Chat channels
Set up Slack
A Slack app your team DMs, or @mentions in a channel for an answer everyone sees (it replies in a thread).
Before you start
- A Slack app, created from a ready-made manifest at api.slack.com/apps — about three minutes, and it bakes in every permission needed, so there's nothing to configure by hand.
- Installing it to your workspace (Install App) is what generates the Bot User OAuth Token; the Signing Secret sits on Basic Information → App Credentials, and proves an incoming event really came from Slack.
- Create New App → From a manifest at api.slack.com/apps, paste the manifest below, and install the app to your workspace.
- Chat channels → Slack: paste the Bot User OAuth Token (xoxb-…) and the Signing Secret. Create, then Test.
- Open Setup, copy the webhook URL into the Slack app's Event Subscriptions → Request URL (Slack verifies it instantly). Save.
| App manifest | display_information: {name: Assistant} · features: {bot_user: {display_name: assistant}} · oauth_config: {scopes: {bot: [chat:write, im:history, app_mentions:read, users:read, users:read.email]}} · settings: {event_subscriptions: {bot_events: [message.im, app_mention]}} — set request_url after creating the channel here. The users:read scopes let you add people by their work email. |
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How people use it
DMs are always personal. @mention the bot in a channel and it replies in a thread, visible to everyone there, governed by “When @mentioned in a channel” below. Add people by work email in the people list, or by Slack member ID (profile → ⋯ → Copy member ID).
Access
Direct messages use the asker's own account access, or guest access groups for someone who hasn't linked one. “When @mentioned in a channel” sets group visibility separately: the asker's own access, guest groups only, or DMs-only.
No public URL yet, or fully on-prem? Enable Socket Mode in the Slack app, add an app-level token with connections:write, and paste it here — the assistant connects out to Slack and the Request URL step disappears. A “missing_scope” error looking someone up by email means reinstalling the app after adding users:read.email.
Last updated 20 Sep 2026