Access, approvals and limits
Who can send messages
Open Settings → Channels, then Access and limits on a Slack or WhatsApp account.
| Setting | Meaning | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Allowlist | Only listed people are admitted; empty admits everyone | Private testing or a known group of users |
| Blocklist | Listed people are refused, including if also allowed | Revoke a sender’s access |
| Slack identity | Email address | Match a workspace person |
| WhatsApp identity | Phone number with country code | Match the personal sender, not the business number |
catalex accounts access show ACCOUNT_ID
For WhatsApp use numbers such as +447700900123 instead of emails. --allow none empties the allowlist and therefore admits everyone except blocked people; it does not disable the account. --block none clears the blocklist. These controls do not grant tool permissions or administrator access. Google Chat admission is managed by the service administrator and the Chat app’s visibility configuration.
Rate limits
An account can limit messages per person per hour/day, total messages per hour/day, distinct people per hour/day, new people per day and simultaneous turns. An agent can limit messages per hour/day and simultaneous turns across its accounts. Set an IANA time zone for clock-hour and day windows; it is UTC until changed.
catalex accounts limits show ACCOUNT_ID
catalex accounts limits set ACCOUNT_ID --per-person-hour 20 --total-day 500 --new-people-day 5 --time-zone Europe/London
catalex agents limits set AGENT_ID --day 100 --turns 2
catalex accounts limits throttled ACCOUNT_ID --limit 10
Use none to remove an individual limit, for example --turns none. Values must be positive whole numbers and cannot exceed the service’s ceiling. Account, agent and computer capacity limits are separate; raising one does not bypass another. Check throttled messages before diagnosing a silent account as disconnected. A remote service may require its administrator to change rules (ADMIN_REQUIRED).
Who can answer and approve in Slack
An account’s channel settings offer these modes for channel threads started by mentioning the app:
| Mode | Questions | Approvals and Stop |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone in the thread | Anyone in the thread | Anyone in the thread |
| Anyone answers; listed people approve | Anyone in the thread | Listed member IDs |
| Only listed people | Listed member IDs | Listed member IDs |
Direct messages remain between the person and the agent. Find a Slack member ID in their profile’s More → Copy member ID. Approval lists use these IDs, while access lists use emails.
catalex channel-settings show ACCOUNT_ID
catalex channel-settings set ACCOUNT_ID --approval anyone_answers --approver U012AB3CD
The --approver list replaces the previous list. Keep at least one approver for restricted modes. A native permission denial still applies; being an approved person does not remove the agent’s tool restrictions.
Routine output and drafts
WhatsApp account settings can turn Progress updates on or off. Replies, questions and permission requests are always posted. Slack represents progress in its assistant status. This output choice is separate from an agent’s engagement preference.
catalex channel-settings set ACCOUNT_ID --post message
Use --post message,progress to include progress. If an account is not bound to an installation, a save may produce a Draft. Finish the account connection, then save again to apply it. catalex channel-settings discard ACCOUNT_ID discards the draft. Saved, pending and applied are distinct states.
Concurrent changes
Commands read a revision before saving; a stale revision is refused rather than overwriting another change. If you see SETTINGS_CHANGED, reload, review and retry. If the outcome is uncertain, inspect current state before a new write. Administrative changes are visible in agent activity.