---
title: "Add your bot to Slack"
description: "Create a Slack app for your bot so your team can ask it questions with @mentions, direct messages or the Slack assistant sidebar."
canonical_url: "https://chatthing.ai/docs/channels/slack"
last_updated: "2026-09-25"
---

# Add your bot to Slack

**Available on:** Standard, Pro, Enterprise plans.

Add your bot to your Slack workspace so your team can ask it questions where they already work. The bot answers from its knowledge, can use power-ups, and can summarise or post to channels when you give it the Slack power-ups.

> **Standard, Pro and Enterprise**
>
> The Slack channel is included on the Standard, Pro and Enterprise plans. You also need permission to create and install apps in your Slack workspace.
>
> **Who can do this:** [team owners and admins](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/teams#what-each-role-can-do).

This page covers the current Slack integration. If your bot still uses the original version, see [Upgrade from Slack V1](https://chatthing.ai/docs/channels/slack-legacy).

## Connect your bot to Slack

[Video: add your bot to Slack (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rOAtUw2RSE)

*Video walkthrough, recorded in 2024. Some screens have changed since.*

1. Open your bot, select the **Channels** tab and turn on the **Slack** card. The **Slack channel settings** page opens.
   ![The Slack card in the Channels tab with its on/off toggle](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1773771825/docs/slack-channel-toggle.png)
2. Under **Slack app details**, enter an **App name** and a **Bot name**. The bot name is how people mention it in Slack, like `@botname`. It can differ from the app name.
3. Click **Create Slack app**. Slack opens in a new window. Choose the workspace to add the app to and click **Next**.
   ![Slack's Pick a workspace to develop your app dialog with a workspace selected and the Next button highlighted](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1687366060/Xnapper_2023_06_21_17_11_41_8fae167945.png)
4. Review the app's permissions and click **Create**.
5. On the new app's **Basic Information** page in Slack, copy the **Client ID**, **Client Secret** and **Signing Secret** into the matching fields under **Slack app configuration** in Chat Thing. Click **Show** in Slack before copying each secret, otherwise you'll copy the hidden placeholder.
6. Click **Install to workspace**. Slack asks for permission to add the app to your workspace; click **Allow**.
   ![Slack's permission request screen listing what the app can view and do, with Cancel and Allow buttons](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1732875273/Accept_Slack_Permissions_Install_1_1a22479c7c.webp)
7. Back in Chat Thing, a success message appears and the **Bot user ID** and **Bot token** fields are filled in.

If nothing opens at step 3 or 6, your browser blocked the pop-up. Allow pop-ups for Chat Thing and try again.

![The Slack app details section with App name and Bot name fields and the Create Slack app button](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1773771826/docs/slack-bot-handle-config.png)

![The Slack app configuration section with Client ID, Client secret and Signing secret fields, the Install to workspace button, and the Bot user ID and Bot token fields](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1773771828/docs/slack-credentials.png)

## Talk to your bot in Slack

- **@mention it in a channel or thread.** Invite the bot to the channel and include its handle in your message. It only replies to messages that mention it, so mention it again when you follow up.
  ![A Slack message that @mentions the bot with an image attached, and the bot's reply describing the image](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1732882008/Talk_to_Slack_Bot_Handle_b6ec23d583.webp)
- **Direct message it.** Click the bot's name under **Direct messages** in Slack. In a DM it replies to every message, no mention needed.
- **Use the assistant sidebar.** Open the bot from the AI assistant area at the top right of Slack. It opens in a panel next to your current channel, replies to every message, and keeps a history of your previous chats with it.
  ![The History view in Slack's assistant panel listing previous chats with the bot](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1732883187/Slack_Assistant_History_8642c1de4e.webp)

## Summarise channels and post messages

When you mention the bot in a channel, it sees a limited amount of recent message history. Add these power-ups to let it do more:

- **Slack Get History** - reads the full history of any channel the bot has been added to, for questions like "Summarise what happened in #general this week".
  ![The Slack Get History power-up card](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1773771829/docs/slack-get-history-powerup.png)
- **Slack Send Message** - posts messages into any channel the bot has been added to, for requests like "Write a summary of this week and post it in #announcements".
  ![The Slack Send Message power-up card](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1773771830/docs/slack-send-message-powerup.png)

See [Slack power-ups](https://chatthing.ai/docs/power-ups/slack) for setup.

## Schedule a weekly summary

Combine the Slack power-ups with a [scheduled task](https://chatthing.ai/docs/bot-settings/scheduled-tasks) to have the bot post a report on its own. For example, a task that runs every Monday at 9am with a goal like:

```text
Write a Monday morning report on everything that happened last week.

Get all messages from the previous week in these Slack channels:
* general
* sales
* support

For each channel, summarise what happened and highlight any actions that need following up. Mention people if you need a response from them.

Don't reply with the report. Post it straight into the team-updates channel.
```

The bot needs the **Slack Get History** and **Slack Send Message** power-ups and must be added to every channel it reads from or posts to.

## Change the bot's name or icon

- **Icon:** change it in your Slack app's **Basic Information** page on the Slack website.
  ![The Display Information section of a Slack app's settings, with App name, Short description, App icon preview and Background color](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1732883886/Change_Slack_Bot_Icon_ea68985106.webp)
- **Name:** the simplest way is to delete the app in Slack (on the app's settings page, choose **Delete App**), change the **App name** or **Bot name** in Chat Thing, and repeat the connection steps from step 3.
  ![The Delete App section of a Slack app's settings page with the Delete App button](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1687366067/Xnapper_2023_06_21_17_42_05_2ce3a78c60.png)

## Check it works

Send the bot a direct message in Slack with a question it should be able to answer. The conversation also appears in [Conversations](https://chatthing.ai/docs/manage/conversations).

## Troubleshooting

### The bot doesn't reply in a channel

Check the bot has been added to the channel and that your message mentions it with its handle. In channels and threads it only replies to messages that mention it.

### Installation fails or the bot token doesn't appear

The most common cause is copying a hidden secret. Click **Show** next to the **Client Secret** and **Signing Secret** in Slack, copy them again, paste them into Chat Thing and click **Install to workspace** again.

### The bot replies "This bot is currently unavailable"

The Slack channel is turned off. Turn the **Slack** card back on in the **Channels** tab.

## Related

- [Send and read Slack messages from your bot](https://chatthing.ai/docs/power-ups/slack): Let your bot post messages to Slack channels and threads, and read channel history to answer questions like "What happened in
- [Schedule tasks for your bot](https://chatthing.ai/docs/bot-settings/scheduled-tasks): Have your bot carry out a task on a schedule, such as a weekly summary or a daily check, using its knowledge and power-ups.
- [Answer your team's questions with an internal helpdesk bot](https://chatthing.ai/docs/use-cases/internal-helpdesk): Set up a bot that answers staff questions about IT, HR, policies and processes from your internal docs, in Slack, Discord or a private web page.