Whitelisting is how Optimize controls exactly which applications and domains are eligible for data collection. Rather than monitoring all browser or desktop activity, Optimize only captures workflow data within domains/applications that an admin has explicitly approved. Activity outside of approved applications is not recorded at all.
- The browser extension only captures data when a user is actively working in a whitelisted domain/app.
- Whitelist enforcement happens both client-side (extension/desktop app checks the whitelist) and server-side (Optimize verifies the domain against the approved list before any data is transmitted; non-matching data is purged and never sent to Scribe's servers).
How to whitelist apps in Optimize
Whitelisting settings are found under:
Settings → Workflow Mining
Within that page, there are a few relevant tabs/sections:
| Section | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Allowed Apps (main whitelist) | The org-wide list of approved web/browser domains and desktop apps. This is the primary whitelist that determines what gets mined. |
| Team mining controls | Per-team Allow and Block lists that layer on top of the org-wide whitelist. |
| Privacy Settings | Team-level control to hide screenshots for mined instances (separate from what's whitelisted). |
Browser (web) vs. Desktop whitelisting
- Browser/web apps are whitelisted by domain or subdomain. Granularity stops at the domain/subdomain level, you can't include/exclude specific pages or features within one domain.
- Desktop apps are whitelisted differently: since there's no "URL" for a desktop application, Optimize detects installed apps by scanning participants' computers after they've downloaded the Scribe desktop app and signed in. Detected apps then surface as suggested apps in the admin settings for the admin to approve.
- At least a couple of participants need to have the desktop app installed and signed in before any desktop apps can be suggested/whitelisted; otherwise, there's nothing for Optimize to scan.
"Top business apps" starter list
New orgs are seeded with a list of commonly-used business apps (historically referred to as the "Top 100 business apps") to reduce the manual burden of building a whitelist from scratch.
How to whitelist an app
Browser/web apps
- Go to Settings → Workflow Mining → Allowed Apps.
- Search for the domain or select it from the suggested Apps list.
- Click to add; it's added to the org-wide whitelist immediately (may take up to ~30 minutes to take effect for actively-mining users).
- Optionally, go to Team mining controls to allow or block specific apps for an individual team.
Desktop apps
- Have at least a few participants download the desktop app and sign in first (this is required before any desktop apps can be suggested).
- Once signed in, Optimize scans the participant's machine and surfaces detected apps as suggested desktop apps in admin settings.
- Go to Settings → Workflow Mining and select the suggested apps you want to whitelist.
- If an expected app isn't showing up, try: reopening the desktop app on the participant's machine, having them capture a Scribe on that app.
What "mining" actually means once an app is whitelisted
- Optimize passively records user actions (clicks, keystrokes, screenshots) only within whitelisted apps, and only for participants.
- Time/activity is measured only by active engagement (clicks/keystrokes) in whitelisted apps.
- No integrations or connectors are required; whitelisting is purely domain/app-based.
- Data from non-whitelisted apps is never transmitted to Scribe's servers.