Chat modes & autonomy
How to control when Perisclaw acts in each chat and whose voice it uses.
You are always in control of how active Perisclaw is. There are two layers: one overall setting that decides how forward it may be in general, and per-chat exceptions for the chats you want handled differently.
Your self-chat sits outside these modes. It is your private workspace and always works, unless you block it with WhatsApp’s built-in Chat Lock.
The overall setting
Set this once on the Permissions page. It answers a single question: when may your assistant act in a chat that is not your self-chat?
| Mode | When it acts outside your self-chat |
|---|---|
| Strict | Only when you summon it with /claw. |
| Default | Also in chats you explicitly hand over, for the purpose and period you specify. This is where most people should sit. |
| Auto | Also on new inbound activity in eligible one-to-one chats, following the engagement rules you write. |
For a standing rule such as “when a sales lead messages, notify me”, create an Automation. For a finite outcome such as “coordinate a time with Mira and book it”, create a Mission. Both stay narrowly scoped and do not turn a whole chat into an always-on assistant conversation. You don't have to pick; ask for what you want and Perisclaw sets up the right one.
Per-chat exceptions
Whatever your overall setting, individual chats can be handled differently. Tell your assistant, from inside the chat or from your self-chat:
- “Participate in this thread until Friday and answer as my assistant.” It may now respond visibly there, for that purpose and period.
- “Stop participating in this chat.” Back to only acting when summoned.
- “Never read this chat.” Blocked entirely. See below.
Both lists live on the Permissions page: Participating now shows every chat where your assistant currently has explicit permission to respond, with how to stop it; Blocked chats shows the chats it must leave alone, which apply in every mode, including Strict.
Blocking a chat properly
Draft-first by default
Whenever Perisclaw is about to send a message to someone else on your behalf, it shows the draft in your self-chat and waits for your OK. Approve by replying “send” or reacting 👍 to the draft.
The exceptions are /claw used directly in a chat (you are already standing
in it, so it acts there) and chats you have handed over. The first time it
messages a new contact for you, it confirms the name and the number before
anything goes out.
Whose voice it speaks in
When Perisclaw sends something for you in another chat, it goes out as you,
with no assistant header. Nobody needs to know how the message got written.
When you summon it with /claw, it answers as the assistant, clearly labelled.
If you would rather it be openly the assistant in a particular chat (a work group where people should know they are talking to your EA), say so: “act as my assistant in this group,” and every message there is labelled until you flip it back.
For what your assistant can reach in the first place, see Permissions & access.