Connection prompts users say yes to
Agent200 handles the OAuth mechanics. What the user sees is up to you. Ask at the moment of need, say what the agent will not do, and ask for less.
2 min read
At some point your agent will need access to an account a user has not connected yet. Agent200 handles the OAuth mechanics; what the user experiences in that moment is up to you. A good prompt earns the connection. A bad one gets abandoned.
Two ways the moment arrives
- In your interface. Agent200 responds that authorization is required and gives you an authorization URL. You decide where and how to present it, and when to run the request again.
- Through hosted authorization. Agent200 provides the authorization experience, so there is no connection screen for you to build.
The advice below applies to both, and matters most when you present the prompt yourself.
Ask at the moment of need
A wall of “connect everything” buttons during signup asks for trust before you have earned it. Ask when the user requests something that needs the account: “To summarize your inbox, connect your email.” The reason is obvious, so the yes comes easily.
Say what the agent will do, and what it will not
One or two sentences, in your product’s voice:
Your assistant will read recent email to prepare your morning brief. It will not send or delete anything.
If you enabled read-only endpoints, say so. It is the single most reassuring sentence you can write.
Ask for less
The provider’s consent screen lists the scopes you requested. A short list reads as trustworthy; a long one reads as a grab. Request only the scopes your enabled endpoints need, and add more later when a feature needs them.
Make the return trip smooth
- The user approves on the provider’s page.
- The provider redirects to Agent200, which stores the connection for that user.
- Bring the user back to where they were, with their request ready to run.
Remember what they asked for before the detour, so they do not have to ask twice.
Handle “not now”
Some users will decline. Keep the rest of the product working, explain what they are missing in one line, and leave a way to connect later from settings. Never nag on every request.
Show connections in settings
A simple list of connected accounts with a way to disconnect builds confidence. Users who can leave easily are more willing to connect in the first place.
A checklist for your connection prompt
- Shown when the feature is requested, not before.
- States the purpose in one sentence.
- States what the agent will not do.
- Requests the minimum scopes.
- Returns the user to their task afterwards.
- Works gracefully when declined.
Read more about managed OAuth and how permissions work.
