--- title: "Common issues & solutions" description: "What each Clam message means, why your agent sees it, and the one to three steps that fix it." route: /docs/troubleshooting --- # Common issues & solutions When Clam refuses something, it tells your agent why in one sentence, and the agent relays it to you. This page lists those sentences in the order people hit them, with the fix in the console at [console.useclam.ai](https://console.useclam.ai). If yours isn't here, [contact us](https://useclam.ai/contact). ## Why isn't Clam in my agent's directory? Claude and ChatGPT don't list Clam for every account yet, and managed workspaces often need an admin to allow third-party connectors. On your Shell's **Install** tab, pick your agent and choose **Add custom connector** (Claude) or **Add custom MCP server** (ChatGPT). Those steps use the Shell's own link. [Claude](https://useclam.ai/docs/agents/claude) · [ChatGPT](https://useclam.ai/docs/agents/chatgpt) ## Why can't I sign in? The sign-in page says *Clam is invite-only for now.* Only the Google account that received the invite can sign in, so use that one. No invite? [Request early access](https://console.useclam.ai/get-early-access) with the Gmail address you want Clam to manage. ## Why does Clam's sign-in window stop me? *You don’t have a Shell yet* means your agent asked for a Shell and your account has none. Click **Create a Shell in Clam**, then connect your agent again. *This sign-in can’t be completed* means your agent's link points at no Shell you have. Add Clam to your agent again from the right Shell's **Install** tab. [Quickstart](https://useclam.ai/docs/get-started/quickstart) ## Why does the connection check say “Nothing yet”? **Check connection** only sees a real request, and adding Clam isn't one. In your agent, ask something that uses the Shell, such as a prompt from the **Install** tab, then check again. Still nothing? Confirm you clicked **Allow** in Clam's sign-in window and that the agent is on this Shell, not another. ## Why does my agent say “Action not allowed”? Clam is working as intended: the Shell's rules don't allow that action on that email, and anything not allowed is blocked. The mailbox's **Audit log** names the rule. To allow the action, edit the rules and click **Activate**. To have the agent ask first, change the rule to ask me before. [How rules work](https://useclam.ai/docs/policies/how-rules-work) ## Why does it say “This Shell is paused”? *This Shell is paused. Resume it in Clam to use it again.* You paused it, or **Pause all** on the mailbox overview did. Open the Shell and click **Resume**, or click **Resume all** on the mailbox overview. [Remove an agent's access](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/remove-access) ## Why does it say “The Clam plan for this mailbox has ended”? The message ends *Subscribe in Clam to use this Shell again.* Your trial or paid plan ended, so every Shell stops answering agents. Click **Upgrade** in the sidebar and finish checkout; your Shells resume as they were. We keep your Gmail connection, rules and audit log for 30 days, then revoke Gmail access and delete your Shells. [Privacy and security](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/privacy-and-security) ## Why does it say “Clam has lost access to this mailbox’s Gmail”? The message ends *Reconnect Gmail in Clam to use this Shell again.* Your Google account no longer grants Clam the permissions it needs, usually because you removed Clam from its third-party connections. On the mailbox overview, click **Reconnect Gmail** on the red banner and approve the permissions. No agent needs reconnecting. [Privacy and security](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/privacy-and-security) ## Why can't my agent find older or brand-new email? Clam acts only on labelled mail. Its first scan covers recent email, so the agent is told the scan's starting date and to search after it. We can't scan older mail yet. Brand-new mail says *Clam hasn’t classified this message yet: it arrived after the last sync, which runs every few minutes. Try again shortly.* Ask again in a minute. [What your agent can do](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/what-your-agent-can-do) ## Why does it say “Clam couldn’t classify this message”? *Clam couldn't classify this message, so it was denied for now. Retry the same call; don't reword the message.* Before mail goes out, Clam labels what the agent wrote so your rules can judge it, and that step timed out. Retry with the same message; rewording changes what your rules see. ## Why does it say “This Shell is closed”? *This Shell is closed. It reopens ().* The Shell has office hours and the request came outside them; nothing was read or changed. Wait, or edit **Office hours** on the Shell's **Settings** tab. To remove them, turn off **Keep office hours**. ## Why didn't an approval reach me? Approvals go to the channel picked in the **Approvals** card on the Shell's **Settings** tab. Without one it reads **In-app · Approvals tab**, and requests appear only on the Shell's **Approvals** tab, where you can decide them. You have 60 minutes. [Approvals](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/approvals) ## Why does it say “This approval is no longer valid”? The agent reports the approval as **expired**: *This approval is no longer valid. Resubmit only if your user asks you to.* You had 60 minutes to decide, then the agent 60 minutes to use the result, and one passed. Activating rules, pausing the Shell or removing the agent also cancels waiting requests. Ask the agent again. [Approvals](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/approvals) ## Why are approval requests paused? The **Approvals** tab says **Approval requests are paused**: *Approval requests from this agent are paused after repeated limits. Calls that need your approval are denied until you resume.* A Shell may hold 3 open requests and make 10 an hour; hitting a limit twice in 24 hours pauses it. Decide the waiting requests and click **Resume requests**. [Approvals](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/approvals) ## Why is my agent on the wrong Shell? The **Install** tab says *Your connector is set to "".* A connector points at one Shell at a time. On that Shell's **Install** tab, click **Remove access** under **Connected agents**, then connect the agent from the right Shell. To keep both, add the second Shell by its link instead. [Remove an agent's access](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/remove-access) ## What if I lost or leaked a key? A key is shown once; we can't show it again. On the Shell's **Install** tab, pick the agent and click **Regenerate key**. The old key stops at once, no other agent is affected, and anything still using it gets **Unauthorized**. Paste the new key into the agent, or click **Remove access** to cut it off. [Remove an agent's access](https://useclam.ai/docs/trust/remove-access) ## Still stuck? Check the mailbox's **Audit log** first: every call is there with the reason it was denied. If the answer isn't here, [contact us](https://useclam.ai/contact) with the Shell's name and the message your agent showed.