Slack Automation

Overview

Interact with Slack workspaces for channel management, message reading, and content analysis. All operations are read-only unless creating channels.

Quick Decision Tree

What do you need?
│
├── Search for channels by name
│   └── references/search.md
│   └── Script: scripts/slack_search.py search
│
├── Read messages from a channel
│   └── references/fetch-news.md
│   └── Script: scripts/fetch_slack_news.py
│
├── Create a new channel
│   └── references/create-channel.md
│   └── Script: scripts/create_slack_channel.py
│
└── Categorize/analyze messages
    └── references/categorize.md
    └── Script: scripts/categorize_slack_messages.py

Environment Setup

# Required in .env
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token

Required Bot Scopes

Scope	Purpose
channels:read	List public channels
channels:history	Read public channel messages
groups:read	List private channels
groups:history	Read private channel messages
channels:manage	Create channels

Common Usage

Search Channels

python scripts/slack_search.py search "internal" --limit 10

Read Channel Messages

python scripts/slack_search.py read "internal-client" --days 7

Create Channel

python scripts/create_slack_channel.py "project-alpha" --private

Channel Naming Pattern

For client channels: internal-{client-name}

• e.g., internal-microsoft, internal-acme-corp

Cost

Free - Slack API has no per-request cost. Rate limited to ~50 requests/minute.

Security Notes

Credential Handling

• Store SLACK_BOT_TOKEN in .env file (never commit to git)
• Bot tokens start with xoxb- - never expose in logs or output
• Rotate tokens via Slack App settings if compromised
• Use environment variables, not hardcoded values

Data Privacy

• Messages may contain sensitive internal communications
• Avoid storing message content in persistent logs
• Use message links/IDs for references instead of copying content
• Consider data retention policies for exported messages
• User profiles include PII (names, emails, profile photos)

Access Scopes

• Request minimum required scopes for your use case:
  • channels:read - List public channels (read-only)
  • channels:history - Read public channel messages (read-only)
  • groups:read - List private channels bot is in (read-only)
  • groups:history - Read private channel messages (read-only)
  • channels:manage - Create channels (write access)
• Bot can only access channels it has been invited to
• Review scopes at: Slack App Settings > OAuth & Permissions

Compliance Considerations

• Audit Logging: Slack Enterprise Grid provides audit logs for compliance
• Message Retention: Follow your organization's data retention policies
• GDPR: Message content may contain EU user PII
• eDiscovery: Exported messages may be subject to legal holds
• Internal Communications: Treat Slack data as confidential
• Channel Privacy: Private channel access requires explicit invitation

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: Channel not found

Symptoms: "channel_not_found" error when reading or posting Cause: Invalid channel ID, bot not in channel, or private channel Solution:

• Verify channel ID is correct (use slack_search.py search)
• Invite the bot to the channel (/invite @botname)
• Check if channel is private - bot needs explicit invitation
• Ensure channel hasn't been archived or deleted

Issue: Missing permissions / scope errors

Symptoms: "missing_scope" or "not_allowed_token_type" error Cause: Bot token missing required OAuth scopes Solution:

• Go to Slack App Settings > OAuth & Permissions
• Add required scopes: channels:read, channels:history, etc.
• Reinstall the app to workspace after adding scopes
• Verify using the correct bot token (starts with xoxb-)

Issue: Token expired or invalid

Symptoms: "invalid_auth" or "token_revoked" error Cause: OAuth token expired, revoked, or incorrectly configured Solution:

• Reauthorize the bot in Slack App settings
• Regenerate the bot token if revoked
• Check .env for correct SLACK_BOT_TOKEN value
• Verify no whitespace or special characters in token

Issue: Rate limited

Symptoms: "ratelimited" error or 429 status code Cause: Too many API requests in short period Solution:

• Add delays between requests (1-2 seconds)
• Reduce batch size for bulk operations
• Implement exponential backoff on retries
• Slack allows ~50 requests/minute for most endpoints

Issue: Private channel access denied

Symptoms: Can't read private channel despite having scopes Cause: Bot not added to the private channel Solution:

• Have a channel member invite the bot: /invite @botname
• Ensure groups:read and groups:history scopes are added
• Verify bot has been reinstalled after adding scopes

Resources

• references/search.md - Channel search and message reading
• references/fetch-news.md - Fetch news from channels
• references/create-channel.md - Create new channels
• references/categorize.md - AI message categorization

Integration Patterns

Slack to Newsletter

Skills: slack-automation → content-generation Use case: Summarize internal news for weekly newsletter Flow:

1. Fetch messages from news/announcements channels
2. Categorize and filter relevant content
3. Generate formatted newsletter section via content-generation

Slack and Meeting Context

Skills: slack-automation → transcript-search Use case: Find related meetings when researching Slack discussions Flow:

1. Search Slack for client name or topic
2. Extract date ranges and participant names
3. Search transcript-search for related meeting recordings

Slack Reports to Drive

Skills: slack-automation → google-workspace Use case: Archive categorized Slack summaries to Google Drive Flow:

1. Fetch and categorize messages from internal channels
2. Generate formatted report document
3. Upload to Google Drive via google-workspace