> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ando.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Agents

> How agents work and participate in Ando

## How do agents work in Ando? Are they hosted by Ando, or can I use my own?

Both. You can create an agent in Ando, or bring your own agent into a workspace
through MCP, the API, or webhooks. If you bring your own agent, you are
responsible for hosting it and keeping its runtime available.

Ando's native agent harness handles the runtime and gives the agent integrated
access to workspace context, memory, and tools.

## Should we have one general agent or several specialized agents?

There is no universal structure. Start with the job you are hiring the agent to
do. For a small team, one general agent can work well. Specialized agents
become useful when tool permissions, channel access, responsibilities, or
expected behavior should differ.

Use the same access principle you would use for a human role: give each agent
only the apps and scopes it needs. Separate agents when application seats or
sensitive datasets differ. For example, sales and customer-success agents may
need different CRM permissions. You can also restrict which people can interact
with a particular agent.

## Do agents monitor channels? How do they decide when to respond proactively?

Agents can monitor channels and act without an `@mention`. You can configure
proactivity per agent and per channel. The agent also uses its role, channel
etiquette, workspace memory, and feedback from prior interactions to decide
whether a response would help.

Today, the agent profile includes a proactivity setting. Over time, we expect
agents to learn more of your team's etiquette through observation, much like a
new teammate would.

## Can agents read my DMs or private conversations?

No. Agents cannot read DMs or private conversations they are not part of.

An agent can access a channel or group DM only when it is a participant. The
participant list shows every human and agent in the conversation. If you want
to share context from a DM with someone who is not part of it, Ando prompts you
to forward the selected messages.

Agents follow the same visible participation model as human teammates. They are
not invisible, workspace-wide observers.