AI Agent Sent Wrong Email/Message: Damage Control Guide

When an AI agent sends an incorrect, embarrassing, or harmful email, Slack message, or other communication on your behalf, the damage is immediate — you cannot unsend most messages. SafeClaw by Authensor prevents this by blocking all outbound communication actions (email, messaging, webhooks) through deny-by-default gating, requiring explicit approval before any agent can send a message to anyone. If the wrong message has already been sent, this guide covers damage control and prevention.

Immediate Damage Control

1. Stop the Agent

Terminate the agent immediately to prevent additional messages.

2. Assess What Was Sent

Review exactly what the agent sent:

• Email: Check your sent folder or email provider's API logs
• Slack/Teams: Check the channel or DM where the message was posted
• SMS/Push notifications: Check your messaging provider's delivery logs
• Webhook: Check the receiving service's logs

• Who received the message?
• What did the message say?
• Did it contain sensitive or incorrect information?
• How many recipients were affected?

3. Send a Correction

If the message was incorrect or harmful, send a follow-up immediately:

For emails:
Reply to the original thread with a correction. Be direct:
> "The previous message was sent in error by an automated system. Please disregard. [Correct information follows...]"

For Slack/Teams:
Delete the message if possible, then post the correction. Most platforms allow message deletion within a time window.

For customer-facing messages:
If the message went to customers, coordinate with your customer success team before sending a correction to avoid making the situation worse.

4. Review the Audit Trail

npx @authensor/safeclaw audit --filter "action:email" --last 20
npx @authensor/safeclaw audit --filter "action:message" --last 20
npx @authensor/safeclaw audit --filter "action:network.request" --last 30

SafeClaw's hash-chained audit trail shows exactly what the agent sent, when, and to whom.

Install SafeClaw and Block Outbound Communications

npx @authensor/safeclaw

Configure Communication Gating

Add to your safeclaw.policy.yaml:

rules:
  # Block all email sending
  - action: email.send
    resource: "*"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Agents cannot send emails without approval"

# Block all messaging platforms
  - action: message.send
    resource: "*"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Agents cannot send messages without approval"

# Block webhook calls that trigger notifications
  - action: network.request
    resource: "https://hooks.slack.com/**"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block Slack webhook posts"

- action: network.request
    resource: "https://api.sendgrid.com/**"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block SendGrid email API"

- action: network.request
    resource: "https://api.mailgun.net/**"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block Mailgun email API"

- action: network.request
    resource: "https://api.twilio.com/**"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block Twilio SMS API"

# Block shell commands that send mail
  - action: shell.exec
    resource: "mail *"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block system mail command"

- action: shell.exec
    resource: "sendmail *"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block sendmail command"

- action: shell.exec
    resource: "curl slack"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block curl to Slack webhooks"

Allow Specific Communications with Human Approval

If your agent needs to send messages as part of its workflow, require human-in-the-loop approval:

rules:
  - action: email.send
    resource: "internal-team@your-company.com"
    effect: allow
    require_approval: true
    approval_timeout: 300
    reason: "Agent can send to internal team with approval"

Block Communication Indirectly Via APIs

Agents might bypass direct email rules by calling APIs:

rules:
  # Block any POST to known communication APIs
  - action: network.request
    resource: "https://api.postmarkapp.com/**"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block Postmark email API"

- action: network.request
    resource: "https://discord.com/api/**"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block Discord API"

- action: network.request
    resource: "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/sendMail"
    effect: deny
    reason: "Block Microsoft Graph mail API"

Troubleshooting Scenarios

Agent sent emails to your entire contact list: This is a mass communication incident. Contact your email provider about potential recall options. Send a mass correction. Monitor for unsubscribes and complaints.

Agent posted to a public Slack channel: Delete the message immediately if you have permissions. If it contained sensitive information, treat it as a data exposure incident.

Agent sent a message with wrong data: The correction message should clearly state what was wrong and what the correct information is. Do not blame the AI — just correct the information professionally.

Agent triggered automated follow-up chains: If the wrong message triggered automated workflows (drip campaigns, ticket creation, etc.), cancel those workflows immediately.

Prevention

Outbound communication is an irreversible action. Once sent, you cannot unsend. SafeClaw's deny-by-default model blocks all communication actions unless explicitly allowed, and the 446-test suite validates this across Claude and OpenAI integrations. Always require human approval for any agent action that sends messages to real people.

Related Resources

• Prevent Agent Sending Emails
• Define: Human-in-the-Loop
• AI Agent Sent Data to External Server: Response
• How to Approve Agent Actions