The Shared Agent Model

Think of a shared agent like inheriting a well-designed recipe. The creator has already:

Defined the agent's purpose and capabilities
Written the instructions that guide its behavior
Connected datasources that will help the agent perform its tasks
Chosen an AI provider
Decided what Slack workspaces the agent can be accessed from

However, just like you need your own ingredients and kitchen tools to make that recipe, you need to connect your own Actions to make the agent work with your personal accounts and data.

Datasources vs Actions: What's the Difference?

Understanding the distinction between datasources and Actions is crucial for properly setting up any shared agent:

Datasources (Often Shared):

Information repositories like company knowledge bases, documentation, or public data
Usually connected by the agent creator for the agent to use no matter who is using the agent
You typically don't need to reconnect these unless you want to add your own additional data sources

Actions (Always Personal):

Connections to your personal accounts and services (Gmail, Slack, Jira, Outlook, etc.)
Allow the agent to perform tasks on your behalf
Must be connected by each individual user
Cannot be shared for security and privacy reasons

Your First Step: Identify What Needs Personal Connection

Before using any shared agent, start by having a conversation with it to understand what it's designed to do. Ask questions like:

"What can you help me with?"
"What integrations do you need me to connect?"
"What Actions are required for you to work properly?"

The agent will typically tell you exactly what connections it needs and guide you through the setup process.

When You Need to Connect Your Own Actions

You'll need to connect your personal Actions when the agent is designed to:

Send emails on your behalf
Create or update items in your project management tools (Jira, Asana, etc.)
Access your personal files or documents
Post messages to Slack channels, this is different than accessing an agent from Slack
Interact with any service that requires your personal authentication

Key principle: If the agent needs to act as you or access your personal accounts, you must connect those Actions yourself.

When You Might Add Your Own Datasources

While most datasources are shared, you might want to add your own when:

You have personal documents or data that would improve the agent's responses for your specific use case
The agent creator encourages users to add their own supplementary information
You want the agent to have access to your team's specific knowledge base

If you plan to add a personal datasource, then this agent should no longer operate as a shared agent. Adding a personal datasource to a shared agent will change the experience for everyone using the agent. You should duplicate the agent and then make it your own.

Determining What's Missing or Needed

If an agent isn't working as expected, follow this diagnostic approach:

Step 1: Review Agent Configuration

Check if you have the right permissions to use all the agent's features
Ensure you're using the agent in the intended context or environment

Step 2: Connect your Actions

Open the Actions Directory
Select the appropriate Actions
Try asking the agent to perform a task - it will tell you if it can't access required services

Best Practices for Using Shared Agents

Start with setup: Always connect required Actions before expecting full functionality
Understand the intent: Learn what the agent was designed to do before trying to use it differently
Test incrementally: Try simple tasks first to ensure basic functionality works
Communicate clearly: Provide context and specific details in your requests
Respect boundaries: Don't expect the agent to work outside its designed scope without proper configuration
If you want to edit...DUPLICATE: A shared agent is supposed to be a uniform experience. If you want to adjust the rules or AI model, duplicate the agent and make a personal version to experiment on.