Privacy and permissions
Understand what runs locally, what leaves your Mac, and what an agent can access.
On this page
Local by default#
- ADE and its background process run on your Mac. So do your chat history, tasks, and terminals.
- VideoDraft Editor projects, timeline edits, previews, and exports all run on your Mac.
- Claude Code and Codex use their own local sign-in sessions. Managed VD Code uses your VideoDraft account.
- To complete a turn, ADE sends your chats and files to the provider behind the agent you chose.
- A VideoDraft media tool uploads your prompt and any input media to VideoDraft servers.
- Dictation streams your microphone audio to Deepgram. It uses a short-lived token from your VideoDraft session.
File access follows task scope#
An agent starts in the current task. Attachments and linked folders widen what it can read. ADE edits an opened folder project in place, so choose that folder carefully.
- Review the active task before sending a destructive request.
- Link only the folders the task needs.
- Use plan mode when you want to inspect an approach before file changes.
- Scheduled tasks run unattended. Keep their prompts and file scope narrower than interactive work.
Permission modes#
Permission modes control when an agent pauses for approval. The options available depend on the agent you choose.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Plan | The agent proposes an approach first and does not change files until you accept it. |
| Ask | The agent works, but pauses for approval before a protected action such as running a command or writing outside its task. |
| Auto | The agent runs without stopping to ask. Scheduled runs always use this mode. |
Credentials#
ADE inherits your Claude Code and Codex sign-ins from the local CLI keychains. Signing in to VideoDraft creates a separate VideoDraft CLI credential for ADE. It does not overwrite your own videodraft CLI configuration.
macOS permissions#
| Permission | When VideoDraft uses it |
|---|---|
| Notifications | Optional. Shows an alert when a background response finishes or an agent needs you. |
| Microphone | Optional. ADE requests it when you start dictation, then sends your audio out for live transcription. |
| Screen Recording | Optional. Needed when you capture a browser preview screenshot into a chat, and for Computer Use. Restart ADE after you grant it, because macOS does not apply it to a running app. |
| Accessibility and Background input | Optional. Needed only for Computer Use, so Codex can click and type in other apps. macOS lists the helper as VideoDraft Computer Use. |
Agent approvals are separate
When an agent requests approval, review the command or file path in the approval card, then allow or deny it.
Enterprise data privacy#
Your VideoDraft workspace can turn on Enterprise data privacy for everyone in it. When it does, Settings > Account shows Enterprise data privacy, marked Managed.
- It turns off features that need outside AI providers, such as AI chat titles, custom MCP servers, and importing custom agent configuration.
- VD Code, Grok Build, Computer Use, dictation, and telemetry are unavailable while it is on.
- Workspace MCP stays on, because it runs on your Mac.