Overview
The Slack connector allows for programmatic interaction with a Slack workspace. It enables sending and receiving messages, managing channels, and monitoring user activity. By connecting Slack, operators can automate notifications from other systems, create workflows triggered by Slack events like new messages or reactions, and sync conversation data for a unified operational view. This eliminates the need for manual context switching and glue code, enabling seamless integration of real-time communication into automated processes.
All API calls are authenticated via an OAuth 2.0 token generated on a per-workspace basis. Each connected workspace has a unique bot user and token, ensuring data isolation.
Capability summary
Authentication
Auth method: OAuth 2.0
Required scopes
chat:write
chat:write.public
channels:read
groups:read
channels:history
reactions:write
channels:manage
users:read
team:read
Supported objects
| Object | Read | Write | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Message | Yes | Yes | Represents a message posted in a channel. Can be a top-level message or a reply in a thread. |
| Channel | Yes | Yes | Represents a public or private channel within the workspace. |
| User | Yes | No | Represents a single user account within the workspace. |
| User Group | Yes | Yes | A group of users, often used for mentions (e.g., @engineering). |
| Reaction | Yes | Yes | An emoji reaction added to a message. |
| File | Yes | Yes | Represents a file uploaded to Slack. |
| Thread | Yes | Yes | A conversation thread consisting of a parent message and one or more replies. |
| Workspace | Yes | No | Represents the entire Slack workspace. Read-only. |
Supported actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Send Message | Sends a message to a specified channel, user, or thread. Supports attachments and block kit formatting. |
| List Channels | Retrieves a paginated list of all public channels in the workspace. |
| Invite to Channel | Invites a specified user to a channel. The bot must be a member of the channel. |
| Set Channel Topic | Sets the topic for a specified channel. |
| Update Status | Updates the installing user's status emoji and text. |
| Archive Channel | Archives a specified channel. The channel must not be the default #general channel. |
| Add Reaction | Adds a reaction (emoji) to a specific message, identified by its timestamp and channel ID. |
Setup steps
Follow these steps to install and configure the Slack connector.
Option A: Connect from Flows360 (Recommended)
- In the Flows360 UI, navigate to Connectors
- Select Slack and click Connect.
- You will be redirected to Slack's OAuth 2.0 authorization screen.
- Choose the target Slack workspace to install the app into.
- Review the requested permissions and click Allow.
- Slack will redirect you back to Flows360. The connection is now active and ready to use.
Option B: Install from the Slack App Directory
- In your Slack desktop or web client, click your workspace name, then navigate to Tools & settings > Manage apps.
- In the App Directory search bar, enter
Flows360and select the application. - Click Add to Slack and approve the required permissions for the installation.
- Return to the Flows360 UI and navigate to Connectors > Slack.
- Click Connect. Flows360 will detect the existing installation and link it to your tenant.
Limitations
- All actions are subject to the rate limits of the Slack API. Refer to the Slack API Rate Limits documentation for details.
- Messages sent via
chat.postMessagehave a maximum length of 40,000 characters. - The bot user must be a member of a private channel to read messages from or post messages to it.
- File uploads are limited to 1 GB per file.
- The
list_channelsaction returns a maximum of 1,000 channels per call and may require pagination for workspaces with more channels.
Troubleshooting
Why can't the connector see or post to my private channels?
The Flows360 Slack bot must be explicitly invited into a private channel before it can access its messages or post to it. Use the /invite @Flows360 command within the private channel to add the bot.
I am receiving a `not_in_channel` error when trying to send a message. What does it mean?
This error means the bot is not a member of the channel ID you are targeting. For public channels, this is rare but can occur if the bot was removed. For private channels, this is the default behavior until the bot is invited. Use the /invite @Flows360 command in the channel to resolve this.
Are Slack Enterprise Grid workspaces supported?
Yes, the connector supports Slack Enterprise Grid. You can install the app at the organization level, allowing access to all workspaces, or to individual workspaces within the grid. The OAuth 2.0 flow is the same for all workspace types.
My workflows are failing with rate limit errors. How should I handle this?
Slack's API has several rate-limiting tiers. If you exceed them, you will receive an HTTP 429 error with a Retry-After header. Your flows should be configured to respect this header and implement an exponential backoff strategy for retries. Check the Slack API Rate Limits documentation for specifics.