Plaid is the route by which bank data reaches the agents. As the trust section of this site notes, bank access is read-only and goes through regulated providers. The bookkeeping agent uses that feed to categorise transactions and the forecast agent uses it to see cash.
Because access is read-only, the agent can look but not move money. Any payment still needs a person to approve it. The connection is also useful for spotting problems quietly. A feed that has stopped updating can be flagged to your team before month-end, rather than discovered during it. The agent reports that a feed needs attention and who to contact, so the fix is a quick request, not a hunt.
Clients must agree to connect their own accounts, so plan the invitation. A clear message explaining what is shared, and why, helps people say yes. Thinking through these points early makes clients more comfortable with the connection and helps your team answer questions.
Not every bank or account type will connect, and a feed can drop and need re-authorising. We confirm coverage for your clients' banks on the discovery call. A client who prefers to send statements will still be served by the document chaser agent. Measure the connection by the share of clients on live feeds and how often a feed needs attention.