Signs your AI agent is sending too much, and how to rein it in
An AI agent that answers customers is a big help. One that sends too much, too fast or to the wrong people can annoy customers and draw a platform's attention to your account. Spaces keeps every account inside careful limits whatever the agent asks for, but limits are a ceiling, not a target. This guide covers the warning signs to watch for, how to check what your agent has actually sent, and practical ways to slow it down.
Why "inside the limits" is not the same as "fine"
Spaces stops an agent from going over the limits on each channel, and refuses the patterns platforms watch for most, such as copy-paste blasts. That protects you from the worst. But an agent can stay inside every limit and still send more than your customers want, or start conversations nobody answers.
| Channel | Messages a day | Gap between messages | New conversations a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 400 | At least 10 seconds | 10 | |
| Up to 150 | At least 15 seconds | 100 | |
| Up to 150 | At least 20 seconds | 100 | |
| Messenger | Up to 50 | At least 20 seconds | 8 |
| Up to 100 | At least 30 seconds | 40 |
Most small businesses never need to get close to these numbers. If your agent regularly does, it is worth asking why.
Warning signs from Spaces
Spaces tells your agent when it is going too fast. If you see these often, the agent is pushing against the ceiling.
| What your agent is told | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| RATE_LIMITED | The account reached its hourly limit, or a message came too soon after the last one. | Nothing. Your agent waits the time Spaces gives it and tries again with the same message. |
| DAILY_CAP | The account reached its daily limit, or this AI agent used the daily share you gave it. | Sending starts again over the next day. To give the agent more, raise its daily share under Your agent. |
- The agent mentions being told to wait several times a day.
- Messages regularly wait until the next day because the daily limit is used up.
- Spaces refuses a message because the same or nearly the same text went to many people.
- On WhatsApp, Spaces has cut new chats because few people answered. When few people answer new chats, Spaces halves new chats, and pauses them if hardly anyone answers. Replies still go out.
- On Instagram, Spaces has rested the account. If Instagram pushes back, Spaces rests the account for a while and tells you, so it can recover.
Warning signs from customers
- People reply "who is this?" or "how did you get my number?".
- More people than usual say stop, unsubscribe or "please do not message me".
- Customers mention getting two or three messages about the same thing.
- Regulars stop replying to follow-ups they used to answer.
- Someone complains that a reply arrived at an odd hour.
- A customer forwards you a message the agent sent that you would never have written.
Warning signs from the platform
- Security checks or sign-outs become more frequent.
- Instagram shows "try again later" or an action block.
- LinkedIn warns you about invitations, or connection requests pile up unanswered.
- Emails land in spam more often or start to bounce.
- Fewer people see your posts than before.
These are the most serious signs, because the platform has noticed. On LinkedIn, Spaces takes over at that point: if LinkedIn restricts the account or asks for a security check, Spaces pauses everything your agent sends from it for three days and tells you.
How to check what your agent has actually sent
Do not rely on a feeling. Spaces gives you the numbers, and your agent can fetch them for you in plain words.
- Ask your agent for the health of each connected account. It shows whether the account is working, how many messages and new conversations are left today, and when it last sent and received a message.
- Ask for the usage export for the last two or four weeks. It lists messages sent, new conversations and other actions per account per day, with no message text, as a spreadsheet.
- Compare messages sent with conversations started by customers. A business that mostly replies sends roughly in step with what comes in.
- Read a sample of the agent's new conversations in the platform's app. Would you have sent them?
A quick rule of thumb: if more than a small share of what your agent sends are first messages to people who have not written to you, look closely at who it is messaging and why.
Example: asking for a weekly check
Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Owner | How much did you send last week, and is anything worrying? |
| AI agent | Last week I sent 212 WhatsApp messages and 64 Instagram messages. 190 of the WhatsApp messages were replies to customers who wrote in. I also started 22 new WhatsApp chats, mainly reminders to people who had not finished booking, and only 5 replied. |
| Owner | That reply rate is low. Stop the reminders for now. |
| AI agent | Done. I will only reply to people who write in, and I will not send booking reminders until you say so. I will check again next Monday. |
Five replies from 22 new chats is exactly the pattern WhatsApp watches for. Catching it in a weekly check is much easier than dealing with a restriction later.
How to rein it in
| If the problem is | Do this |
|---|---|
| Too many new conversations | Tell the agent in its notes to only reply to people who write in, or to start new conversations only with people who asked to hear from you. |
| Too many follow-ups | Limit follow-ups in the notes, for example one follow-up after two days and then stop. Workflows that stop when the person replies help too. |
| Replies at odd hours | Tell the agent when to answer in its notes. Scheduled messages and routines can have their own working hours. |
| Messages you would not have written | Ask your AI agent to hold replies as drafts, and nothing goes out until you approve it. |
| One agent using most of an account's room | Give that agent a smaller daily share under Your agent in the dashboard. |
| Something is clearly wrong right now | Pause everything under Settings, then look at what happened before resuming. |
You cannot set lower limits per account, but notes, drafts, daily shares and pausing give you plenty of control over how much your agent actually sends.
Before and after: agent notes
Vague notes are the most common reason an agent over-sends. Compare these two.
Before:
- Follow up with everyone who has not booked.
- Be proactive and keep leads warm.
After:
- Reply to everyone who writes to us, by name.
- Follow up once, two days later, only with people who asked for a price or a booking in the last week. If they do not reply, stop.
- Start no other new conversations.
- Never send the same text to more than one person.
- Answer between 8:00 and 20:00. Outside those hours, leave messages for the morning unless it is urgent.
- If Spaces says to wait, wait. If it says the daily limit is used, stop for the day and tell me."Be proactive" sounds harmless, but to an agent it is an instruction to send more. Clear limits on who, when and how often keep it in step with what customers want.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the limits on the limits page as a daily goal.
- Running two agents on the same account with different notes, so each sends its own follow-ups.
- Asking the agent to "get back in touch with everyone" after a quiet month.
- Connecting a second account to get more room. Moving messages between accounts to get round a limit is ruled out by Spaces' Terms.
- Never reading what the agent sends. Ten minutes a week is enough.
Who you message
Summing up
Spaces keeps your agent inside careful limits and refuses the worst patterns, but staying under a ceiling is not the same as sending the right amount. Watch for frequent waits, falling reply rates, people saying stop and platform checks.
Check the account health and usage export once a week, tighten your agent's notes, hold replies as drafts when in doubt, and pause everything if something looks wrong. Spaces lowers the risk, but what your agent sends, and to whom, is still yours to steer.
Pricing
FAQ
If Spaces enforces limits, why would my agent send too much?
Limits are a ceiling that protects the account, not a measure of what customers want. An agent can stay inside them and still send follow-ups nobody asked for or start conversations nobody answers.
Can I set lower limits for my account?
Not per account. You can give each agent a daily share under Your agent, tell it in its notes how much to send, hold its replies as drafts, or pause sending whenever you want.
How do I see how many messages my agent sent?
Ask your agent for the usage export, which lists messages sent, new conversations and other actions per account per day, with no message text. The account health check shows what is left today.
What reply rate should worry me?
There is no published figure. If most first messages get no answer, or more people than usual say stop, slow down. On WhatsApp, Spaces halves new chats on its own when few people answer.
Do replies to customers count as sending too much?
Replying to people who wrote to you is what platforms expect, and replies are never held back by Spaces' daily limits. Unanswered first messages and repeated follow-ups are the risk.
Can I make my agent ask before sending?
Yes. Ask your AI agent to hold replies as drafts, and nothing goes out until you approve it. You review them through the agent and approve or reject each one.
What should I do if a platform has already warned me?
Pause everything, follow the platform's steps in its own app, and tighten your agent's notes before resuming. On LinkedIn, Spaces pauses the account for three days on its own after a restriction or security check.
Does an always-on agent send more than a chat app?
It can, because an always-on agent can run continuously, while chat apps only act when you ask them in a chat. The same limits apply to both, but always-on agents need clearer notes.