Laurel Assistants
Laurel Assistants are automated tools designed to accurately and securely collect data on your work activities from various platforms and services you use daily.
By providing integrations with services such as Microsoft Exchange, Teams, and Zoom, the Assistants can compile necessary data to create precise timesheets, helping streamline operations and enhance firm profitability.
They prioritize security, requiring only necessary permissions and adhering to best practices to ensure safe and responsible data handling.
The following Laurel Assistants are currently supported pending you meet Supported Systems & Requirements for Laurel.
Cloud-based Assistants
Local-based Assistants
Windows (MSI/X)
If you are allowlisting access, please see and allow the required URLs and IPs for Laurel.
Best Practices for Setting up Laurel Assistants
Long-Validity Tokens: Opt for tokens with a longer lifespan to minimize disruptions due to expiration. It reduces the frequency of renewals, ensuring a smoother operation.
Reminders for Token Expiration: Set calendar reminders to track the expiration dates of your tokens, ensuring timely renewals and avoiding unexpected outages.
Dedicated Tokens or Secrets for Laurel: Allocate specific tokens or secrets exclusively for Laurel to maintain a structured environment and to facilitate easier tracking and management.
Allowlist Laurel’s Access: Ensure that Laurel’s access is allowlisted in your security systems to maintain a steady data flow, preventing potential blocks by firewall or other security appliances.
Regular Local-based Assistant Updates: Ensure MSI/X are deployed quarterly at a minimum, and ideally monthly. MSIX deployments can be automatically updated on behalf of users to minimize workflow disruptions.
Regular Security Reviews: Periodically review the permission levels granted to Laurel, ensuring it only retains the necessary accesses, enhancing overall security.
Proper setup ensures not just optimal functionality but also robust security.
Permissions by Laurel Assistant
Cloud-based Assistants
Microsoft Exchange (O365 online and local servers)
Laurel Activity Collection: Allows the automated and precise logging of work hours based on the user's email and calendar activities.
Email: Scans email metadata and content for enrichment and recording work duration.
to:, cc:, subject, body (first 1000 characters)
Calendar: Monitors calendar entries to log work-related events accurately.
title, participants (emails), body
Detailed Permission Requirements 0365
Please provide the permissions for the installation of Office 365 present at your firm as we support two different products.
Service / Version | Collection | Permission | Level |
Office 365 (Exchange Online) | Emails, Events | full_access_as_app | Application |
O365 Online (Graph API) | Emails Events | Mail.Read Calendar.Read | Enabled |
Detailed Permission Requirements On-Prem Exchange
Service / Version | Collection | Permission |
On Prem Exchange | Emails, Events | Impersonation Access for "Laurel Service" account |
Detailed On-Prem Permissions: https://intercom.help/laurel/en/articles/7065310-exchange-server-on-premises-configuration-for-laurel
Load and Performance Considerations: Designed for optimal operation with nominal server load to ensure seamless integration without hampering the existing system’s performance.
The corresponding local Laurel Windows Assistant minimizes interaction with local Outlook installation to avoid application performance degradation.
Exchange server polling occurs at 15 minute intervals.
Other Security Considerations: Adheres strictly to Microsoft’s security guidelines, ensuring data is accessed securely and responsibly.
We recommend using Application Access Policies to control the focus of data collection abilities of the application to specific users.
Microsoft Teams
Laurel Activity Collection: Essential for accumulating comprehensive data on work-related activities conducted through Microsoft Teams.
Meetings: Collects metadata from scheduled and held meetings for accurate time logging.
Phone Calls: Gathers phone call data to incorporate into the timekeeping records.
Detailed Permission Requirements
Service / Version | Collection | Permission | Level |
Microsoft Graph API | Users | User.Read.All | Application |
Microsoft Graph API | Calls | CallRecords.Read.All | Application |
Load and Performance Considerations: Maintains a low operational footprint to not hinder Microsoft Teams' performance through the MSFT Graph API which is built for high volume performance.
Other Security Considerations: Only retains and uses data for Laurel users with valid MSFT tokens; fully compliant with Microsoft's security protocols to safeguard user data.
Zoom
Laurel Activity Collection: Essential for accumulating comprehensive data on work-related activities conducted through Zoom.
Meetings: Acquires meeting details to accurately chronicle work meetings.
Phone Calls: Obtains phone call logs to input into the timekeeping system.
Detailed Permission Requirements
Service / Version | Collection | Permission | Level |
Event Subscription | Meeting & Phone | All Users | Enabled |
Meetings Events | Meetings | End Meeting | Enabled |
Calls Events | Calls | Calee Call Log | Enabled |
Calls Events | Calls | Caller Call Log | Enabled |
Load and Performance Considerations: Ensures minimal burden on the system to run in harmony with Zoom.
Other Security Considerations: Encrypted transactions conforming to Zoom's security standards.
Cisco
Laurel Activity Collection: To offer a comprehensive work hours tracking inclusive of call durations.
Phone Calls: Accesses phone call logs to encapsulate into the work record system.
Detailed Permission Requirements
Service / Version | Collection | Permission | Level |
CUCM 11+ | Calls | SFTP | Application |
Load and Performance Considerations: Optimally designed to not impose on Cisco systems significantly.
Other Security Considerations: Abides by Cisco's security guidelines to protect user data.
Agent-based Assistants
Windows (MSI/X)
Laurel Activity Collection: To grant a thorough breakdown of work hours across different widely utilized applications.
Outlook Email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint: Tracks time spent actively using these applications to generate accurate work logs.
Chrome, Edge, Internet Explorer: Records browsing time related to work for detailed work logs.
Selected Applications: Tracks time spent in selected executables (.exe) for broad work logs.
Detailed Permission Requirements
Service / Version | Collection | Permission | Level |
MSIX | Documents, Email, Web | Access | User |
MSI | Documents, Email, Web | Acess | Admin |
Load and Performance Considerations: Minimized footprint to avoid straining system resources, promoting smooth operation.
Other Security Considerations: Strict adherence to Windows security protocols to offer a secure user environment; we recommend deploying MSIX for automatic upgrades.