Mastering Mate Authorizations

Why use Authorizations? 💡

allmates.ai is a collaborative platform where multiple users interact with multiple AIs in shared spaces. In this environment, a Mate is not just a chatbot: it is a bundle of AI models (sometimes costly), confidential documents, and connected tools (APIs, data access).

Introducing authorizations gives you powerful governance over these assets:

1. Granular Confidentiality: Ensure your Mates are accessible only to legitimate individuals (yourself, a specific project group, or an entire department), thereby protecting the sensitive data they contain.
2. Resource Control: By controlling who can use a Mate, you indirectly control who consumes tokens on high-performance models or who can trigger actions via connected tools.
3. Configuration Security: Guarantee that a Mate's "recipe" (its instructions, knowledge base) cannot be altered by an unauthorized person.

1. Authorization Matrix

Mate roles are not organization roles. Each Mate has its own roles (Mate Owner, Mate Admin, Mate User, Mate List), set in the Mate's Authorizations tab. Your role in the organization (Owner, Admin, User, Viewer) does not give you any role on a Mate. An organization Owner or Admin sees only the Mates shared with them or with "All organization members".

The table below summarizes what each Mate role allows you to do with a Mate.

• Mate Owner: The only one who can delete the agent or transfer ownership.
• Mate Admin: The operational right-hand, manages everything except deletion.
• Mate User: The standard consumer, uses the agent without seeing its internal "kitchen."
• Mate List: Knows the agent exists but cannot interact with it.

2. Usage Scenarios: Which setting to choose?

Here is how to configure your authorizations based on your actual needs:

🛡️ Scenario A: "My strictly personal Mate"

You create a Mate connected to your personal calendar. No one else should be able to use it.

• Setting: Do nothing! By default, you are the sole Mate Owner and the "All organization members" group is set to No access.
• Result: You are the only one who can see and use this Mate.

👥 Scenario B: "My project team's Mate"

You have designed an expert Mate for your team of 5 people. They need to be able to use it, and your assistant needs to be able to improve it.

• Setting: You remain the Mate Owner (automatic upon creation).
• Add your assistant as a Mate Admin.
• Add your 4 colleagues as Mate Users.
• Leave "All organization members" on No access.

Result: Only the project team knows the Mate exists and can work with it. The rest of the company does not see it.

🏢 Scenario C: "The institutional company Mate"

You create an "HR" or "IT Helpdesk" Mate that everyone should be able to use, but only you manage the instructions and files.

• Setting: You remain the Mate Owner.
• Configure "All organization members" as Mate User.

Result: Every member of the company can invoke the Mate, but no one can see or modify its internal configuration.

3. Key Rules and Security

• Privacy by default: Every new Mate is private upon creation. It is up to you to decide to open access.
• Service continuity (Fail-safe): A Mate must always have a Mate Owner. When a member is suspended, their Mate Owner role on each Mate (and their Owner role on each tool) moves to an organization Owner. Your critical Mates and tools never become orphans. If the organization has no other Owner, the roles stay unchanged.
• Conversation integrity: If you are invited to a conversation where a Mate is present for which you do not have the Mate User role, you will not be able to interact with it. Even if you mention it, it will refuse to respond.
• Mates asking Mates: another Mate cannot query a Mate for you when you are not allowed to use that Mate.

4. Interaction with Organization Plans & Roles

It is important to understand how Mate Authorizations intersect with your global Organization Plan (Essential, Standard, Advanced, Expert).

Think of it as a two-step verification:

1. The Plan gives you the capability (the feature).
2. The Authorization gives you the right (the access to the specific Mate).

The "Expert" Plan Requirement

To exercise the rights of a Mate Owner or Mate Admin (specifically creating, editing, and configuring a Mate), you must hold the Expert plan at the organization level.

• Scenario: You are designated as the Mate Owner, but your personal plan is Standard.
• Consequence: You will not be able to access the configuration interface or edit the Mate. Your Organization Plan restricts you from using the "Builder" features. You will effectively be limited to a Mate User experience until your plan is upgraded to Expert.

Summary: To build, edit, or manage a Mate, you need both the Mate-level authorization (Mate Owner/Mate Admin) AND the Organization-level capability (Expert Plan).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How can I make my Mate visible in the company list to inform others of its existence, without granting access immediately? A: Set the "All organization members" authorization to List. Colleagues will see the Mate in the list but will not be able to click "Chat".

Q: Can an organization Owner or Admin see all the Mates of the organization? A: No. Organization roles do not grant access to Mates. Like every member, an organization Owner or Admin sees a Mate only when it is shared with them (Mate Owner, Mate Admin, Mate User or Mate List) or with "All organization members". The one exception: when a member is suspended, their Mate Owner roles move to an organization Owner (see section 3).

Q: Can I remove the rights of the Mate's creator? A: Only another Mate Owner can modify a Mate Owner's rights. A Mate Admin cannot do this.

Q: Why is the Mate not responding to me in a group chat when I see it answering others? A: You likely do not have the Mate User role on that Mate. Seeing the conversation (Workspace right) does not automatically grant the right to use the Mate (Agent right).

Q: I am a Mate Owner, but the "Edit" button is greyed out or missing. Why? A: Check your Organization Plan. As explained in section 4, you must be on the Expert plan to access the editing features. Contact your Organization Admin to upgrade your plan.

Related articles

• Mastering Tool Authorizations
• Creating a Mate