What is a connected account?
Before an AI agent can answer your messages, it needs access to the account they arrive on. Here is what connecting an account means, and what does not change.
In one sentence
A connected account is one of your own messaging accounts, such as your WhatsApp number or Instagram profile, that you have linked to Spaces so an AI agent can read and reply to its conversations.
In more detail
You connect WhatsApp by scanning a QR code, the same way you would link WhatsApp on a computer. Instagram, LinkedIn, Messenger, X and email connect through a secure sign-in.
The account stays yours. You keep using it on your phone as normal, and customers see the same name and number they always have.
Each account is separate. Two WhatsApp numbers are two connected accounts, each with its own limits and warm-up.
Connecting does not move your account anywhere. Your chats stay where they are, and Spaces works alongside the app you already use. It is a bit like giving a trusted colleague access to your inbox, with firm rules about what they can send and how fast.
You sign in through a secure link, not inside your AI agent, so you never give your password to the agent. The agent works through Spaces, and Spaces only lets it act on the accounts you have chosen to connect.
How each channel connects
| Channel | How you connect |
|---|---|
| You scan a QR code with the phone that has the number, the same way you would link WhatsApp on a computer. | |
| You sign in to Instagram through a secure link and approve the connection. | |
| You sign in to LinkedIn through a secure link and approve the connection. | |
| Messenger | You sign in to Facebook through a secure link and approve the connection. |
| X | You sign in to X through a secure link and approve the connection. |
| You sign in to Gmail or Outlook through a secure link and approve the connection, or enter your mail server details for any other mailbox. | |
| iMessage (coming soon) | Coming soon: Spaces will set up a dedicated iMessage number for your business. There will be nothing to sign in to. |
If a platform asks for a second step when you sign in, such as a code sent to your phone, you complete it as you normally would.
Connecting your first account, step by step
- Create your Spaces account with your email address, and enter the six-digit code Spaces sends you.
- Choose a plan. Accounts can be connected once the plan is active.
- Open the connect link for the channel you want, from your dashboard or by asking your AI agent to create one.
- For WhatsApp, open WhatsApp on the phone that has the number, go to linked devices and scan the QR code. For the other channels, sign in and approve the connection.
- Check that the account shows as connected in your dashboard.
- Add Spaces to your AI agent, using the setup page for the app you use.
- Ask your agent to list your connected accounts and your latest conversations, to check it can see them.
Connect links expire after a while, so if one stops working, simply create a new one. Keep them to yourself, because a connect link is for linking your own account.
What stays the same, and what changes
| After you connect | |
|---|---|
| Your name, number and profile | Exactly as before. Customers see nothing new. |
| Your chat history | Stays in your app, where it always was. |
| Using the app yourself | Works as normal. You can read and reply at any time. |
| Where customers message you | The same account they already know. |
| What your AI agent can do | Read conversations, including photos and files, and reply, within Spaces' limits. |
| How fast the account sends | Spaces leaves a gap between messages and caps each day, and warms the account up first. |
One account or several
You can connect more than one account, for example a WhatsApp number for each shop, or WhatsApp and Instagram for the same business. Each is a separate connected account with its own limits and its own warm-up, and how many you can connect depends on your plan.
One account should stay in one workspace. Splitting an account across workspaces, or reconnecting it to reset its counters, counts as working around the limits, which Spaces is not for.
Account status: what you might see
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Connected | Everything is working. | Nothing. |
| Signed out | The platform ended the session, for example after a password change. | Reconnect from your dashboard with the same QR code or sign-in. |
| Security check | The platform wants you to confirm it is really you. | Complete the check in the platform's app, then reconnect. |
| Restricted | The platform has limited the account. | Sending stays stopped until it is reconnected. Look at what was sent recently before carrying on. |
| Paused | You paused the agent, a chat or all sending. | Resume where you paused it when you are ready. |
While an account needs attention, Spaces sends nothing from it. Your agent is told why, so it does not keep trying.
Disconnecting an account
You can disconnect an account from your Spaces dashboard at any time. From that moment, your AI agent can no longer read or send on it, and nothing more is sent through Spaces from that account.
The account itself carries on as before on your phone, with all its chats. Your usage history in Spaces stays available for the dates the account was connected.
Who can see what
- Your AI agent sees only the accounts you connect, never others.
- You can give an agent a single-channel address, so it only ever sees, for example, your WhatsApp accounts.
- Each AI agent can have its own sign-in or key, so you can remove one without affecting the others.
- You can pause all sending in the workspace at once, and reading keeps working while you look into anything.
Before you connect: a quick checklist
- Use the account your customers already message, with a real history of conversations.
- Have the phone or login for that account to hand, including any second-step code the platform sends.
- Read the note for that channel on the Spaces site, so you know the platform's rules.
- Write a first page of notes for your agent: what you sell, prices, hours and when to hand over.
- Decide who on your team will pick up conversations the agent hands over.
Common mistakes
- Connecting a brand-new number and starting outreach straight away. A number with a history of real conversations is a much safer start.
- Removing the linked device in WhatsApp by accident, which signs Spaces out. If you tidy up linked devices, leave the Spaces one in place.
- Connecting a number you also use for friends and family without telling the agent. If you do, give it clear notes about which chats to leave alone.
- Ignoring a "signed out" notice. Customers wait for replies until the account is reconnected.
Why it matters for your business
- Customers keep messaging the account they already know.
- You can step into any conversation at any time.
- You can disconnect at any time, and the account carries on as before.
- Each account gets limits suited to its channel, so one busy account never affects another.
How Spaces handles it
Spaces holds the connection and applies safe limits to each account. Your AI agent sees only the accounts you connect, and you can remove one from your Spaces dashboard whenever you want.
iMessage is coming soon. When it opens, Spaces will set up a dedicated iMessage number for your business rather than using your own Apple ID.
Connecting through Spaces does not change any platform's rules. Spaces lowers the risk with its limits, but each platform still decides what happens to accounts on its service, so read the notes for each channel before you connect.
In short
A connected account is your own WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Messenger, X or email account, linked to Spaces so your AI agent can read and reply. It stays yours, it looks the same to customers, and you can disconnect it whenever you like.
If you are ready to start, pick the channel where most of your customers already message you, connect that one first and see how your agent does before adding more.
FAQ
Will customers see that I use Spaces?
No. Messages come from your own account, as they always have.
What happens if the platform signs me out?
Spaces tells you, and you reconnect with the same QR code or sign-in. Nothing is sent from the account until you do.
Can I connect more than one account?
Yes. Each one has its own limits, and how many you can connect depends on your plan. See the pricing page.
Does my AI agent get my password?
No. WhatsApp links with a QR code, and the other channels sign in through a secure link rather than inside your agent. The agent works through Spaces instead.
Can I still use the app on my phone?
Yes. You use it exactly as before, and you can reply to any customer yourself at any time.
How long does connecting take?
Usually a few minutes per account: scan a QR code or sign in, approve the connection, and check it shows as connected.
Can I connect an account I also use personally?
You can, but think about it first. Your agent will be able to read every chat on that account, so give it clear notes about which conversations to leave alone, or use a separate business account.
What happens to my chats if I disconnect?
They stay in your app as they always were. Your agent simply stops reading and replying on that account.