Workspace join requests let teammates on your organization's email domain find and request access to your Workspace, while admins keep full control over who joins.
This article covers what the feature does, who can use it, and how to manage requests as a Workspace admin.
What are workspace join requests?
When workspace join requests are turned on, people signing up for Read AI with an email address on your Workspace's domain will see your Workspace during onboarding. They can then send a request to join, which you (as a Workspace admin) can approve or decline.
Requests are asynchronous: the requester doesn't need to wait for a decision to start using Read AI on their own. They'll be notified once you've responded.
Who can see and request to join a workspace?
Not every Workspace shows up as an option for every user. For a Workspace to be discoverable, it must meet all of the following:
- Owner has a verified email. Workspaces with unverified owner emails aren't shown.
- More than one active member. Single-member Workspaces are hidden to avoid surfacing abandoned or trial-only Workspaces.
- An active billing plan. Workspaces without an active subscription (or within the payment grace period) are hidden.
- A non-public email domain. Public domains like gmail.com or outlook.com are excluded because they don't represent a single organization.
- The "Allow workspace join requests" setting is on (see below).
If a user's email domain has more than three eligible Workspaces, Read doesn't show any recommendations.
The requester's experience
Users can request to join a Workspace in two places:
- During onboarding. New users see up to 3 eligible Workspaces and can request to join one directly from the discovery step.
- After onboarding, from the Join Your Team item in the left navigation. Existing users who skipped joining a Workspace can find eligible Workspaces any time.
Once they submit a request, they see a confirmation and can keep using Read AI with their individual account while they wait.
How admins are notified
When a teammate requests to join your Workspace, you'll receive:
- An email to the Workspace owner and all admins, with a link to review requests.
- In-app: You can view your pending requests by going to the People page in Workspace Settings.
If no admin responds within three days, Read sends one reminder email.
Managing requests
To review pending requests, click your name in the bottom-left corner, select Workspace Settings, and open the Requests tab. You'll see everyone waiting for a decision, oldest first.
You have two ways to act:
- Per-row actions. Approve or decline any individual request using the buttons on that row.
- Bulk actions. Select multiple requests with the checkboxes, then use the floating action bar at the bottom of the page to approve or decline them all at once.
Approving a request
When you approve a request, the person is added to your Workspace and uses one license seat. They'll receive an email confirming their new access and see a welcome message the next time they log in.
If your Workspace is at capacity (all licenses in use), the Approve buttons are disabled. Purchase additional licenses to approve more requests.
Declining a request
When you decline a request, you can optionally give a reason. If you include one, it's shared with the requester in their notification email.
Once declined, the requester is free to explore other options: they can request to join a different Workspace on their domain or create their own Workspace.
Note on domain capture: If your Workspace uses domain capture to restrict access, declining a request does not restore the user's ability to use Read AI. They'll remain blocked until an admin invites or approves them, or they delete their account. See Configuring domain capture for your Workspace.
Turning workspace join requests on or off
You can turn this feature on or off at any time:
- Click your name in the bottom-left corner and select Workspace Settings.
- On the Settings tab, expand Workspace Actions.
- Turn Allow workspace join requests on or off.
- When on: Your Workspace appears in domain-matched users' discovery flows, and new requests can be submitted.
- When off: Your Workspace is excluded from discovery, no new requests can be submitted, and any pending requests are automatically declined.
Since August 13, 2026, this setting has been on by default for existing Workspaces. If you opted out before that date, the setting stays off unless you turn it on.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from Domain Discovery?
Domain Discovery is a separate setting that controls whether users on a shared email domain see each other in meeting report share suggestions. Workspace join requests control whether your Workspace is discoverable to teammates during signup and onboarding. The two settings are independent.
Can I invite people directly instead of waiting for them to request?
Yes, invitations work exactly as before. If you send a direct invite, it takes precedence over any pending join request the invitee may have submitted. See How do I add people to my Workspace?
Can someone resend a request after being declined?
No, declined requests can't be resent. If a decline was a mistake, invite the person directly from the People tab instead.
What happens to pending requests if I turn off the feature?
All pending requests are automatically declined. You'll see a confirmation dialog with the count before this happens.