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Approve Requests

Some of what your assistant does waits for you. Only you can approve it, signed in to Willow; the assistant can't approve its own requests.

Your assistant asks in two cases:

  • A session. Tools set to Require Session only run in a session you approved. Approving one lets the assistant use them for the session length you chose, 30 minutes to start.
  • A tool that asks each time. Tools set to Ask Each Time, and calls that match an Ask first rule, wait for you on every call. The request is for that one call, with exactly the input shown.

Approve a request​

Each request has a short link, like scout.withwillow.ai/ok/k7m2qx. The assistant shows it to you in the chat and, if you turned them on, Willow sends a notification. Requests are not emailed. A count beside Approvals in the sidebar shows how many are waiting.

  1. Open the link, signed in to Scout. Or click Approvals, then the request under Waiting.
  2. Check Why it asks and, for a tool call, the Input.
  3. Click Approve and run for a tool call, or Approve session for a session. A tool call runs once, exactly as shown, as you.

To refuse it, click Deny.

Once you approve, the assistant picks it up by itself, so you don't have to tell it. You can also answer right from the assistant's Activity.

A request lapses if nobody answers within 30 minutes. The assistant can ask again. Under Recent, each request shows how it ended: approved and ran, returned an error, denied, cancelled or lapsed. Results are kept for 30 minutes.

Approve from your phone​

Willow installs on your phone's Home Screen like an app, and its notifications reach you even while it's closed.

  1. On a computer, scan the QR code under Approve from your phone on the Approvals page, or in How you approve on an assistant's page. Sign in on the phone. Willow opens on your approvals and walks you through the next two steps.
  2. Add Willow to your Home Screen:
    • iPhone and iPad: in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. It needs iOS 16.4 or later.
    • Android: tap Install Willow, or open the browser's menu and tap Install app or Add to Home screen. This is optional on Android.
  3. Open Willow from your Home Screen and tap Turn on notifications. On iPhone, notifications can only be turned on from the Home Screen icon.

When it's done, the phone says This phone gets requests, and the computer you scanned from shows the phone as connected. On Android, the notification has Approve and Deny right on it. On iPhone, tapping it opens the request, where you approve with one tap.

Get notified in your browser​

Under Notifications on the Approvals page, click Turn on in this browser. The browser shows a notification as soon as an assistant asks, even while Scout is closed. On Chrome and Edge it has Approve and Deny buttons; elsewhere, clicking it opens the request.

If Scout says notifications are blocked, allow them for the site in the browser's settings. Every request also waits for you under Approvals, whether or not notifications are on.

To see or remove the browsers and phones that get notifications, go to Settings > Connected devices.

Authenticator codes​

If you set up an authenticator app before, it still works: the assistant can take a 6-digit code from you instead of a link. New authenticator apps can't be added anymore, since push notifications replace them. Disconnect it under Settings > Connected devices once your devices get notifications.

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