# Agent permissions

> Choose Allow, Ask or Block for each thing the agent can do, pick a preset mode, and control headless runs for connected agents.

Source: https://automatedconstruction.io/tidy/docs/features/agent-permissions
Section: Features

Every action the agent can take has a setting: **Allow** (it just runs), **Ask** (the agent stops and shows an approval card) or **Block** (refused, and the agent is not even offered it). Reading defaults to Allow. Changing, sending and deleting default to Ask.

Your choices apply to your account in your company, on every device. They also apply to agents you connect over MCP.

## Pick a mode

The menu beside the **+** button in the chat box has three presets:

| Mode | Behaviour |
| --- | --- |
| Manual | Ask before reading information or making changes |
| Accept Edits | Read automatically, ask before making changes |
| Auto Mode | Read and make changes automatically |

Final review screens, such as sending a proposal, still need a person in every mode. Picking a mode replaces your custom settings.

## Set each action

Open **Skills & Plugins > Permissions**. Search for an action or category, then set **Ask**, **Allow** or **Block** for a whole category or one action. **Reset to defaults** puts everything back.

Categories include bid information, documents and drawings, bid changes, takeoff measurements, takeoff workspaces, budgets, margins and the proposal push, proposals, messages and submissions, clients, vendors, Hub tasks and records, memory and skills.

## Always a person

In the Tidy agent, these always need someone to click in Tidy: sending a proposal, sending a bid submission, sending follow-ups and declines, and choosing drawings to export. Billing is never available to an agent. Admins' agents can invite, deactivate and change the role of teammates, with approval.

> [!warning]
> Over MCP, the **Run a Tidy automation** action can send a bid submission or a vendor quote request after your AI app approves it. Set it to **Block** if you want every outbound email sent by a person in Tidy.

## Takeoff runs

Approving the start of an AI takeoff covers the measuring for that run on that drawing. A small set of fine edits (moving a corner, deleting rows, changing a subject on many shapes) always asks.

## Agent access for connected agents (admins)

When enabled for your company, **Admin > Settings > Agent access** sets how each takeoff tool runs when an agent connects over MCP: **Off**, **In my browser** (waits for an open Tidy tab) or **Headless** (runs on Tidy's servers with no tab open). Results are still dashed proposals that a person accepts.

## Connected agents and Ask

When an agent connected over MCP hits an Ask action, the AI app's own approval prompt counts as your consent. If you do not want a connected agent to do something, set it to **Block** here, or keep your AI app's per-tool approval turned on.

## Related

- [Tidy agent](https://automatedconstruction.io/tidy/docs/features/tidy-agent)
- [Use Tidy from Claude, ChatGPT and other agents](https://automatedconstruction.io/tidy/docs/features/mcp-server)