Before asking AI to work with a confidential document, decide what it may read, what it may change, and who will review the result. An assistant can produce a useful answer while still handling more information than the task requires.
Consider a consultant preparing a client update. The agent needs this month's approved project notes. It does not need another client's pricing, an internal staff discussion, or the consultant's entire folder of proposals. Defining that boundary is the first security decision.
Start with the information you actually need
Make a short list of sources for the task. Remove personal details and secrets that do not contribute to the result. If the agent already has a long conversation containing other projects, begin a fresh session when practical.
A fresh session reduces accidental context carryover. It does not change the documents an account can access or the provider's data practices. Those need separate checks.
In Skybits, inspect both the item and its surrounding sharing structure. A document may inherit access from a folder or tag. A connected agent may be able to search other items available to the authorizing account. An open document tab is therefore not a complete description of the agent's reach.
Choose the AI connection deliberately
The Skybits cloud agent, an external assistant, and a local runtime have different processing paths. Ask where the prompt and retrieved content go, which service receives them, and what account terms apply.
For an external assistant, check the provider and the plan you actually use. For a local agent, check whether it still calls a remote model. A local executable does not make every request local.
Keep three questions separate: Does the service retain content? May it use content for training? Where may it process content? A favorable answer to one does not settle the others.
Limit actions as well as reading
A summary task generally does not need sharing or deletion authority. In Skybits, review connector scopes and account Agent permissions before connecting a workflow. API-key setup distinguishes reading from creating and editing. The current Guide also describes controls for sharing, Trash, and version restoration.
Scope names describe tool authority. They do not automatically mean that the key has a custom list of selected documents. Check the underlying document permissions too.
Give the agent a task with a clear stopping point:
Use only the approved project notes to draft a client update. Include only facts supported by those notes. Flag gaps. Do not change access, share the result, or use information from other projects. Stop when the draft is ready for review.
This is useful task guidance. Enforced permissions remain necessary because a sentence in a prompt cannot replace an access control.
Review for accuracy and unintended disclosure
Check whether the output includes another client's name, internal pricing, personal information, or unsupported claims. Review links and attachments too. A polished document can still disclose information through a title, embedded resource, comment, or export.
Use the appropriate Skybits review surface. Rich-text content edits arrive as suggestions; spreadsheets, canvases, and files use different review models. For sensitive work, name the person responsible for reviewing before the output is distributed.
A small preflight check
- Is this information approved for the selected AI service?
- Are the sources limited to what the task needs?
- Have I checked direct, inherited, and link access?
- Does the agent have only the actions required?
- Who reviews the result and its audience?
When these answers are clear, the first workflow is easier to control and easier to explain to a colleague approving it.
Next step: Read the guides on sharing and AI data handling, then check the Skybits Help.