.ai) and sign in. If you don't have an account yet, create one using the **same email address** the invitation was sent to.
Open **Teams** from the left sidebar.
Look for the **Pending Invitations** section. You'll see the team name and who invited you.
Click **Accept** to join the team. You'll immediately get access to the team's shared workers.
**Can't find the invitation?** Make sure you're signed in with the same email address that was invited. If you created an account with a different email, ask the team owner to resend the invitation to your current email.
***
## Removing Members
1. Open **Teams** from the left sidebar
2. Open your team
3. Click the member you want to remove
4. Click **Remove** and confirm
***
## Choosing Which Workers to Share
Not every worker needs to be added to the team. Think of it like a real team — some roles serve the whole team, others are personal.
**Workers you'd typically share:**
* Product Manager — helps the whole team with roadmap questions
* Support Specialist — handles tickets across the team
* Operations Manager — coordinates team-wide processes
**Workers you'd typically keep private:**
* Personal Assistant — manages your calendar, email, personal tasks
* Executive Assistant — handles sensitive or private matters
* Family Manager - handles family matters
### How to Add or Remove a Worker from a Team
Managers can share a worker into an existing team or create a new team directly from the chat header or through settings.
#### Option 1: Share from the Chat Header (Fastest)
1. Open the worker's chat interface.
2. Click the **Share** button located in the top chat header.
3. Select an **existing team** to share the worker into, or click **Create new team** to set up a new team immediately.
#### Option 2: From Worker Settings
1. Open the worker page you want to manage
2. Go to **Settings** (gear icon)
3. Scroll to the **Teams** section
4. Add the worker to a team, or click **Remove** to take them out
You can add a worker to multiple teams. For example, your Product Manager could be part of both your company team and a project-specific team.
***
## The Team Directory
Once your team has members and shared workers, you get a **team directory** — a visual overview of your entire team.
### What You'll See
The directory shows all **human members** and **AI workers** in one view. You can switch between:
* **List view** — a searchable table of all members and workers
* **Org chart view** — a visual tree showing who manages which workers
You can filter by type (people or workers) and by manager.
**Privacy & Email Masking:** Email addresses across the team directory, pending invitations, and overview cards are masked by default for enhanced privacy. Click or hover over the copy action next to any masked address to quickly copy the unmasked email address to your clipboard.
### What Workers Can Do with the Directory
Workers that belong to a team can **look up information about the team**. For example:
* *"Who's part of our team?"* → The worker lists all human members and AI workers
* *"What's João's email?"* → The worker looks it up from the team directory
* *"Who manages the Marketing worker?"* → The worker checks the org structure
This means your workers understand the team context — they know who to reference, who to CC, and how the team is structured.
***
## Co-Managers: Sharing Worker Management
Teams let team members *interact* with shared workers. But what if you need a colleague to actually *manage* a worker — change its settings, connect tools, or update its knowledge?
That's what [Co-Managers](/guides/co-managers) are for. You can give up to 2 trusted colleagues manager-level access to any of your workers, without giving up primary management.
Share management access to your workers with trusted colleagues
***
## Switching Between Teams
You can be part of multiple teams at the same time. Use the **Teams** section in the sidebar to move between them.
Each team has its own directory, shared workers, and settings — all accessible from one account.
# Understanding Usage Limits
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/account/usage-limits
What plan limits mean and what happens when you reach them
## Overview
Each Spinnable plan includes specific usage limits. This guide explains what each limit means in practical terms and what happens when you reach them.
Monitor your current usage anytime at **Settings > Usage** in your account.
## Active Workers
### What It Means
**Working workers** can respond to messages, perform tasks, and execute their responsibilities. **Workers on holidays** are essentially paused—they won't respond to emails, messages, or perform any tasks.
Your plan determines how many workers can be active at the same time:
* **Basic**: 2 active workers
* **Standard**: 5 active workers
* **Premium**: Unlimited active workers
### How It Works
You can hire as many workers as you want on any plan, but only a limited number can be active based on your subscription.
**Example scenario (Standard plan):**
1. You hire 7 workers for different roles
2. Only 5 can be active at once
3. The other 2 remain inactive until you activate them
4. To activate an inactive worker, you must first deactivate one of your active workers
### Managing Active Status
To put a worker on holidays or set them to working:
1. Go to the worker's settings page
2. Look for the activation toggle
3. Toggle between Working and On Holidays
Workers on holidays won't see or respond to any messages. Make sure the workers you need for daily operations are active.
## External Messages
### What Counts as an External Recipient?
An **external message** is any message sent by your worker to someone who is **not your manager account** — in other words, anyone other than you.
**What "external" means in practice:**
| Scenario | External? |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Worker emails a client at `client@theirdomain.com` | ✅ Yes |
| Worker sends a WhatsApp message to a prospect | ✅ Yes |
| Worker emails a vendor | ✅ Yes |
| Worker emails a colleague at your *same* email domain (e.g. `colleague@yourcompany.com`) | ✅ Yes — domain matching does **not** exempt a recipient |
| You (the manager) email your worker | ❌ No |
| Worker replies to your email | ❌ No |
| You message your worker on WhatsApp | ❌ No |
| Worker messages in Slack | ❌ No |
**Domain matching does not define "external."** A recipient is only non-external if they are *you* — the account's manager. Even if a colleague shares your company domain, messages to them count as external. The only way to have co-workers communicate with workers without consuming external message quota is through your [Spinnable Team](/account/team-management), where team members interact directly with shared workers through the platform.
### Manager-to-Worker vs. Messages to People and Workers
It helps to think in two categories:
* **Manager ↔ Worker communication** — You directing or chatting with your worker, via the Spinnable interface, your worker's @spinnable.app email address, or WhatsApp using your configured number. These never count as external messages.
* **Worker → People/external workers** — Your worker reaching out to anyone else, whether via email, WhatsApp, or other channels. These always count as external messages.
### How To/CC/BCC Is Metered
External messages are counted **per recipient address**, not per send action. Each address in To, CC, and BCC is counted separately.
**Example — a single email with multiple recipients:**
Your Sales Assistant sends one email:
* To: `prospect@company.com`
* CC: `manager@company.com`
* BCC: `crm-logger@yourtool.com`
That single send counts as **3 external messages** — one for each recipient address.
**Two concrete examples:**
Your Sales Assistant emails 5 prospects individually (one email each, no CC or BCC).
* 5 emails × 1 recipient each = **5 external messages**
* Each prospect replies and your worker responds once per reply = **5 more external messages**
* You and your worker exchange 20 planning emails on the Spinnable interface = **0 external messages**
* **Total: 10 external messages**
Your Executive Assistant sends one weekly summary email:
* To: 3 team members
* CC: 1 external partner
* BCC: 1 archive address
That single send = **5 external messages** (one per address across To + CC + BCC).
Over a month (4 sends): **20 external messages** used just for this one recurring task.
### Monthly Limits
* **Basic**: 30 external messages/month
* **Standard**: 150 external messages/month
* **Premium**: 400 external messages/month
### What Happens at the Limit
When you reach your external message limit:
1. Your worker will inform you they can't send more external messages
2. They can still communicate with you (the manager) normally
3. External messaging resumes on your next billing cycle or when you upgrade
If you frequently hit this limit, consider upgrading to a plan with higher external message capacity, or reviewing whether BCC logging addresses and CC'd internal aliases are consuming quota unnecessarily.
## Token Usage & Capacity
### What It Means
AI Capacity is the monthly allowance of resource allocation for your workers to process information, execute tasks, analyze documents, and collaborate across channels.
* **Basic**: Positioned for getting started with AI workers
* **Standard**: More than 3× the AI capacity of Basic, ideal for growing operations
* **Premium**: More than 8× the AI capacity of Basic, built for scale
### Monitoring Usage
Check your current token and capacity usage at **Settings > Usage** in your account interface.
### Can I Buy Extra Tokens Mid-Month?
**Ad-hoc token top-ups are not available.** There is no way to purchase additional tokens on top of your current plan without changing your plan tier.
If you hit your token cap before the end of the month, your options are:
Upgrading to the next plan tier immediately raises your token cap and reactivates your workers. You only pay the prorated difference for the remaining days in your current billing cycle. Go to **Settings > Billing** while logged in to upgrade.
All token usage resets on your monthly billing date. Check **Settings > Usage** to see how many days remain.
Before your next cycle, review the [Optimizing Token Usage](/guides/optimizing-token-usage) guide — small changes to how you structure tasks and conversations can significantly reduce consumption.
If you believe your token cap was reached due to unexpected behavior (for example, a worker looping on a task), contact [support@spinnable.ai](mailto:support@spinnable.ai) with details.
Annual plans are not currently available — billing is monthly only. This means the fastest path to more tokens is always upgrading your plan tier, which takes effect immediately.
## Recurring Tasks
### What It Means
Recurring tasks are automated workflows scheduled to run repeatedly (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.).
### Monthly Limits
* **Basic**: 2 recurring tasks
* **Standard**: 5 recurring tasks
* **Premium**: 50 recurring tasks
### What Happens at the Limit
When you try to schedule more recurring tasks than your plan allows:
1. Your worker will inform you they can't schedule additional recurring tasks
2. Your existing recurring tasks continue to run normally
3. You can delete an existing recurring task to make room for a new one
4. Or upgrade your plan for more capacity
One-time scheduled tasks (e.g., "Remind me tomorrow at 3pm") don't count toward this limit—only tasks that repeat on a schedule.
## What Happens When You Hit a Limit?
### General Behavior
When you reach any plan limit:
1. **Your worker notifies you** - They'll explain which limit was reached and suggest solutions
2. **That specific capability pauses** - Only the limited feature is affected, not your entire account
3. **Other features continue working** - Your workers remain functional for other tasks
### Your Options
All limits reset on your monthly billing date.
Upgrade immediately for higher limits. You'll only pay the prorated difference for the current month.
Audit scheduled tasks or multi-recipient emails to free up capacity.
## Planning Your Usage
1. **Monitor regularly** - Check Settings > Usage weekly
2. **Plan seasonal spikes** - Upgrade temporarily during busy periods
3. **Specialize workers** - Focused workers often use tokens more efficiently
4. **Review recurring tasks** - Audit scheduled tasks monthly
5. **Watch multi-recipient emails** - Each To/CC/BCC address counts separately toward external message quota
## Next Steps
Learn how to upgrade when you need more capacity
Compare plans to find the right fit for your usage
Tips to get more done within your token cap
Control who your workers can contact
# Understanding AI Workers
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/ai-workers
Learn what makes AI workers different from traditional automation
# Understanding AI Workers
Think of AI workers as **digital colleagues**. They're not just another piece of software—they're team members you can communicate with naturally, just like you would with any other person on your team.
## Available on Your Channels
AI workers meet you where you already work:
They have their own email addresses and can send/receive messages
Text them just like you would a colleague
They're in your workspace, ready to collaborate
Chat with them directly in the app
No need to learn new tools or change how you communicate. Just talk to them like you would anyone else on your team.
## They Remember and Learn
Here's what makes AI workers different from traditional automation:
### Memory that evolves
At the end of each conversation, your AI worker updates their memory. They remember context, preferences, and past interactions. **The more you work with them, the better they understand your needs** and how you work.
Workers build up knowledge about your business, your people, and your processes over time—unlike static tools.
### Tools at their fingertips
Just like you have access to Gmail, Notion, or your calendar, AI workers can use tools too. They can check your calendar, update databases, send emails, and more—whatever they need to get the job done.
### Task scheduling
AI workers can remember to do things, both one-time and recurring:
* "Every Sunday at 4pm, book a tennis court"
* "Every Monday at 8am, check if we've made any updates on our roadmap in Notion"
* "Remind me about the quarterly review next Thursday"
## Asking About Spinnable
Your workers have access to Spinnable's knowledge base and can answer questions about the platform itself. Simply mention "spinnable" in your conversation to get help with:
* Platform features and capabilities
* How to configure settings
* Troubleshooting common issues
* Best practices for working with your AI team
For example, you can ask your worker "How does Spinnable handle email permissions?" and they'll provide accurate information from the official documentation.
## Onboarding Matters
Think of hiring an AI worker like hiring a new team member. They need context to be effective.
* What does your business do?
* What's their role and what are they responsible for?
* What are your preferences and priorities?
For example, if you're hiring an assistant, they need to know:
* Your meeting preferences and calendar guidelines
* Who you typically take meetings with
* How you like to be briefed on your schedule
* Your communication style and priorities
**The more context you provide upfront, the better they'll perform.** Just like a new colleague, they'll get better over time as they learn your business and working style.
## They Can Interact with Others
AI workers aren't locked behind a firewall—they're **accessible digital colleagues**. If you want, they can:
* ✅ Respond to emails from clients or team members
* ✅ Answer questions in Slack channels
* ✅ Handle WhatsApp messages from stakeholders
They evolve and learn from every interaction, building up knowledge about your business.
## Security & Information Sharing
**Be mindful about what you share.** AI workers are like any team member—they have access to the information you give them, and they can communicate with others.
### Good practices
Provide enough context and data for them to do their job effectively. Don't be overly restrictive.
Give explicit guidance about when and how to share sensitive information.
Treat them like you would a contractor or new employee in terms of information access.
Avoid sharing credit card numbers, passwords, or highly sensitive personal data.
Don't provide access to information you'd never want disclosed.
If something is confidential, either don't share it or give very explicit instructions about how it should be handled.
**The principle:** Give them just enough information to be effective, but not more than necessary. If something is confidential, either don't share it or give very explicit instructions about how it should be handled.
## Key Takeaways
* 🤝 AI workers are digital colleagues available on email, WhatsApp, Slack, and the Spinnable interface
* 🧠 They remember context and learn your business over time through their evolving memory
* 🛠️ They have access to tools and can schedule tasks (one-time or recurring)
* 📚 Onboard them thoughtfully—context makes them more effective
* 👥 They can interact with others if you want them to
* 🔒 Be mindful about information sharing, just as you would with any team member
## Next Steps
Learn how to reach your workers across different platforms
Understand how workers remember and learn
Connect workers to your favorite apps
Ready to get started? Follow our quick start guide
Voice call capabilities for AI workers are coming soon, enabling phone-based interactions alongside email, WhatsApp, and Slack.
# Communication Channels
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/communication-channels
Learn how your workers communicate with you and your team across email, WhatsApp, Slack, and the Spinnable interface
Your Spinnable workers aren't locked into a single chat interface. They meet you where you already work — **email, WhatsApp, Slack, or the Spinnable interface**. This is one of the biggest differences between Spinnable and traditional AI tools.
Think of it like hiring a human employee: they have a desk phone (Spinnable interface), email, Slack, and a mobile number (WhatsApp). They can handle conversations on all of them, simultaneously.
## Available Channels
Your worker's primary workspace — always available
Workers have their own email addresses
Message workers on the go
Collaborate in your team workspace
***
## Spinnable Interface
The **Spinnable interface** is your worker's primary workspace. This is where you:
* Start new conversations
* Review past conversations
* Monitor worker activity
* Manage worker settings and knowledge
* Give structured feedback
### Chat Composer & Real-time Steering
The Spinnable interface chat composer includes powerful features for managing live interactions:
* **Auto-focus**: Navigating to or switching between AI workers automatically focuses the composer input field so you can start typing immediately without extra clicks.
* **Intelligent URL Pasting**: Pasting copied URLs or web browser tab links into the chat composer preserves the full web address directly instead of stripping it to the page title.
* **Unified Composer Actions**: Access file attachments, connected tools, and @mentions for human teammates or AI workers directly from a single unified action menu inside the chat composer.
* **Interrupt and Steer Live Runs**: If a worker is currently processing or generating a response, you can queue a new message and click **Send now** on the queued-message rail. This immediately cancels the current in-flight generation and steers the worker using your new input without losing conversation context.
* **Live Chat Share Links & Guest Session Resilience**: You can share live chat sessions via link with external collaborators or guests. Realtime worker session subscriptions use dedicated channels per session, and guest sessions automatically recover connection state without falsely reporting expired link errors.
### When to use the Spinnable interface
* **Complex instructions** or training sessions
* **Reviewing work** and providing detailed feedback
* **Checking worker memories** or knowledge base
* **Managing permissions** and tool access
* **Bulk operations** that need your full attention
**Pro tip:** The Spinnable interface gives you the fullest picture of your worker's activities and capabilities. Use it for onboarding and major configuration changes.
### Shared Worker-Chat Links & Guest Access
You can share direct worker-chat links with colleagues, clients, or guests to give them access to specific worker conversations.
* **Guest Access & File Downloads**: Guests using shared worker-chat links can view the conversation history and directly view or download any worker-generated files (such as PDFs, reports, or spreadsheets).
* **Appended Tracking Parameters**: Shared chat links generated from the interface automatically include appended tracking parameters (such as UTM source and campaign tags) to track traffic and engagement across shared channels.
***
## Email
Every worker comes with **their own Spinnable email address** (e.g., `alice.harris@spinnable.app`). This email works out-of-the-box with **no setup required** — your worker automatically receives all emails sent to their address.
### Two types of email capabilities
**What it does:**
* ✅ Worker receives ALL emails sent to their @spinnable.app address
* ✅ Worker can reply to emails
* ✅ Works immediately, no configuration needed
* ✅ Perfect for most use cases
**Example:** Forward customer inquiries to `alice@spinnable.app`, and Alice will respond automatically.
**What they enable:**
* ✅ Worker can send emails FROM your personal/company email address
* ❌ Worker does NOT automatically receive emails to your inbox
* ⚠️ Requires Read Email tool + explicit instruction to check inbox
* ⚠️ Replies to those emails go to YOUR inbox, not the worker's
**When to use:** You want emails to look like they're coming from you (`you@yourcompany.com`) instead of the worker's Spinnable address.
**Common misconception:** Connecting Gmail/Outlook as a tool does NOT make your worker automatically respond to your inbox. You'll need to:
1. Add the **Read Email** tool
2. Explicitly instruct the worker to check your inbox
3. Understand that replies will land in YOUR inbox
### Email threading behavior
* **Spinnable treats each email as a new conversation**, but your worker sees the full email thread history for context
* If someone replies to your worker's email, the worker understands the conversation flow
* Each thread maintains its own context within the Spinnable system
### Custom worker email address
**Standard and Premium plan** users can give their worker a custom email address (e.g., `support@yourcompany.com` or `valeria@yourcompany.com`) so that all email sent and received by that worker appears under your own domain — no Gmail/Outlook integration required.
Custom worker email is available on the **Standard plan and above**. See the [Using a Corporate Email](/guides/corporate-email) guide for full setup details.
If you are on the Basic plan or prefer to use an existing Gmail or Outlook account, you can also configure your worker to send from that address using the Gmail/Outlook tools. Here's how that flow works:
1. Connect Gmail/Outlook tool to your worker
2. Tell the worker to send emails from the connected email using the tool (e.g., `support@yourcompany.com`)
3. Recipients reply to that address
4. **Those replies go to YOUR inbox** (not the worker's Spinnable inbox)
5. You need to forward them to your worker's @spinnable.app address OR instruct the worker to monitor your inbox using the Read Email tool
### When to use email
* **Customer support** inquiries
* **Asynchronous communication** that doesn't need instant response
* **External stakeholders** who don't have access to your other tools
* **Formal communications** that need email trail
- **CC your worker** on relevant email threads to bring them into the loop
- **Use clear subject lines** — they help your worker categorize and prioritize
- **Forward emails** to your worker's address instead of copy-pasting (preserves threading)
- **Set expectations** in your worker's job policy about email response time and style
* **Assuming connecting Gmail/Outlook = automatic inbox monitoring.** Connecting Gmail or Outlook gives your worker the *ability* to read or send from that account, but it does NOT make the worker automatically monitor the inbox or always send from that address. You need explicit configuration for each. See the [Using a Corporate Email](/guides/corporate-email) guide for the full setup.
* Not forwarding full email threads (worker loses context)
* Forgetting to add the worker's email to your contacts (emails might go to spam)
* Sending time-sensitive requests via email instead of WhatsApp or Slack
***
## WhatsApp
Workers can communicate via **WhatsApp** using your account's configured phone number. This is perfect for on-the-go communication.
### Two types of WhatsApp setup
Before diving into setup, it's important to understand the two distinct WhatsApp modes. They serve different purposes and are **not interchangeable**.
**What it is:** A Spinnable-managed WhatsApp number shared across all your workers. It is set up and maintained entirely by Spinnable — you do not configure it, scan any QR code, or connect your own phone number.
* ✅ Works out-of-the-box, no setup required
* ✅ All workers accessible via a single number using `/commands`
* ✅ Maintained by Spinnable
* ❌ Cannot join WhatsApp groups
* ❌ Workers do not have individual WhatsApp identities
**This is the default for all accounts.** Most users never need anything beyond this.
**If the shared Spinnable number is temporarily unreliable**, wait a few hours and try again — do not attempt to reconnect, scan a QR code, or link your own number. Those actions apply to the **custom number** flow below and will not fix a temporary issue with the shared number. See [Troubleshooting WhatsApp](/troubleshooting#whatsapp-shared-number-temporarily-unreliable) for more.
**What it is:** An optional dedicated WhatsApp number you provide, linked to a single worker. This gives that worker their own WhatsApp identity.
* ✅ Worker has their own dedicated WhatsApp number
* ✅ Direct messaging without `/commands`
* ✅ Can join WhatsApp groups
* ⚠️ Requires a separate phone number and QR-code linking
* ⚠️ The worker takes over that WhatsApp account completely
**Only use this when you intentionally want a worker to have a dedicated WhatsApp presence.** It is not a fix for issues with the shared Spinnable number.
See the [Custom WhatsApp Number](/guides/custom-whatsapp-number) guide for setup instructions.
### Setup (shared Spinnable number)
WhatsApp setup is **account-level**, not per-worker. One phone number applies to all workers.
Click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, select **Settings**, and add your phone number under the **Profile** tab.
**Common issue:** Not setting up your phone number in your profile → worker can't recognize you as the manager when you message them.
Each worker has a unique **4-digit alphanumeric WhatsApp ID** (e.g., `A4B9`).
Find it in: **Worker → Settings tab**
Two ways to initiate contact:
**Option 1: Switch between workers**
* Message your configured WhatsApp number
* Type `/firstname` or `/firstname lastname` to switch to that worker
* Start your conversation
**Option 2: Direct access with WhatsApp ID**
* Message your Spinnable WhatsApp number
* Type `/WorkerWhatsAppID` (e.g., `/A4B9`)
* Worker responds immediately
**Other helpful commands:**
* `/help` — Get list of available commands
* `/list` — See all your workers and their IDs
### External users
Want someone outside your team to message your worker via WhatsApp?
1. Ask your worker to send a WhatsApp message to the external contact
2. Contact receives message from your Spinnable WhatsApp number
3. They can reply directly — no special commands needed
**This is the simplest approach.** The worker establishes the connection.
1. Share your Spinnable WhatsApp number with the external contact
2. Give them the worker's WhatsApp ID (e.g., `A4B9`)
3. They message your number with `/A4B9`
4. Worker responds
**Note:** This requires sharing the worker's ID ahead of time.
### File Support
Workers can send and receive files through WhatsApp—documents, images, PDFs, and more.
**Supported files:**
* Documents (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, TXT, CSV)
* Images
* Spreadsheets and data files
* Whatsapp Voice notes
**File size limit:** 16 MB per file
**How to use:**
* Attach files to your WhatsApp messages as normal
* Workers download and process file contents automatically
* Ask your worker to create and send files back to you
Reference files by name in your messages: *"Review the contract.pdf I just sent"*
### WhatsApp Groups
**Requires a custom WhatsApp number.** Your worker needs a [dedicated WhatsApp number](/guides/custom-whatsapp-number) to participate in group chats. Workers using the shared Spinnable number cannot join groups.
**How it works:**
* Add your worker's custom WhatsApp number to any WhatsApp group
* The worker reads every message in the group and **decides autonomously** whether to respond
* When relevant, the worker jumps in to answer questions, take action, or provide information — just like a human teammate
* The worker maintains separate context for each group conversation
**AI Capacity usage:** Workers in WhatsApp groups are exposed to all messages in the group, which can increase AI capacity consumption. Start with small, focused groups to keep usage manageable.
**Best starting point:** Try adding your worker to a small, focused group — like a project team or customer support channel — before scaling to larger groups.
### When to use WhatsApp
* **Quick questions** while away from your desk
* **Mobile-first workflows** (field workers, traveling, etc.)
* **Personal, informal communication** style
- **Set up your phone number first** before trying to message workers
- **Switch workers explicitly** using `/firstname` to avoid confusion
- **Share worker WhatsApp IDs** with external contacts who need access
***
## Slack
Slack is a **communication channel** for your workers, not a standard integration in Settings > Tools. Workers join your Slack workspace as full team members so they can participate in channels and threads alongside human colleagues.
### Setup Process (\~10 minutes)
In Slack, select **Invite people** and enter your worker's Spinnable email address (e.g., `worker@getspinnable.ai`).
**Important:** Always send individual invites. Do not enable workspace auto-join for the `@getspinnable.ai` email domain.
Your worker handles their setup process autonomously. The process normally completes within about 10 minutes.
* **Invite Acceptance:** When the worker accepts the invite, their name and account will appear in Slack. However, this initial appearance only means the user account exists — the worker is not yet reachable or ready to interact.
* **Visual Confirmation:** Setup is complete when the worker's face appears as their Slack profile picture.
* **Final Email:** Your worker will also send you a final confirmation email when setup is fully finished.
Wait for your worker's final confirmation email before messaging them in Slack.
Once setup is complete, add your worker to relevant channels and **@mention** them to start collaborating.
### Key Considerations Before Inviting
* **Individual Workspace Invite:** Send an individual Slack workspace invite directly to your worker's Spinnable email address.
* **Invite Permissions:** The person sending the invite must have member-invite permissions in the Slack workspace.
* **App Installation Policy:** Workspace settings must allow members to install the Spinnable App.
* **Paid Seat Impact:** Workers join as full Slack members, which may consume a paid seat on paid Slack plans.
* **Workspace Limits:** Each worker can only be connected to one Slack workspace at a time for now.
### How Workers Behave in Slack
* In 1:1 DMs, workers reply without an @mention.
* In channels and group DMs, workers require both an explicit @mention and membership in the conversation.
* Replies remain in the originating thread.
* When several workers are mentioned separately, each worker can respond.
* Workers ignore their own messages to avoid loops.
### Removing a Worker from Slack
To remove a worker from your Slack workspace, deactivate their user account directly in your Slack workspace administration. There is no separate Spinnable removal flow.
### Compact Troubleshooting
Ensure your Slack user role has permission to invite new members to the workspace.
Your Slack workspace settings must permit members to install the Spinnable App.
Account acceptance creates the Slack user account, but setup is still in progress until the worker's face appears in their profile picture and they send a final confirmation email. Please wait for the final email before messaging.
* **@mention workers explicitly** to trigger responses
* **Use threads** for multi-turn conversations
* **Introduce your worker** to the team when they join a channel. *(That’s just good manners.)*
***
## Voice Calls
Talk to your workers by voice for real-time collaboration. Click the **Call** button on any worker's page to start a voice conversation. You can hang up or cancel the session at any time — including while the connection is still establishing — to prevent stuck call states.
Voice calls are currently in **beta**. Workers can use tools and complete tasks during calls, but are slightly less reliable than text-based communication.
### When to use voice
* **Real-time discussions** that benefit from back-and-forth dialogue
* **Hands-free work** when multitasking or away from keyboard
* **Quick questions** that don't need written documentation
* **Brainstorming** where you want to think out loud
***
## Multi-Channel Operations
Here's what happens when the same worker operates on multiple channels:
### Simultaneous operation
Your worker can handle conversations on **all channels at the same time**:
* Responding to emails
* Chatting on WhatsApp
* Participating in Slack threads
* Answering questions on the Spinnable interface
**They don't get confused.** Each conversation is tracked separately.
### Context and memory
**How it works:**
* Each channel maintains **separate conversation threads**
* There's **no automatic context sharing** between channels
* Your worker's **overall memory is unified** (they remember who you are, your preferences, past work)
* Channel-specific preferences can be set through feedback
**Example scenario:**
* You email your worker: "Draft a blog post about AI"
* Later, you message on WhatsApp: "How's that blog post going?"
* The worker WON'T automatically connect these — they're separate conversations
* **Solution:** Reference the email or provide context in your WhatsApp message
### Tone adaptation
Workers **automatically adjust their communication style** based on the channel:
* **Email:** More formal, structured
* **WhatsApp:** Casual, concise
* **Slack:** Collaborative, team-oriented
* **Spinnable interface:** Professional, detailed
You can reinforce this by giving feedback like: "Be more casual on WhatsApp" or "Keep Slack responses brief and actionable."
### Memory question
**Q: "If I teach my worker something on email, will they remember it on WhatsApp?"**
**A:** Yes. Your worker's memory is unified across all channels. However, whether they apply that learning on a specific channel depends on how you instruct them.
For example:
* General instruction: "Always use bullet points" → applies everywhere
* Channel-specific: "Use bullet points in emails only" → applies to email channel
***
## Security & Access Control
You can control who can contact your workers via email and WhatsApp.
### Blocking external users
Go to **Worker → Settings**
Toggle settings to:
* Block external emails
* Block external WhatsApp contacts
Only users within your Spinnable account will be able to reach the worker.
For comprehensive security guidance, see our [Security Best Practices](/guides/security-best-practices) guide.
***
## Next Steps
Give your workers access to Gmail, Google Calendar, and other integrations
Learn how to organize and scale your team of workers
Keep your workers and data secure
Train your workers through conversation and feedback
# How Workers Learn
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/how-workers-learn
Understanding how AI workers improve through conversation and memory
## Overview
Spinnable AI workers learn and improve through two complementary systems:
1. **Conversational Refinement** - Real-time learning during interactions
2. **Long-term Memory** - Persistent knowledge that carries across conversations
This dual approach allows workers to both adapt immediately to feedback and retain important information over time.
***
## Conversational Refinement
### How It Works
During a conversation, workers learn from:
* **Corrections** you provide
* **Clarifications** you offer
* **Preferences** you express
* **Context** you share
This learning is active throughout the entire conversation, allowing the worker to adjust its approach in real-time.
### Example
```
You: "Create a sales report"
Worker: [Creates generic report]
You: "Actually, I prefer bar charts over pie charts,
and always include quarter-over-quarter comparison"
Worker: [Adjusts current report and remembers for this conversation]
```
The worker will apply these preferences for the rest of the conversation.
### Limitations
* Learning persists only within the current conversation
* Resets when you start a new conversation
* Best for immediate corrections and session-specific preferences
***
## Long-term Memory
### What Gets Remembered
Workers store important information in their memory knowledge base:
* Communication style preferences
* Favorite tools and formats
* Decision-making criteria
* Work schedule and availability
* Team structure and roles
* Project backgrounds
* Company policies
* Standard procedures
* Industry-specific terminology
* Technical specifications
* Best practices
* Historical decisions and rationale
* How you like tasks completed
* Common workflows
* Quality standards
* Exception handling
### How Memory Is Created
During conversations, the worker recognizes potentially valuable information worth remembering.
The worker asks: "Should I remember this for future conversations?"
You approve or decline the memory suggestion.
Approved information is stored in the worker's knowledge base.
### Memory in Action
**First Conversation:**
```
You: "When I ask for reports, I want them in PowerPoint format
with our company template, and always include an executive
summary on the first slide"
Worker: "I'll remember that preference. Should I store this
for all future reports?"
You: "Yes, please"
Worker: ✓ Memory saved: Report format preferences
```
**Later Conversation (Days or Weeks Later):**
```
You: "Create a Q4 sales report"
Worker: "I'll create that in PowerPoint format with an
executive summary on the first slide, using
your company template."
[Automatically applies remembered preferences]
```
***
## Memory Management
### Viewing Memories
Access your worker's stored memories through:
* The **Knowledge Base** section in worker settings
* Direct request: "What do you remember about me?"
### Updating Memories
Memories can be modified when circumstances change:
```
You: "I no longer need executive summaries on reports"
Worker: "I'll update my memory. Should I remove the
executive summary requirement?"
You: "Yes"
Worker: ✓ Memory updated: Report format preferences
```
### Deleting Memories
Remove outdated or incorrect information:
* Manually through the knowledge base interface
* By asking: "Forget my preference about \[topic]"
***
## Best Practices
Clearly state when information should be remembered long-term vs. just for the current task.
When the worker asks to save information, confirm to ensure important preferences are retained.
Periodically review stored memories to keep them current and relevant.
Help workers understand why something matters for better memory decisions.
***
## Privacy & Control
You have complete control over what gets stored in worker memory. Workers will always ask before saving new information.
### Your Rights
* **Full visibility** into all stored memories
* **Edit access** to modify any memory
* **Delete capability** for any stored information
* **Approval required** before new memories are created
### Data Handling
* Memories are specific to each worker
* Information is encrypted and secured
* You can export or delete all memories at any time
* Memories are only used to improve your worker's assistance
***
## Common Questions
Memories persist indefinitely until you remove them or the worker suggests an update due to changed circumstances.
No. Workers selectively identify important, reusable information. Routine task details aren't automatically stored.
You can correct any memory at any time. Simply point out the error, and the worker will update its knowledge base.
No. Each worker maintains its own knowledge base. However, you can manually share relevant information with other workers.
There's no practical limit. Workers efficiently organize and retrieve information regardless of quantity.
***
## Skills: Saving Learned Processes
Beyond memory and conversational refinement, workers can also save complex processes as **Skills** — reusable workflows they can execute reliably.
When your worker successfully handles a multi-step process (like processing invoices or generating reports), you can ask them to save it as a skill. They'll remember the exact steps and execute them consistently in the future.
Understand how to create and use skills
***
## Next Steps
Save complex processes as reusable workflows
Learn about how workers remember information
Best practices for training workers
Learn how to manage and optimize your workers
Understand security and permissions
# Scaling Your Workforce
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/managing-workforce
A practical guide to growing from one worker to a multi-worker team
So you've hired your first worker — probably an assistant who's helping with your inbox, calendar, and general tasks. They're learning your preferences, building up context about your work, and becoming genuinely useful.
Now what?
This guide walks you through the natural progression of scaling from one worker to a small, specialized team of 4-5 workers, based on real patterns we see (and use ourselves).
## The Core Principle: Separate Contexts = Separate Workers
Think about hiring workers exactly like building a real team. You wouldn't hire someone to handle both your technical architecture decisions *and* your brand positioning, right? Those require completely different mindsets, knowledge bases, and perspectives.
**The same applies to your AI workers.**
Each worker should own a distinct functional area with its own context. When you start mixing drastically different domains (like deep technical discussions and marketing strategy) with the same worker, they'll start to get confused — bringing technical limitations into creative brainstorms, or mixing up which hat they're supposed to wear.
That confusion is your signal to hire someone new.
## The Natural Progression Pattern
Most Spinnable users follow a similar path as they scale:
### Worker #1: Executive Assistant
Almost everyone starts here. An EA who:
* Manages your calendar and email
* Understands your business at a high level
* Handles scheduling, coordination, and general administrative tasks
* Learns your communication style and preferences
This worker becomes your operational backbone.
### Worker #2: Your Biggest Need
After your EA is running smoothly, hire for the function where you need the most help. This varies by person, but common second hires include:
**Marketing Specialist**
* Focused on brand positioning, messaging, and content
* Manages marketing assets and campaigns
* Thinks creatively about growth and positioning
**OR**
**Project Manager**
* Runs your Notion workspace or project management system
* Tracks deliverables and coordinates cross-functional work
* Keeps projects on track and organized
Choose based on where you're spending too much time or where you need a dedicated perspective.
### Workers #3-5: Key Functions
From here, continue adding specialists for distinct functional areas:
* **Sales representative** — pipeline management, outreach, deal tracking
* **Developer** — code reviews, technical documentation, API research
* **Product Manager** — roadmap planning, feature specs, user feedback
* **Customer Success** — support tickets, onboarding, client relationships
The key is that each worker brings a **specialized mindset** to their domain.
## Real Example: How We Use Spinnable at Spinnable
Everyone on the Spinnable team started with the same first hire: an Executive Assistant to handle calendar, email, and general coordination.
Then each person hired the specialist they needed most:
* Our **CTO hired a Developer** to help with code reviews and technical documentation
* Our **CPO hired a Product Manager** to help with roadmaps and feature planning
Third and fourth hires filled out other critical functions — marketing, sales, operations — as the business needs grew.
## When to Hire Your Next Worker
Watch for these signals:
### 🚩 Context Confusion
You've been doing deep technical work with your assistant, then switch to discussing marketing. The worker responds with technical concerns (bugs, implementation details) instead of adopting a marketing mindset.
**This means it's time for a specialized marketing worker.**
### 🚩 "Who Do I Ask?"
You find yourself thinking "I'm not sure which worker to bring this to" because multiple workers could theoretically handle it, but none are the obvious choice.
**You probably need a specialist for that domain.**
### 🚩 Overloaded Worker
One worker is juggling too many completely different contexts — technical specs, customer support, and brand strategy all in the same conversation thread.
**Split those domains across focused workers.**
## Best Practices for Multi-Worker Teams
### Hire Specialists, Not Generalists
It's better to have clear ownership of functional areas than multiple workers who all "kind of" do everything. When you need marketing help, you should know exactly who to talk to.
### Start Small, Scale by Need
You don't need to hire all roles at once. Start with 3-4 workers covering your core needs, then add specialists as clear gaps emerge.
### Preview Candidate Voice Samples
When browsing candidates in the Worker Marketplace before hiring, each candidate card includes an **audio voice-sample preview**. Click play on any candidate card to hear their voice tone and speech cadence before bringing them onto your team.
### Give Each Worker a Distinct Domain
When hiring through the Marketplace or Bob, be specific about the functional area:
✅ "I need a marketing specialist to help with brand positioning, campaign messaging, and content strategy"
❌ "I need another assistant to help with various tasks"
The clearer the domain, the better your worker will be at owning it.
### Let Workers Learn Through Conversation
Just like your first worker, each new hire will learn your preferences, style, and needs through conversation. You don't need to configure them perfectly upfront — they'll adapt as you work together.
Give feedback naturally: *"Keep project updates to 3-4 bullets"* or *"When discussing marketing, focus on messaging not technical feasibility."*
## Sharing Workers Across Your Team
Once you have a solid team of specialists, managers can share them with colleagues directly from the chat header into an existing team or a new team through **Teams** — groups of AI workers and human colleagues who collaborate and share workers. This means your teammates can interact with your Product Manager, Support Specialist, or any worker you choose to share — without needing to hire their own.
You stay in control: decide which workers are shared (team-serving roles) and which stay private (personal assistants).
Learn how to create teams, invite team members, and choose which workers to share.
## Common Questions
**Hire a new specialist when:**
* The knowledge domains are completely different (technical vs. creative, for example)
* Your current worker is mixing contexts or getting confused
**Expand an existing worker when:**
* The new tasks are closely related to their current domain
* Example: Adding calendar management to an admin worker who already handles email
Most users settle into 4-5 specialized workers covering their core functional areas. You'll know you need more when you have clear, distinct domains that aren't being served well by your current team.
Don't over-hire initially — let the needs emerge naturally.
Workers in the same **team** can look up information about each other and about human team members — like emails, roles, and who manages whom. While they don't directly message each other (yet), you can relay context between them. For example, you might ask your Marketing worker for positioning ideas, then share those with your Developer to inform technical priorities. You orchestrate the collaboration. → [Learn more about Teams](/account/teams)
Workers are flexible. If you hired a "Marketing Specialist" but realize you need them to also handle some sales work, just tell them conversationally. For major role changes, you can update their job policy in the worker's Knowledge section.
Workers adapt through feedback, just like human employees.
## Next Steps
Ready to hire your next specialist?
Talk to Bob to bring on your next team member
Learn how workers retain and use information
Give workers access to the tools they need
# Projects
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/projects
How workers manage multi-step work that spans days, weeks, or many conversations
## What are Projects?
Projects are **living workspaces** your worker maintains for ongoing work that can't be finished in a single conversation. They give your worker a place to track goals, tasks, progress, and important context — so you can pick up exactly where you left off, every time.
You might also hear them called **Work Streams**. Same idea: a dedicated thread of work your worker actively owns and advances over time.
Projects are designed for work that has a clear goal but unfolds across multiple steps, decisions, and days. If a task takes five minutes, you don't need a project for it.
## When to Use Projects
Projects shine when work is ongoing, multi-step, or needs to be tracked over time.
* Recruiting a new hire (research, outreach, scheduling, follow-ups)
* Launching a new product feature (coordination across multiple tools and people)
* Onboarding a new client (weeks of tasks across email, docs, and calendar)
* Running a content calendar (planning, drafting, publishing, reviewing)
* One-off requests ("Summarize this document")
* Quick lookups or simple questions
* Tasks fully completed in a single conversation
* Recurring automations handled by a skill
## Core Components of a Project
Every project your worker maintains has four key parts:
| Component | What it is |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Goal** | The clear outcome you're working toward |
| **Tasks** | Individual steps or actions needed to reach the goal |
| **Summary** | A running snapshot of where things stand right now |
| **Notes** | Context, decisions, constraints, and anything else worth remembering |
Your worker keeps all of this updated automatically as work progresses. You don't need to re-explain the situation every time — the project holds that context for you.
## A Real Example: Hiring a Content Writer
Here's how a project keeps work moving across multiple conversations.
**Monday** — You ask your worker to find a freelance content writer.
> "Start a project to hire a content writer. We need someone with SaaS experience, €300–500 per article. Start by finding five candidates."
Your worker creates the project, defines the goal, and starts researching.
***
**Wednesday** — You check in.
> "What's the status on the content writer project?"
Your worker gives you a summary: three candidates found, two more to research, outreach emails drafted and ready to send.
***
**Friday** — You continue.
> "Send the outreach emails and add a task to follow up in five days."
Done. The project is updated with the new tasks and the follow-up is scheduled.
***
**The following week** — No re-explaining needed. Your worker already knows the goal, the candidates, what was sent, and what comes next.
The longer a project runs, the more useful it becomes. Your worker builds up rich context over time — so your instructions can get shorter, not longer.
## How to Create a Project
You can create a project using the **Project Creation Wizard** in the Spinnable interface or conversationally in chat.
### Method 1: Three-Step Creation Wizard (Interface)
When creating a project from the Spinnable interface, a guided three-step wizard helps you structure your project team:
Enter a project title and define the overall objective and scope for the work.
Select or invite human teammates who need access to collaborate on the project.
Assign one or more AI workers to serve as the worker team responsible for executing project tasks.
### Method 2: Conversational Creation
You can also start a project simply through conversation with your AI worker:
Describe the goal in plain language. You don't need to plan every step upfront — your worker will help structure it.
> "I want to start a project to onboard our new client, Acme Corp. The goal is to have them fully set up and active within four weeks."
They'll create the project, confirm the goal, and either draft an initial task list or ask a few clarifying questions to get started.
Each time you come back, just ask for a status update or give the next instruction. Your worker tracks everything between conversations.
As your worker finishes tasks, they'll mark them as **Completed**. You can also do this yourself: "Mark the contract task as done."
## Your Projects on the Board
Every project also has a visual home in the app. Open **Projects** from the sidebar to see everything your worker is running at a glance, then click into any project for the full picture.
The Projects area lists every active project, each card showing the worker who owns it and where things stand.
Inside a project, the **Tasks** tab is a board with **To Do**, **In Progress**, and **Done** columns. Drag any task card between columns to update its status — your worker sees the change right away.
The **Overview** tab is where you edit the project's goal and add working rules — standing guidance your worker follows every time it picks the project back up.
Upload files as project **resources** so reference material lives with the work. Your worker can use them, and you can download or remove them anytime.
The **Conversations** tab links every chat connected to the project, so you can trace how the work has unfolded.
You can manage projects entirely by chatting with your worker, entirely from the board, or any mix of the two — they always stay in sync.
## Project Membership, Invitations, & Activity
Projects are collaborative. You can bring your entire team into any project to coordinate, track progress, and assign work.
### Inviting Members and Assigning Roles
From the **Members** tab inside a project, you can manage your team roster:
* **Invite by Email:** Click **Invite Member** and enter their email address to send a direct project invitation.
* **Set Roles:** Assign roles such as project **Owner** or **Lead** to establish clear lines of responsibility.
* **Roster Management:** View active members, check the status of pending invitations, or remove members from the project at any time.
### The Live Activity Feed
To ensure everyone stays in sync, every project features a live **Activity Feed** that logs all changes in real time. It displays:
* When a new member accepts their invitation and joins.
* Any updates made to the project's goals or working rules in the **Overview** tab.
* When a task card is moved on the Kanban board (e.g., from *To Do* to *Done*) and who moved it.
***
## Task Assignment & Multi-Worker Projects
With multi-member projects, you can distribute tasks among both your human colleagues and your AI workforce.
### Direct Task Assignment
Assign clear responsibilities to keep work moving:
* **Assignees:** When creating or editing a task card on the board, use the assignee dropdown to assign it to any project member or assigned AI worker.
* **Visual Accountability:** Task cards on the Kanban board display the assignee's avatar, making it easy to see who is responsible for each step at a glance.
### Multi-Worker Projects & Chat Picker
For complex workflows, you can assign multiple specialized AI workers to a single project so they can work in parallel.
* **Parallel Work:** Assign a researcher, a writer, and an editor worker to the same project to handle different stages of the goal.
* **The Chat Picker:** When a project has more than one active worker, a worker selector (chat picker) appears at the top of the **Conversations** tab. Simply select the worker you want to chat with from the dropdown to start or resume a focused conversation with them.
***
## How Projects Stay Up to Date
Your worker actively maintains the project as work happens:
* **Tasks are added** when new work is identified
* **Tasks are updated** when progress is made
* **The summary is refreshed** to reflect the current state
* **Notes capture decisions** so nothing important gets lost
You can always ask: "What's the current status of \[project name]?" and get a clear, up-to-date picture.
## Completed Tasks and Projects
When tasks are finished, they're marked as **Completed** — they're never deleted. This is intentional.
Completed tasks and finished projects stay in your worker's history. You can always look back to see what was done, when, and why. It's your record of work — not a bin that gets emptied.
This means you can:
* **Review what happened** on a past project
* **Refer back** to decisions or context from earlier work
* **Audit progress** over time
* **Reopen work** if a project needs to restart
When all tasks in a project are done, the project itself is marked **Completed** and moves out of your active view — but it's always there when you need it.
## Viewing and Managing Projects
You can ask your worker about projects at any time:
* **"What projects are active right now?"** — Get a list of everything in progress
* **"Give me a status update on \[project name]"** — See the current summary, tasks, and notes
* **"What tasks are still open in \[project name]?"** — Focus on what's left to do
* **"Show me completed projects"** — Browse past work for reference
* **"Add a task to \[project name]"** — Update the project mid-stream
* **"Mark \[task] as done"** — Record progress
You can also ask your worker to prioritize tasks, add deadlines, or reorganize a project as circumstances change.
## Projects vs Skills
Projects and skills are different tools for different kinds of work.
| | Projects | Skills |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **Best for** | Ongoing, multi-step goals | Repeatable, procedural tasks |
| **Duration** | Days, weeks, or longer | Minutes to hours |
| **Changes each time?** | Yes — evolves as work progresses | No — same steps every time |
| **Example** | Launching a new product | Processing weekly invoices |
They can work together. A project might include a task that triggers a skill — for example, a client onboarding project where the "send welcome email" step uses a saved email skill.
## Next Steps
Learn how workers save and reuse repeatable workflows
Understand how your worker builds knowledge and context over time
Get the most out of your worker by guiding their work
Automate recurring work with schedules
# Skills
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/skills
How workers learn and save reusable workflows
## What are Skills?
Skills are **reusable workflows** that your workers learn and save. When a worker successfully handles a complex process, they can turn it into a skill — a packaged set of instructions and code they'll remember and execute reliably every time.
Think of skills like training an employee on a specific procedure. Once they've learned it, they can do it consistently without you explaining the steps each time.
Skills are sometimes called "Hard Skills" because they're concrete, learned capabilities — as opposed to general intelligence or conversational ability.
## When to Use Skills
Skills are perfect for:
* **Repeatable processes** — Tasks you do regularly with the same steps
* **Company-specific workflows** — Procedures unique to your business
* **Multi-step operations** — Complex tasks involving multiple tools or data transformations
* **Quality-critical work** — Processes where consistency matters
- Weekly sales report generation
- Invoice processing workflow
- Customer onboarding checklist
- Data extraction and formatting
* One-time tasks
* Simple questions or lookups
* Tasks that change every time
* General conversation
## Real Example: Invoice Processing
Here's how a skill might work in practice:
**The process:**
1. Receive invoice PDF via email
2. Extract key data (vendor, amount, date, line items)
3. Format data into a structured format
4. Add row to Google Sheets tracking spreadsheet
5. Send confirmation to accounting team
**Without a skill:** You'd explain these steps each time, and the worker might handle them slightly differently.
**With a skill:** The worker saves this as "Invoice Processing" and executes it the same way every time — reliably, consistently, and without needing repeated instructions.
## How to Create a Skill
Creating a skill is conversational. When your worker successfully completes a complex process:
Work with your worker to handle the process. Make sure the output is what you want.
Simply tell your worker: "Save this as a skill" or "Remember how to do this."
Your worker will ask what to call the skill and confirm what it should do.
Next time, just reference the skill: "Run the invoice processing skill" or "Process this invoice like we set up."
**Pro tip:** After creating a skill, test it with a new example to make sure it works as expected. Provide feedback if anything needs adjustment.
## What's Saved in a Skill
When a worker creates a skill, they save:
| Component | What it includes |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Instructions** | Step-by-step process documentation |
| **Code** | Any scripts or transformations needed |
| **Tool requirements** | Which tools the skill needs (Gmail, Sheets, etc.) |
| **Examples** | Reference inputs and outputs |
## Skills and Worker Development
Workers improve over time as they learn more skills. You can think of it like professional development:
* **New workers** start with general capabilities
* **Experienced workers** have built up a library of skills specific to your business
* **Specialist workers** might have deep expertise in one area through many related skills
Skills belong to individual workers. If you want multiple workers to have the same skill, you'll need to teach it to each one (or have one worker handle that specific process).
## Managing Skills
To see what skills a worker has learned, you can ask them directly:
* "What skills do you have?"
* "Show me your skills"
* "What processes have you learned?"
Your worker will list their skills with descriptions of what each one does.
## Next Steps
Understand the broader learning system
Best practices for teaching your workers
Organize workers around skills and roles
Automate skill execution on a schedule
# Tool Permissions
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/tool-permissions
Learn how to give your workers access to tools like Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, and more
## Overview
Giving your workers access to tools like Gmail, Notion, or Google Calendar works differently than traditional software. Think of it like onboarding a new employee: they need both **the right equipment** and **login credentials** to do their job.
**Note:** Slack is configured as a communication channel by inviting your worker directly to your Slack workspace, rather than as a tool in Settings > Tools. See the [Communication Channels guide](/concepts/communication-channels#slack) for details.
Spinnable uses a **two-level system**:
1. **Add the tool to your worker** — Like giving them access to the company's software suite
2. **Connect the tool** — Like providing them with login credentials so they can actually use it
**A tool won't work unless both steps are complete.** Adding a tool without connecting it is like handing someone a laptop without the password — they can't actually use it.
***
## Understanding Tool States
Here's what each state means for your worker:
| State | What it means | Does it work? |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| ❌ **Tool not added** | Worker doesn't have access to the tool | No |
| ⚠️ **Tool added but not connected** | Worker has the tool but can't log in | No |
| ✅ **Tool added + connected** | Worker can use the tool | Yes |
***
## Step 1: Add a Tool to Your Worker
You can add tools to a worker in two ways:
### Option A: Through the Worker Settings
1. Go to your worker's page
2. Click **Tools**
3. Click **Add tool**
4. Select the tool(s) you need from the list
5. Click **Add**
### Option B: Ask Conversationally
Just tell your worker what you need:
> "Hey, I need you to manage my Gmail inbox. Can you add the Gmail tool?"
Your worker will guide you through adding the necessary tools.
**Quick tip:** If you're not sure which tools your worker needs, just describe what you want them to do. They'll suggest the right tools.
***
## Step 2: Connect the Tool
After adding a tool, you'll need to **connect it** before your worker can use it. There are two ways to do this:
### Method 1: User-Level Connection (Recommended for Most Users)
**How it works:** Connect a tool once in your personal User Tools, then any worker can use your account when needed.
**When to use this:**
* You want simple, one-time setup
* You're comfortable with workers using your personal accounts
* You don't need separate accounts for different workers
**Steps:**
1. Click your **email address**
2. Click **Tools** (you'll see tools connected at user level, and each worker and their tools)
3. Click **Add tools**, select the tool(s) you want, then click **Connect** to authenticate with your account
4. Go back to your worker's page → **Tools**
5. Click **Connect** on the tool
6. Select **"Use user account"** from the dropdown
**Important:** Even though you connected the tool in User Tools, you still need to explicitly select "user account" when connecting it to your worker. It doesn't happen automatically.
**Pros:**
* ✅ Set it up once, use it for all workers
* ✅ Quick and easy
* ✅ No need to manage multiple accounts
**Cons:**
* ⚠️ Workers have all the permissions your personal account has
* ⚠️ Actions appear as you (emails sent, calendar events created, etc.)
* ⚠️ Less secure if you need strict access control
***
### Method 2: Worker-Specific Connection (Recommended for Teams & Sensitive Data)
**How it works:** Connect each tool with a separate account specifically for that worker.
**When to use this:**
* You need different workers to use different accounts (e.g., Worker A uses GitHub account 1, Worker B uses GitHub account 2)
* You want better security and access control
* You want actions to appear under a specific account (not your personal account)
* You're managing tools with sensitive data
**Steps:**
1. Go to your worker's page → **Tools**
2. Click **Connect** on the tool you want to connect
3. Authenticate with a **separate account** (you'll typically be redirected to the tool's login page or asked for an API key depending on the tool)
4. The tool is now connected specifically to this worker
**Pros:**
* ✅ More secure — control permissions at the tool level
* ✅ Different workers can use different accounts for the same tool
* ✅ Actions appear under the worker's account, not yours
* ✅ Better audit trail and accountability
**Cons:**
* ⚠️ Requires setting up separate accounts for each worker that needs the tool
* ⚠️ More setup time
***
## Tools with Granular Access Controls
Some tools are split into **multiple versions** to give you precise control over what your workers can do. These are clearly labeled in the tool title.
### Examples:
* **Gmail (read)** — Worker can read emails but not send them
* **Gmail (send)** — Worker can send emails on your behalf
* **Outlook (read)** — Worker can read emails but not send them
* **Outlook (send)** — Worker can send emails on your behalf
**Why this matters:** If you only want your worker to monitor your inbox and flag important emails, add **Gmail (read)** only. If you want them to draft and send responses, add both **Gmail (read)** and **Gmail (send)**.
You can add one or both depending on your needs. Just remember: **each tool needs to be connected separately**, even if they're for the same service.
***
## Common Scenarios & Mistakes
### ❌ "I connected Gmail but my worker can't send emails"
**What happened:** You likely added and connected **Gmail (read)** but not **Gmail (send)**.
**Solution:** Go to your worker's Tools page, add **Gmail (send)**, and connect it.
***
### ❌ "I connected Gmail in User Tools, but my worker says they still can't access it"
**What happened:** You connected it at the user level, but you didn't select "user account" when connecting the tool to your worker.
**Solution:**
1. Go to your worker → **Tools**
2. Click **Connect** next to Gmail
3. Select **"Use user account"** from the dropdown
***
### ❌ "My worker did something with my Gmail, but I wanted them to use a different account"
**What happened:** You used the user-level connection method, which gives workers access to your personal account.
**Solution:**
1. Go to your worker → **Tools**
2. Click **Disconnect** on the tool
3. Click **Connect** again
4. This time, authenticate with a separate account instead of selecting "user account"
***
### ❌ "I added a tool but it's not showing up"
**What happened:** Adding a tool can take a moment to process.
**Solution:** Refresh the page. If it still doesn't appear, try adding the tool again or reach out to support.
***
## Available Tools
Spinnable supports 35+ integrations across communication, productivity, development, and specialized tools.
See the complete list of available tools and integrations →
The full list of available tools is always growing. You can also see all current integrations by going to any worker's page → **Tools** → **Add tool**.
***
## Important Security Notes
**Workers have whatever permissions the connected account has.** If you connect your personal Gmail account, your worker can do anything you can do with Gmail (within the scope of the specific tool — read vs. send).
### Best Practices:
1. **Use worker-specific accounts for sensitive tools** — Consider creating dedicated accounts for workers that handle financial data, customer information, or other sensitive materials.
2. **Use granular tools when available** — If you only need a worker to read emails, don't give them send permissions.
3. **Review connected tools regularly** — Go to your worker's Tools page periodically to make sure they only have access to what they need.
4. **Disconnect tools when no longer needed** — If a worker's role changes, remove tools they no longer use.
***
## Quick Reference: Which Connection Method Should I Use?
| Scenario | Recommended Method |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Single worker, personal use | User-level connection |
| Multiple workers, same account for all | User-level connection |
| Different workers need different accounts for the same tool | Worker-specific connection |
| Handling sensitive data or customer information | Worker-specific connection |
| Need actions to appear under a specific account (not yours) | Worker-specific connection |
| Want maximum security and control | Worker-specific connection |
***
## Need Help?
If you're stuck or unsure which approach to use, just ask your worker conversationally:
> "I want you to access my Gmail, but I'm not sure how to set that up. Can you walk me through it?"
Your worker can guide you through the process step-by-step.
# Voice Calls
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/concepts/voice-calls
Talk to your workers by voice for real-time collaboration
Talk to your workers by voice for real-time, hands-free collaboration. Voice calls are available for any worker—just click the **Call** button on their page to start talking.
**Beta Feature**: Voice calls are currently in beta. Workers can access tools and get work done during calls, but they're slightly less reliable than when working through text.
## How It Works
Starting a voice call is simple:
1. Open any worker's page
2. Click the **Call** button
3. Start talking—your worker listens and responds by voice
**Cancelling while connecting:** If a call takes longer than expected to connect or was started by mistake, you can hang up or cancel directly while the connection is still establishing to prevent stuck call states.
During calls, workers can:
* Access all their connected tools
* Execute tasks in real-time
* Remember the conversation context
* Take actions based on your voice instructions
## Call Controls & Status Indicators
Manage your live voice sessions using the call control bar:
* **Microphone Mute Control:** Mute and unmute your microphone at any time using the call control toggle. Muting pauses audio input at the source so side conversations won't trigger unwanted worker turns, while clear status indicators keep you informed of your current microphone state.
* **Voice Call Readiness & Turn Status:** Call controls accurately report active turn status (showing when your worker is listening or actively responding) instead of remaining on "Ringing...", and a pre-call notice explains brief setup delays before a worker's initial call.
## When to Use Voice
Voice calls work best for:
* **Complex discussions** that benefit from back-and-forth dialogue
* **Hands-free work** when you're multitasking or away from keyboard
* **Brainstorming sessions** where you need to think out loud
* **Quick questions** that don't require written records
For detailed instructions, documentation, or when precision matters most, text-based channels (chat, email, WhatsApp) may be more reliable.
## Best Practices
For detailed or critical work, use text channels first. Voice is great for follow-up questions and clarifications.
Voice recognition works best with clear speech. Pause between thoughts to help your worker process what you're saying.
Since voice is in beta, confirm critical information in writing after the call.
# Setting Up Tools
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/getting-started/setting-up-tools
Give your workers access to the tools they need to get work done
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.
## 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](/concepts/communication-channels#slack).
Want to understand how this two-level system works in detail? Check out our [Tool Permissions](/concepts/tool-permissions) guide.
Want to see all available tools? Browse our complete [Tools & Integrations](/tools/overview) directory.
## Setting Up Your Tools
Navigate to **Tools** in the left sidebar. This is where you connect your account's tools and services to Spinnable.
Click **Connect** next to any tool you want to make available. You'll authenticate with the service and grant Spinnable the necessary permissions.
This step makes tools *available* to your workers — but doesn't give them access yet.
Open the worker and click **Tools** in the right floating sidebar. You'll see all the tools you've connected at the account level.
Toggle on the tools this specific worker should be able to use. Different workers can have access to different tools based on their role.
Ask your worker to perform a simple task using the tool. For example: "Can you check my calendar for tomorrow?" or "Send a test email to myself."
This confirms the worker has the access they need and knows how to use the tool.
## 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.**
| Status | Indicator | Meaning |
| ----------- | --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Active** | 🟢 Green | The connection is live and fully functional. Workers with this tool enabled can use it immediately. |
| **Pending** | 🟡 Yellow | The connection was started but is not yet complete. The tool **cannot** be used by workers in this state. |
| **Failed** | 🔴 Red | The connection encountered an error (e.g., expired token, revoked permissions). The tool is non-functional until reconnected. |
**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.
### Resolving a Pending Connection
If a connection shows as 🟡 **Pending**, follow these steps:
Go to **Tools** in the left sidebar and locate the tool with the pending status.
Click **Disconnect** next to the pending connection to remove the incomplete setup.
Click **Connect** again and complete the full authentication flow. Make sure to:
* Allow all requested permissions in the OAuth prompt
* Complete the process within 5 minutes (authorization tokens can time out)
* Avoid closing the browser tab or pop-up before the flow finishes
After reconnecting, confirm the indicator changes to 🟢 **Active**. If it stays yellow or turns red, see the [Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting) page.
**Before assigning tools to workers**, visit **Tools** in the left sidebar 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.
## Best Practices
Always connect tools in **Tools** (left sidebar) **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](mailto:test@example.com) using Gmail?"
## Troubleshooting
**Most common cause:** The tool is connected to your account but not granted to that specific worker.
**Solution:**
1. Open the worker
2. Click **Tools** in the right floating sidebar
3. Enable the tool for that worker
4. Save changes
**Remember:** Connecting a tool in **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 **Tools** (left sidebar)
* **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 **Tools** in the left sidebar
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 **Workers** → **Knowledge** 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. Click **Tools** in the right floating sidebar
3. Toggle off the tool you want to revoke
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 **Tools** in the left sidebar — 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.
## Next Steps
Learn how to grant and manage tool permissions for individual workers
Understand the two-level permission system and common access patterns
Explore best practices for organizing and scaling your AI workforce
Master conversational feedback to improve worker performance
***
# Ideas for Your AI Team
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/getting-started/worker-ideas
Real examples of how businesses use Spinnable AI workers to save time, automate workflows, and scale operations.
Looking for inspiration? Here are real use cases from businesses already using Spinnable — from solo founders to growing teams. Each one started with a simple conversation with Bob, our hiring manager.
Most users start with an **Executive Assistant** and expand to specialists as they discover new possibilities. You don't need to plan everything upfront — just start with what's costing you the most time.
***
## Executive Assistant & Daily Briefings
**The most popular starting point.** Hire an AI worker as your personal chief of staff who manages your calendar, triages your inbox, and sends you daily briefings.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Morning WhatsApp message at 8am with today's meetings, pending emails, and top priorities — pulled from Google Calendar, Gmail, and Notion
* Evening recap of what happened today plus tomorrow's prep
* Proactive inbox monitoring that flags urgent emails and drafts replies to routine ones
* Meeting scheduling across multiple time zones, sending availability and confirming slots automatically
**Popular tools:** Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, WhatsApp
***
## Sales Operations & CRM Automation
**Eliminate hours of manual data entry.** AI workers process sales data, generate reports, and manage CRM workflows so your team can focus on selling.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Process weekly sales receipts: read PDF invoices, extract key data, update a Google Sheets tracker, and generate a formatted summary
* On-demand CRM summaries — ask "give me a summary of Account X" and get a structured overview of activity, pipeline, and key contacts
* Draft outreach emails to prospects, track responses, and maintain a sales pipeline in Notion
* Monitor email for deal notifications and immediately alert the team
**Popular tools:** Salesforce, Google Sheets, Gmail, Notion, HubSpot
***
## Industry Intelligence & Research
**Stay current without spending hours reading.** Specialized research workers monitor your industry, curate relevant news, and deliver structured briefings.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Weekly intelligence briefings on emerging startups, new technologies, and market trends in your sector
* A dedicated "Startup Scout" that tracks early-stage companies in your space with curated weekly reports
* Daily industry press digest with summaries and relevance commentary
* Competitor monitoring and trend analysis that feeds into content ideas
**Popular tools:** Gmail, Notion, Web Research
***
## Content Creation & Social Media
**Consistent content without the blank page problem.** AI workers draft LinkedIn posts, newsletters, and thought leadership pieces in your voice.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* LinkedIn posts drafted from trending topics in your industry, calibrated to match your writing tone
* Meeting notes and conference takeaways turned into polished social media content
* Weekly newsletter assembled from curated articles with summaries and formatting
* Research notes transformed into thought leadership pieces
**Popular tools:** LinkedIn, Gmail, Notion
***
## Customer Support Inbox Management
**Faster response times, less manual triage.** AI workers monitor support inboxes, categorize requests, and draft initial responses.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Monitor customer support inbox and categorize messages by urgency and type
* Draft suggested responses for the support team to review and send — in any language
* Create summaries of pending requests every few hours so nothing falls through the cracks
* Route complex issues to the right team member automatically
**Popular tools:** Gmail, Slack, Notion
***
## Automated Monitoring & Smart Alerts
**Set it and forget it.** Configure your AI worker to continuously monitor channels and send proactive alerts when something important happens.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Scan your inbox every 6 hours and send a WhatsApp alert only for truly urgent messages — stay off email during focused work
* Weekly automated reports pulling analytics data every Monday morning
* Monitor specific notifications and immediately alert your team via WhatsApp
* School calendar monitoring with WhatsApp reminders (yes, even for your kids' homework!)
**Popular tools:** Gmail, WhatsApp, Google Analytics
***
## Short-Term Rental & Property Management
**Handle high-volume guest communication at scale.** AI workers manage guest messaging, coordinate operations, and even assess booking risks.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Handle guest communication across multiple properties — check-in questions, local recommendations, cleaning coordination
* Analyze guest profiles and booking patterns to predict potential issues before they happen
* Coordinate between property platforms and operational staff with automated schedules and maintenance alerts
**Popular tools:** Guesty, Beds24, Gmail, WhatsApp
***
## Financial Analysis & Investment Research
**Systematic document analysis at scale.** AI workers analyze reports, track investments, and catch patterns humans might miss.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Analyze construction progress reports and flag potential delays from contractor language patterns
* Track property investments, tax deadlines, and financial documents across multiple countries
* Compile deal research, analyze pitch decks, and prepare investment briefings
**Popular tools:** Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Notion
***
## HR & Internal Operations
**Automate the admin your team dreads.** AI workers manage HR tools, process requests, and handle internal workflows with zero customer-facing risk.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Process vacation requests — log in Notion, notify the manager on Slack, update the team calendar
* Query employee data and route approvals through your existing tools
* Maintain a project database, send weekly status updates, and flag overdue tasks
**Popular tools:** Notion, Slack, Google Calendar, Factorial
***
## Education & Specialized Research
**Deep research without the deep time investment.** Perfect for consultants, academics, and professionals who need synthesis and analysis.
**What it looks like in practice:**
* Research best practices, competitive analysis, and curriculum development insights for education programs
* Analyze mystery shopping reports across locations — identify patterns, score performance, generate recommendations
* Process health questionnaires, generate personalized assessments, and track client progress
* Cross-reference texts, analyze structures, and prepare study materials
**Popular tools:** Gmail, Google Docs, Notion, Web Research
***
## Patterns from Power Users
As you grow your AI team, here are patterns we see from the most successful users:
Begin with a general Executive Assistant, then hire specialists for specific domains like research, sales, or content.
The most engaged users receive daily briefings and alerts via WhatsApp — it feels more immediate than email.
Daily briefings, weekly reports, and inbox monitoring become part of your routine. Set it up once and let your worker handle it.
AI workers adapt to your language seamlessly — users operate in Portuguese, English, Finnish, Spanish, and more.
***
Start with whatever's costing you the most time. Bob will help you set everything up in about 30 seconds.
# Autonomous Web Scraping
Source: https://docs.spinnable.ai/guides/autonomous-web-scraping
Access and automate websites that don't have an API — using direct HTTP requests and programmatic CAPTCHA solving
## What This Guide Covers
Some websites your business relies on don't offer APIs — government portals, legacy business directories, industry registries, or internal tools with web-only interfaces. Your team might spend hours manually searching these sites, filling in forms, and copying results.
This guide introduces a technique your AI worker can use to **access these websites programmatically** — without opening a browser. Instead of automating clicks in a visual browser, the worker talks directly to the website's server using HTTP requests.
**This is an advanced, experimental technique.** It may or may not work depending on the target website. Websites change their protections and structure without notice, and there's no guarantee of ongoing compatibility. This guide is a suggestion for making certain websites more accessible to your AI workers — not a supported, guaranteed integration.
***
## For You: Understanding the Value
### What problem does this solve?
When a website has no API, the traditional options are:
* **Manual work** — someone on your team does the lookups by hand
* **Browser automation** — your AI workers tries to use the browser
Browser automation is heavy, slow, resource-intensive, and fragile. It breaks when websites update their layout, and it struggles with CAPTCHAs and anti-bot protections.
The approach in this guide is **fundamentally different**: your worker reverse-engineers how the website works under the hood and communicates directly with the server. Think of it as learning to speak the website's language rather than pretending to be a human clicking buttons.
### When should you consider this?
* Repetitive lookups or searches on a specific website (e.g., checking a business registry daily)
* Data extraction from form-based portals (e.g., government databases, legal publications)
* Monitoring pages for changes or new entries
* Any task where your team currently fills in web forms manually and copies results
### What does your worker need?
1. **A CAPTCHA solving service API key** — services like [2Captcha](https://2captcha.com) solve CAPTCHAs programmatically for approximately \$0.003 per solve. Store this key in your [Worker Vault](/guides/worker-vault).
2. **Your guidance on the target** — tell your worker which website to target and what data you need extracted.
3. **Time for reconnaissance** — your worker will need to inspect the website first to understand its structure before automating it.
### What to expect
* **First-time setup** takes effort — your worker needs to reverse-engineer each specific website (but they'll do the heavy lifting)
* **Once working**, the process is fast and reliable (until the website changes)
* **Save it as a skill** — once your worker cracks a specific site, ask them to save the workflow as a reusable skill
### Ethical guidelines
* Only scrape **publicly accessible data** that is meant to be viewed by anyone
* Respect the website's terms of service and `robots.txt`
* Implement **rate limiting** — don't overwhelm target servers with rapid-fire requests
* Use this for **legitimate business purposes** only
Using third-party CAPTCHA solving services operates in a legal gray area in some jurisdictions. Ensure your use case is legitimate and permissible in your region before proceeding.
***
## For Your AI Worker: Technical Methodology
**AI Worker Reference** — This section is a technical guide designed for AI workers to learn the autonomous web scraping methodology. It covers the full pattern from reconnaissance to result parsing.
### The "Package 2" Pattern
This methodology uses **direct HTTP requests** (via libraries like `requests` or `httpx`) combined with a third-party CAPTCHA solving service. There is no browser involved — no Selenium, no Playwright, no headless Chrome. You communicate directly with the web server.
**Advantages over browser automation:**
* Drastically faster execution
* Minimal memory/resource usage
* No browser driver version mismatches
* Scales easily for high-concurrency workloads
* No UI rendering context to manage
***
### Phase 1: Reconnaissance — Understanding the Target
Before writing any code, inspect the website's architecture and understand its request flow.
**Step 1: Observe the Request Flow**
* Open the browser's Developer Tools (F12), navigate to the Network tab
* Ensure "Preserve log" is checked
* Submit the form manually and observe the initial `GET` request and subsequent `POST` request
* Note the request URL, headers, and payload structure
**Step 2: Identify the Tech Stack**
* Look at URLs and page source for clues:
* `.aspx` extensions and `WebResource.axd` paths → **ASP.NET WebForms**
* `.php` extensions → **PHP**
* JSON API calls in the background → **JavaScript SPA with API backend**
* ASP.NET WebForms is particularly common in government/enterprise portals and maintains state via hidden fields: `__VIEWSTATE`, `__EVENTVALIDATION`, `__VIEWSTATEGENERATOR`
**Step 3: Identify Anti-Bot Protections**
* **reCAPTCHA:** Look for iframes loading from `google.com/recaptcha` or `grecaptcha` elements
* **JavaScript Challenges:** Look for inline scripts evaluating math expressions or string manipulations (e.g., NoBot controls that embed expressions like `eval('43+40')`)
* **Rate Limits:** Note if there are strict rate limits or IP blocking behaviors
**Step 4: Map the Form Fields**
* Use the Elements tab to inspect the ` ` tag:
```html theme={null}