How do I configure the Slack capability?

To let your agent communicate on your Slack server, you need to

Step 1: Create a Slack app

Here is a simple quick-start guide. For more comprehensive info, see api.slack.com/docs.

The easiest way to create a Slack app is to use a manifest file as a template. Copy the template below,

{
   "display_information":{
      "name":"YOUR_APP_NAME",
      "description":"YOUR_APP_DESCRIPTION",
      "background_color":"#000000"
   },
   "features":{
      "app_home":{
         "messages_tab_enabled":true,
         "messages_tab_read_only_enabled":false
      },
      "bot_user":{
         "display_name":"YOUR_BOT_DISPLAY_NAME",
         "always_online":true
      }
   },
   "oauth_config":{
      "scopes":{
         "bot":[
            "app_mentions:read",
            "channels:read",
            "chat:write",
            "groups:read",
            "im:read",
            "users:read",
            "channels:history",
            "groups:history",
            "im:history",
            "channels:join",
            "im:write",
            "mpim:history"
         ]
      }
   },
   "settings":{
      "event_subscriptions":{
         "request_url":"https://agent-service-339911427090.europe-north2.run.app/api/slack/webhook",
         "bot_events":[
            "app_mention",
            "message.im",
            "message.mpim"
         ]
      },
      "org_deploy_enabled":false,
      "socket_mode_enabled":false,
      "token_rotation_enabled":false
   }
}

1. Visit api.slack.com/apps
2. Click "Create New App"
3. Choose "From a manifest"
4. Paste the above manifest
5. Replace YOUR_APP_NAME, YOUR_APP_DESCRIPTION, and YOUR_BOT_DISPLAY_NAME with your own info.
6. OPTIONAL: adjust the scopes and bot_events if you like.

• The scopes define what the agent can do in slack. Here is the full list of scopes.
• The bot_events define which types of events will cause the agent to be triggered. Without bot_events the agent can only send and not receive messages on Slack. Here the full list of events.
• Tip: With the configuration above, your agent will only be triggered if @-mentioned. If you want the agent to be triggered for all Slack messages in the channels that it is a member of, then add message.channels and message.groups to bot_events.

1. Click "Next" and "Create". Your app is now installed!
2. Copy the App ID.
3. Go to "Oauth & Permission" and press the installation button under "OAuth Tokens". After doing so you should see "Bot User OAuth Token". Copy that value as well.

Step 2. Configure the Slack capability in Abundly

Go to Settings -> Capabilities, enable Slack, and paste in the bot token and app ID.

Step 3. Configure Event Subscriptions

Please note! Event subscriptions enables your agent to be triggered by events (eg new messages) on slack. If you prefer an agent that only posts to Slack, but that doesn’t listen to Slack, then this step is not necessary.

Your Slack app needs webhook configuration to notify your agent when new messages arrive:

1. While in Slack app settings, click on "Event Subscriptions" in the left sidebar
2. Set the "Request URL" to:
   • For production agents: https://agent-service-339911427090.europe-north2.run.app/api/slack/webhook
3. Ensure the "Enable Events" toggle is switched ON
4. Under "Subscribe to bot events" section, click "Add Bot User Event"
5. Add at least these events:
   • app_mention - To receive mentions in channels
   • message.im - To receive direct messages

4. Set Required OAuth Scopes

Your Slack app needs the right permissions to access channels and receive events:

1. In Slack app settings, click "OAuth & Permissions" in the left sidebar
2. Scroll to the "Scopes" section
3. Under "Bot Token Scopes", add the following scopes if they're not already present:
   • channels:read - To see public channels
   • groups:read - To see private channels
   • chat:write - To send messages
   • app_mentions:read - To receive mentions
4. If you've added new scopes, you'll need to reinstall the app to your workspace using the "Install to Workspace" button at the top of the page
5. After reinstalling, a new Bot Token will be generated. Update this in your agent platform.

5. Invite the Agent to Channels

Your agent must be invited to any channels where you want it to respond:

1. In Slack, open each channel where you want the agent to work
2. Type /invite @AgentName (where AgentName is the name of your bot)
3. The agent can now receive and respond to messages in these channels