Human-in-the-loop confirmations for write actions

With human-in-the-loop confirmations for write actions in the Glean web app, write actions now:

• Pause before they run, instead of executing immediately.
• Wait for approval or cancellation before continuing.

This experience:

• Applies by default to write actions in Agents that run in the Glean web app.
• Is available only in interactive web app sessions.
• Excludes read-only actions such as search or lookup.
• Leaves Slack and Microsoft Teams behavior unchanged.

You can still opt specific steps to Run without user confirmation when the workflow is safe to auto-run in the web app.

A write action creates or updates data in another system. Examples include:

• Creating or updating records in Jira, Salesforce, or other apps.
• Creating documents or spreadsheets.
• Sending or drafting emails or messages.
• Pushing code or opening pull requests with actions like Code Writer.

note

Human-in-the-loop confirmations apply to the final output of a task. They do not trigger for internal plan and execute steps, where the Agent is thinking or searching for information. If that plan results in a write action like creating a ticket, the confirmation prompt will still appear before the action is finalized.

Experiencing write confirmations

When a write step starts in the Glean web app, the experience happens in two phases:

1. Pause with allow/deny

   The panel shows:

   • Target app, for example, Jira, Salesforce, Google Drive.
   • The specific record or resource when known, for example, issue key, opportunity, document, and so on.
   • A short description of what the agent plans to do.

   From this screen, you can:

   • Allow: let the agent proceed with the write step.
   • Cancel: stop the write action and return to the conversation.

2. Editable preview (for supported actions)

   For write actions that support inline editing in the Glean web app, clicking Allow opens an editable preview where you can review and update fields or content before the change is saved. For example, you can:

   • Edit fields on a Salesforce record update.
   • Tweak the text of a Jira comment or description before posting.

note

Some actions do not currently have an inline preview. This includes Google and Microsoft actions that create documents, emails, or spreadsheets. For these, Allow runs the action directly, and you can edit the result in the target app or through Canvas experiences that build on the created content.

Reviewing batch actions

Certain complex requests generate multiple write actions across your connected applications. Instead of processing these individually, Glean consolidates them into a grouped review.

For example, a single prompt might ask Glean to:

• Distribute communications: Send multiple Slack messages or draft several emails.
• Manage schedules: Create a series of calendar events.
• Organize tasks: Generate multiple Jira issues or update various records.

Grouped reviews allow you to audit all planned changes in a single view, ensuring you maintain full control over what is executed in external systems.

Grouped reviews streamline multi-step workflows by reducing the friction of approving individual tasks. By centralizing the review process, you can:

• Increase efficiency: Review several planned changes together rather than one by one.
• Maintain control: Approve only the actions you want, ensuring no unintended data is sent.
• Reduce risk: Avoid running incorrect or duplicate writes in external production systems.

Reviewing action details

When a request triggers multiple actions, Glean displays a dedicated preview card for each planned item. Depending on the action type, these previews typically include:

Detail	Description
Destination app	The specific platform, for example, Salesforce, Jira, Outlook where the data will be written.
Target identity	The specific channel, recipient, record, or document being modified.
Header info	The title, subject line, or summary of the entry.
Content body	The full message text, description, or payload of the write action.

Managing pending actions

The grouped review interface is designed for granular control. From this view, you can:

• Audit individually: Scroll through each preview to verify accuracy and context.
• Selective approval: Approve only specific actions while leaving others pending.
• Bulk execution: Use Approve All to execute the entire set if the plan meets your requirements.
• Skip/cancel: Explicitly skip actions you do not want to perform.

note

Only actions you explicitly approve are executed. Glean will never perform a write action in an external system without your direct confirmation.

Authentication and connectivity

Some write actions may require an active connection to the target application. If you have not yet authenticated:

1. Glean prompts you to Connect the required app.
2. After the authentication completes, you are automatically returned to your pending request.

important

Authenticating an app is not an approval. You must still review and manually approve the write action after the connection is established.

Example: Project update workflow

Imagine an agent that:

1. Summarizes recent activity.
2. Drafts a status update in a Google Doc.
3. Posts the doc link in a Jira epic.

With confirmations enabled in the Glean web app:

1. The agent drafts the Google Doc and pauses at the Create Google Doc step.
2. You review the planned write. For supported actions, you can edit the title or body, then click Allow.
3. The agent uses the new doc URL to prepare the Jira comment.
4. You review the Jira update and approve the second write.

Controls for agent creators

Default behavior for write steps

For interactive agents in the Glean web app, write steps:

• Pause before every write.
• Show a confirmation panel with the target app and planned change.
• Pass write outputs to later steps (IDs, URLs, status fields).

Run without user confirmation

Use Run without user confirmation only for safe, repeatable steps in interactive agents:

1. Open the write step in the Agent Builder.
2. Enable Run without user confirmation.
3. Test inputs and parameters in a controlled environment.

When enabled for an interactive agent, the action runs immediately in the Glean web app without showing a confirmation panel. Use this only when you’re confident about the scope and impact of the write step.

Scheduled and background agents

Human-in-the-loop confirmations currently apply only to interactive sessions in the Glean web app.

For scheduled or background agents:

• Only a small set of write actions are eligible to run in the background.
• These eligible write actions run without an interactive confirmation panel.

When Agent Inbox is enabled for an agent, Glean can notify users when a background run is blocked waiting for approval. Users can review and decide whether to proceed from the Inbox.

Distinguishing write confirmations from Wait for user input

Wait for user input lets an agent collect structured input during an interactive session. You can use it to ask questions or validate inputs.

Write confirmations differ because they:

• Trigger automatically at each write step.
• Focus on reviewing and approving a specific change to another system.

You can pair write confirmation with Wait for user input to gather parameters first, then require approval before writing.

Best practices

• Generate content before writing by using a Respond step so users can see and refine what will be written.
• Reserve inline execution (Run without user confirmation) for trusted, predictable flows in interactive agents.
• Use scheduled triggers only with pre-approved writes and tight scoping, where you are confident the agent will not attempt unexpected changes.