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I want to connect my AI assistant to other apps. What do I check first?

First, breathe. Connecting things isn’t bad in itself — that is exactly what makes an assistant truly useful. Think of connectors as the keys to your house: you give them only to someone you trust, only for the room they need, and you can take them back at any time from your account settings.

First steps, right now

  1. Only use connectors from the assistant's official list, made by that company or by a maker you know. A connector is a small extension that links the AI assistant to other apps (the technology behind it is called MCP, Model Context Protocol) — and, like any extension, it can also be made by people with bad intentions.
  2. Connect one thing at a time, only what you use. Don't link email, files and calendar "just in case" — every extra link means more data the assistant can reach.
  3. Think about what is in the account you are linking: your email holds password resets, contracts, invoices. If there is sensitive data or client data in there, don't connect it — or use a separate account, just for this.
  4. Keep manual approval turned on ("ask me before sending or deleting anything"). A connected assistant also reads messages and documents received from other people — and some can contain hidden instructions that trick it. Your confirmation is the safety net; see also the playbook about the assistant doing things on your behalf.
  5. Tidy up regularly: go to myaccount.google.com/connections (Google) or to your Microsoft account settings under "Apps and services" and remove the connectors and apps you no longer use.

What NOT to do

  • Don't install connectors found in ads, on forums or received in messages — only use the official list inside the assistant's app.
  • Don't connect your company email or files with client data without your IT team's agreement.
  • Don't type your account password directly into a connector — a genuine connection goes through the official Google/Microsoft page, which shows you exactly what access you are giving.
  • Don't leave apps connected that you no longer use — forgotten access means forgotten risk.

How to spot it next time

  • It asks for more than it promises: a connector "just for reading your calendar" that also wants to send emails in your name.
  • A maker you can't find anywhere: no website, no contact details, appeared yesterday.
  • It's promoted aggressively — "the connector that does everything for you", insistent ads, private messages recommending it.
  • After connecting, the assistant does unexpected things — it sends, shares or searches for things you didn't ask for. Remove the connector immediately.

This guide is meant to help you act fast. It does not replace official instructions from your bank, the police or the authorities. When in doubt, call the numbers above.