AI Mode Access Restrictions — Obvious Help Center

Workspace owners and admins can control which AI modes are available to members. Restrict modes to manage costs, simplify the mode picker, or limit access to advanced capabilities.

Find the setting

Open Settings from the sidebar.
Select AI Mode Access under the Workspace section.

The page lists every available mode with its name, description, and cost tier (Fast, Standard, Advanced, or Premium).

Note: Only workspace owners and admins see this page. If you don't see AI Mode Access in your settings sidebar, you don't have the required role.

Set a restriction

Each mode has three states. Pick one per mode:

Enabled — Members can see and select the mode.
Disabled — Members can't select the mode, but it still appears in the mode picker (grayed out).
Disabled & Hidden — Members can't select the mode and it doesn't appear in the picker at all.

To change a mode's state, click the corresponding option in the row. Your changes won't apply until you click Save changes.

Tip: Use Enable All or Disable All at the top of the page to set every mode at once, then adjust individual modes from there.

What you can't restrict

Auto mode is always enabled. Obvious requires at least one active mode for every workspace, and Auto is that baseline. You can restrict every other mode, but Auto stays on.

How restrictions affect members

Restrictions apply workspace-wide and take effect immediately after saving. Members who had a restricted mode selected are moved to Auto on their next interaction. Custom modes built on a restricted base mode are also affected — if the base mode is disabled, the custom mode can't run.

Next steps

Workspace Roles & Permissions → — Understand which roles can manage settings.
AI Modes Overview → — Learn what each mode does and when to use it.