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Slack Integration

Connect botBrains to your Slack workspace to provide AI-powered support directly in your team’s communication platform. Your AI agent responds to direct messages and channel mentions, using the same knowledge and behavior configured in your botBrains project.

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Value Proposition

Bringing AI agents to Slack enhances team productivity and information access:

• Internal Knowledge Base: Give employees instant access to company documentation and procedures
• IT Support Automation: Handle common IT requests automatically within Slack
• Community Management: Automate responses in public Slack communities
• Onboarding Assistance: Help new team members find information quickly
• Reduce Interruptions: Answer common questions automatically, freeing up experts
• Earn Time Back: Employees spend ~8 hours / week just searching internal information

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Prerequisites

Before setting up the Slack integration:

• A botBrains project with configured knowledge and behavior
• Slack workspace admin permissions (to install apps)
• An active Slack workspace (free or paid tier)

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Setup Instructions

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Step 1: Navigate to Channels

1. Open your botBrains project
2. Go to Channels in the sidebar
3. Click on the Slack tab

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Step 2: Install the Bot

1. Click the “Add to Slack” button
2. A new window opens redirecting you to Slack’s authorization page
3. Select the workspace where you want to install the bot (if you have multiple workspaces)
4. Review the permissions requested by the botBrains app
5. Click Allow to authorize the integration
6. The window closes and you return to botBrains

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Step 3: Verify Installation

After authorization:

1. The page refreshes automatically
2. The Slack integration appears in your Active Slack Integrations list
3. You’ll see:
   • Team name and Team ID
   • Installation date
   • Bot icon placeholder (or default icon if already customized)

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Configuring Your Slack Bot

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Customize Bot Icon

Make your agent recognizable in Slack:

1. Find your integration in the Active Slack Integrations list
2. Click the Upload icon button next to the bot image placeholder
3. Select a square image (PNG or JPEG)
   • Images must have equal width and height (square aspect ratio)
   • Images larger than 512x512 pixels will be automatically compressed
   • Supported formats: PNG, JPEG
   • Use your company logo or a custom agent avatar

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Bot Behavior

The agent uses the same profile and knowledge configured in your botBrains project:

• Profile Settings: Navigate to Profiles to adjust tone and behavior
• Knowledge Sources: Manage in Data Providers and Snippets
• Escalation Rules: Configure in Escalations

Any changes to your project’s configuration automatically apply to the Slack integration.

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Using the Bot in Slack

Your AI agent responds to interactions in three types of Slack conversations: direct messages, public channels, and private channels.

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Direct Messages

Users can have one-on-one conversations with the agent:

1. Find the bot in your Slack workspace’s apps list
2. Click to open a direct message
3. Ask questions naturally
4. The agent responds using your configured knowledge

Direct messages are ideal for personal queries or sensitive information.

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Public Channel Mentions

The agent responds when mentioned in public channels:

1. Invite the agent to a channel: /invite @YourBotName
2. Mention the agent in a message: @YourBotName how do I reset my password?
3. The agent responds in the channel

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Private Channels

The agent works the same way in private channels as in public channels:

1. Invite the agent to the private channel
2. Mention the agent with @YourBotName
3. The agent responds to the team members in that private channel

This is useful for team-specific knowledge or internal discussions.

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Common Use Cases

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Internal IT Support

Deploy the agent for employee IT requests:

• Password resets
• Software installation guides
• Troubleshooting common issues
• Access request procedures

Configure your knowledge sources with IT documentation and common solutions.

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HR and Onboarding

Help new employees get up to speed:

• Company policies and benefits
• Onboarding checklists
• Team structure and contacts
• Common procedures

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Developer Documentation

Support engineering teams:

• API documentation lookup
• Code examples and snippets
• Architecture decisions
• Deployment procedures

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Community Support

Manage Slack communities:

• Answer common questions automatically
• Guide users to resources
• Moderate discussions
• Track popular topics

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Managing the Integration

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View Active Integrations

All connected Slack workspaces appear in the Active Slack Integrations list, showing:

• Team name and ID
• Installation date
• Current bot icon

You can install the agent in multiple Slack workspaces for the same project.

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Update Bot Icon

To change your agent’s appearance:

1. Locate your integration in the Active Slack Integrations list
2. Click the upload icon button
3. Select a new square image (PNG or JPEG)
4. The icon updates immediately

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Monitor Usage

Track how your team uses the agent:

1. Navigate to Conversations in botBrains
2. Filter by channel to see Slack conversations
3. Each conversation shows:
   • Workspace name
   • Channel type (Direct Message, Public Channel, or Private Channel)
   • Channel name (for channel conversations)
   • Direct links to view in Slack
4. Review questions and responses
5. Identify knowledge gaps

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Update Bot Behavior

Improve responses over time:

1. Review conversation history in the Conversations view
2. Add missing knowledge to Data Providers
3. Refine profile instructions
4. Test changes in a private Slack channel first

Changes to your project configuration apply immediately to all Slack integrations.

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How It Works

The Slack integration connects your botBrains project to Slack using OAuth authentication:

1. OAuth Installation: When you click “Add to Slack”, you authorize botBrains to access your workspace
2. Event Handling: The integration receives events when users mention the agent or send direct messages
3. Context Preservation: Conversations maintain thread context, allowing multi-turn interactions
4. Project Configuration: The agent uses your project’s profiles, knowledge sources, and escalation rules
5. Conversation Tracking: All interactions are logged in the Conversations view with metadata (channel type, workspace, links to Slack)

The agent responds to:

• Direct messages (DMs) from any user in the workspace
• Mentions (@YourBotName) in public channels where the agent has been invited
• Mentions in private channels where the agent has been invited

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Beta Limitations

As a beta feature, please note:

• No self-service uninstall: To remove a Slack integration, contact support@botbrains.io
• Limited configuration options: Additional settings and customization options are planned
• Features and functionality may change based on feedback

We’re actively developing the Slack integration. Your feedback helps us improve!

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Troubleshooting

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Bot Not Responding

If the agent doesn’t respond:

1. Check Installation: Verify the integration appears in your Active Slack Integrations list
2. Invite Bot: For channels, make sure the agent is invited (/invite @YourBotName)
3. Check Mentions: In channels, the agent only responds when explicitly mentioned with @YourBotName
4. Bot Permissions: Ensure the agent has permission to read and write in the channel
5. Project Status: Verify your botBrains project has active knowledge sources configured

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Bot Gives Wrong Answers

If responses are inaccurate:

1. Review Knowledge: Check that your Data Providers are up to date
2. Refine Profile: Adjust instructions in your Profile settings
3. Test in botBrains: Use the conversation interface to test responses before deploying
4. Add Context: Provide more specific documentation for common questions
5. Review Conversations: Check the Conversations view to see what the agent is receiving and responding

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Authorization Issues

If you can’t authorize the integration:

1. Workspace Permissions: Confirm you have admin rights in your Slack workspace
2. App Approvals: Check if your workspace requires app approval from an admin
3. Browser Issues: Try a different browser or clear your cache
4. Popup Blockers: Ensure popups are allowed for the botBrains platform
5. Contact Support: Reach out to support@botbrains.io for assistance

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Best Practices

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Providing Feedback

Since this is a beta feature, we value your input:

• Report bugs or issues to support@botbrains.io
• Suggest features you’d like to see
• Share your use cases and success stories

Your feedback helps shape the future of the Slack integration!

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Next Steps

After setting up Slack integration:

• Configure Escalations - Set up human handoff for complex questions
• Monitor Conversations - Review agent interactions
• Analyze Topics - Discover what your team asks about most
• Add Knowledge - Expand your agent’s capabilities

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Support

Questions about the Slack integration?

• Email: support@botbrains.io
• Documentation: Browse our guides
• Community: Join our Slack community (coming soon!)