The Slack connector lets your agents find people, read channels, search messages and post in your team's Slack. An admin sets it up once for the team account. Then each person connects their own Slack and chooses which agents can use it.
What Slack lets your agent do
| Your agent can | Your agent can't |
|---|---|
| Find a person by name | Delete or edit a message |
| List the channels Switchboard's Slack app can see | Archive a channel or remove anyone |
| Read a channel's recent messages, if Switchboard's Slack app is in it | Read a channel Switchboard's Slack app isn't in |
| Search the messages you can see | Search messages you can't see |
| Post a message to a channel or to a person | Post as you |
| Reply under one message |
Your agent's posts show its own name and the Switchboard icon, and Slack marks them as an app.
Before you start
- A Slack workspace for your team.
- On a team account, an admin sets Slack up first. On a personal account, that's you.
Set up Slack for your team (admins)
- Go to Connectors and select Slack. !SCREENSHOT: Connectors with Slack selected
- Select Connect.
- On Slack's screen, check the workspace and allow access. !SCREENSHOT: Slack's approval screen
When it worked: you see Connected Slack. Select Done, and Slack's page shows Connected.
Your own Slack is connected in the same step. You don't need to connect again.
Connect Slack
Once an admin has set it up, each person connects their own Slack. Your agents can't use Slack until you do. It also lets them search the messages you can see.
- Go to Connectors and select Slack.
- Select Connect, then allow access on Slack's screen.
When it worked: you see Connected Slack. Select Done, and Slack's page shows Connected.
If Slack isn't set up yet, the page says Your team admin connects Slack for your team.
Turn it on for an agent
- On Slack's page, under Your agents, turn on the switch next to the agent. !SCREENSHOT: Slack's page with Your agents
When it worked: the switch next to the agent is on, and your agent can use Slack on its next request.
For All agents, the switch on the agent's page, and who can change what, see Connectors: your agents use your apps.
What your agent can see
- Channels: only those Switchboard's Slack app has been added to in Slack.
- Search: only messages you can see in Slack yourself.
- The full list: on Slack's page, under Tool list.
Every use is recorded in your agent's Activity.
Disconnect Slack
Only an admin can disconnect Slack. It's taken away for the whole team account.
- On Slack's page, select Connector options (…), then Disconnect.
- Confirm with Disconnect.
When it worked: Slack shows Not connected in Connectors. Every agent's switch for Slack turns off, and everyone's own Slack connection is cancelled. Switchboard asks Slack to cancel its access. After an admin sets it up again, each person connects their own Slack and turns their agents back on.
If it doesn't work
- Your agent can't read a channel. Add Switchboard's Slack app to that channel in Slack.
- The switch next to your agent is greyed out. Connect your own Slack first.
- The page says your team admin connects Slack. Ask an admin on your team account to set it up.
- Something else. Check your agent's Activity, or call Morse. See Meet Ada, Bell, and Morse.