Slack
Connect Slack to let agents send messages, search conversations, and manage channels.
The Slack integration lets your AI agents interact with your Slack workspace. Agents can send messages, read channel history, search conversations, and react to messages.
Connecting Slack
- Go to Settings > Integrations.
- Click Connect next to Slack.
- Authorize VectorChat in your Slack workspace.
- You'll be redirected back to VectorChat once the connection is complete.
VectorChat connects to Slack using both a bot token and a user token, giving agents flexibility in how they interact with your workspace.
What Agents Can Do
Send Messages
- Post to a channel -- Send messages to any channel the bot or user has access to.
- Send a DM -- Send a direct message to a specific user by their user ID.
- Reply in a thread -- Post a reply within an existing thread.
- Choose identity -- Messages can be sent as the bot or as the connected user. Use "as user" for personal messages and bot identity for automated announcements.
Read Messages
- Channel history -- Read recent messages from any channel. Returns top-level messages only (not thread replies).
- Thread replies -- Read the full conversation within a specific thread.
- DM conversations -- Read direct message history with any user.
Messages include context about which were sent by the connected user, making it easy for agents to understand conversation context.
Search
Search messages across all channels the connected user has access to. Supports Slack's search modifiers:
| Modifier | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
in: | in:#general | Search within a specific channel |
from: | from:@alice | Messages from a specific user |
has:link | has:link | Messages containing links |
has:reaction | has:reaction | Messages with emoji reactions |
before: | before:2025-06-01 | Messages before a date |
after: | after:2025-01-01 | Messages after a date |
Search always uses the connected user's token, so results respect the user's channel access permissions.
Channel and User Information
- List channels -- Browse available channels, including private channels the bot or user belongs to.
- List users -- View all users in the workspace to find user IDs.
- Get user profile -- Retrieve detailed profile information for a specific user.
- Channel info -- Get details about a channel including topic, purpose, and member count.
- List DMs -- View existing direct message conversations.
- List members -- See which users belong to a specific channel.
Reactions and Message Management
- Add reactions -- React to messages with any emoji.
- Edit messages -- Update the text of a previously sent message.
- Delete messages -- Remove a message (only messages sent by the same identity can be deleted).
Write operations (sending, editing, deleting messages, and adding reactions) require confirmation before the agent executes them.
Error Handling
The Slack integration classifies API errors to provide clear feedback:
- Authentication errors -- Token expired or revoked. Reconnect in Settings.
- Permission errors -- Missing Slack scopes or insufficient permissions.
- Rate limiting -- Automatic detection of Slack rate limits with retry guidance.
- Not found -- Channel or user doesn't exist or isn't accessible.
Disconnecting
Go to Settings > Integrations, find Slack, and click Disconnect. This removes your stored credentials and prevents agents from accessing your workspace.