# What a connected app can do

When you [connect Claude or another AI app](/connections/connect-claude), ako gives it a set of tools. The app decides when to call them. Each tool acts as you, with your role, and never approves anything.

Which tools an app gets depends on two things: how much of the organisation you approved it for, and whether your role can change the brain. If your role is Read, or you approved the app to read only, it gets no tools that write. Every write is checked again when it runs.

As of 2026-10-15.

## In every connection

| Tool | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `search` | Searches the brain for a phrase and returns the lines that match, with each file's path and title. |
| `list_files` | Lists the files in a folder with their title, description, tags and authors, without their content. |
| `read` | Reads one file. It also reads a [skill](/assistant/add-a-skill) that applies here. |
| `list_skills` | Lists your organisation's skills that are switched on and your own skills, and which one wins when they disagree. |
| `list_routines` | Lists the brain's [routines](/assistant/schedule-a-routine), with their schedules and last run, and how many of your organisation's routine places are in use. |
| `list_brains_and_capacity` | Lists the brains you can read, and how many more brains your plan allows. |
| `propose_brain` | Checks a name, purpose and folders for a new brain and shows what it would create. It creates nothing. To create the brain, use [Create a brain](/brains/create-a-brain) in ako. |

## When your role can change the brain

| Tool | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `write` | Saves a file. A change your role can't save directly, or one to a protected folder, is sent for approval instead. |
| `propose_change` | Sends a change for approval, wherever it is. |
| `delete` | Sends a file or folder delete for approval. A connected app can't delete directly. See [Delete files and folders](/brains/delete-files). |
| `propose_routine` | Sends a new routine, with its name, schedule, time zone and instructions, for approval. The routine starts once someone approves it under **Proposals** in ako. |

## When you approved the whole organisation

An app approved for the **Whole organisation** works from your org-wide brain. These tools let it reach the other brains you can read:

| Tool | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `list_brains` | Lists the other brains you can read. |
| `search_brain` | Searches one of those brains. |
| `read_brain` | Reads one file from one of those brains. |
| `request_cross_brain_access` | Asks a person to let the app read, or propose changes, in a brain that asks first. |

In a whole-organisation connection, `write`, `propose_change` and `delete` can also name another brain. A change there is always sent for that brain's approvers.

An app approved for **One brain only** gets none of these, and can't name another brain.

### When a brain asks first

Each brain decides whether agents from other conversations can come in: always, never, or only after a person says yes. When a brain asks first, the app calls `request_cross_brain_access`, and someone has to approve the request.

- **To read**: if it's your own app reading a brain you can already read, some apps show you an **Allow** or **Don't allow** choice in the app itself.
- **To propose changes**: someone with Approve on that brain decides, in ako, under **Proposals**. Some apps offer you a link there.

If your app can't show either, the request waits under **Proposals** in ako. An approved request lasts 8 hours, or until you disconnect the app.

## Linear

If your organisation has connected [Linear](/connections/linear), the app also gets these, unless an admin has set **In chats** to **No access**:

| Tool | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `linear_search_issues` | Searches issues and returns each one's identifier, title, status and link. |
| `linear_get_issue` | Reads one issue. |
| `linear_recent_issues` | Lists recently updated issues, by team or project if you ask. |
| `linear_create_issue` | Files a new issue. Only there when **In chats** is set to **Read and write**, which is the default. |

It uses your own Linear account if you've connected one, and otherwise the organisation's.

## Your organisation's MCP servers

If an admin has [added an MCP server](/connections/add-an-mcp-server), the app also gets the tools the admin switched on for it, each with the server's prefix.

## What a connected app doesn't get

- Your [personal brain](/brains/your-personal-brain). It can't open, list or ask for it.
- Approving anything, managing who can reach a brain, or publishing public docs.
- Writing a document side by side with you, and importing files. Those happen in ako's own chat.

When you send a change for approval and you can approve it yourself, some apps open the proposal in ako for you to decide.