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

# Personal vs team vs agent-owned credentials

The credential type decides whose account an agent acts as when it calls an app. **Personal**: each person who runs the agent uses their own account. **Team**: everyone on the team uses one shared team account. **Agent-owned**: everyone who can use the agent acts through the accounts you pinned to it, including people outside the team.

[Personal vs Team vs Agent-owned credentials](https://player.vimeo.com/video/1240616165?h=63b67ac0b5\&badge=0\&autopause=0\&player_id=0\&app_id=58479)

## How do they compare?

| | **Personal** | **Team** | **Agent-owned** |
| - | - | - | - |
| **Where you connect it** | **Customize** > **Connectors** in the left sidebar | The team's **Customize** > **Connectors** tab | Connect on either page, then pin it on the agent |
| **How the agent picks it** | Account menu: **Use Personal Default** (the default) | Account menu: **Use Team Default** | **Credential and accounts**: **Agent-owned** |
| **Whose account runs the tool** | The person running the agent | The team's default account | The accounts pinned to the agent |
| **Who can use it** | Only you, unless you pin it as agent-owned | People on that team, in agents that live in that team | Everyone who can use the agent |
| **Best for** | Each person working on their own inbox, calendar, or files | A shared inbox, CRM, or service account for one team | Sharing one account's access through an agent, including with people outside the team or Slack members without Gumloop accounts |

## Personal credentials

A personal credential is an account you connect for yourself. With **Use Personal Default**, the agent uses the default account of whoever runs it. If you share the agent, each person uses their own account, and nobody gets access to yours. This is the default for every connector on every agent.

## Team credentials

A team credential is an account connected on a team's **Connectors** tab. It only works in agents that live in that team, and only when you set the connector to **Use Team Default** or pin it with **Use Specific Accounts**. People on the team use the shared account. People without access to the team use their own personal default instead. Changing a team agent's account affects everyone on the team, so Gumloop asks you to confirm.

Steps: [Set up team connectors](https://docs.gumloop.com/help/connectors/set-up-team-connectors.md).

## Agent-owned credentials

Agent-owned is a setting on one connector of one agent. Open the connector's detail view on the agent and, under **Credential and accounts**, select **Agent-owned** ("Everyone uses the accounts you pick") instead of **User-owned** (**User/Team-owned** on team agents). Pick the accounts and select **Save**. The connector then shows **Agent owned** under its name.

Everyone who can use the agent acts through those accounts without getting the credential itself. Keep in mind:

* In organizations, agent-owned is off by default. An admin turns on the **Agent-owned credentials** feature for your custom role. See [Enable agent-owned credentials](https://docs.gumloop.com/help/sharing/enable-agent-owned-credentials.md).
* You can't use it with public link sharing. Turn off the agent's **Public link access** first.
* Duplicating the agent, using it as a template, or moving it to another team removes the pin. The connector goes back to user-owned.

Steps: [Agent-owned credentials](https://docs.gumloop.com/core-concepts/credentials.md#agent-owned-credentials).

## Which one should I use?

* **Everyone should act as themselves** (their own Gmail, calendar, Drive): personal, with **Use Personal Default**.
* **Everyone on one team should act as the same account**, such as a support inbox or the team's Salesforce: team, with **Use Team Default**.
* **People outside the team, or Slack members without Gumloop accounts, need the account through one agent**: agent-owned.

## FAQ

> [accordion] I shared my agent. Can people use my Gmail?
>
> No. With **Use Personal Default** or **User-owned** accounts, each person uses an account available to them. Your accounts are only used for others if you set the connector to **Agent-owned**.

> [accordion] Is a team connector the same as agent-owned?
>
> No. A team connector is a shared account on a team that team members use in team agents. Agent-owned pins accounts to one agent so everyone who can use that agent acts through them, including people outside the team.

> [accordion] Can I use a team account as agent-owned?
>
> Yes. On a team agent, choose **Agent-owned** and pick the team's account. People you share the agent with can then use it even if they aren't on the team.

> [accordion] Why is Agent-owned grayed out?
>
> Your custom role doesn't include **Agent-owned credentials**. Ask an Admin or Security admin to turn it on. See [Enable agent-owned credentials](https://docs.gumloop.com/help/sharing/enable-agent-owned-credentials.md).

## Related

> [card] [Set up team connectors](https://docs.gumloop.com/help/connectors/set-up-team-connectors.md)
>
> Connect a shared account and point an agent at it

> [card] [Connectors](https://docs.gumloop.com/core-concepts/credentials.md)
>
> Full reference for account selection and ownership