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The Slack integration turns Slate into a co-worker inside Slack. Mention @Slate in a connected channel or send it a direct message, and it answers with your workspace data, runs workflows, and posts the results back into the conversation. Channels can also receive automatic notifications — workflow runs finishing, approvals waiting, reports ready.

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Why connect Slack to Slate?

Your team already coordinates in Slack. Connecting Slate means answers, reports, and workflow runs happen where the conversation already is — no tab-switching, no copy-pasting results back into threads. Approvals arrive as buttons your team can click directly in the channel.

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Prerequisites

  • The Admin role in your Slate workspace
  • Permission to install apps in your Slack workspace

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Setup

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Step 1: Connect Slack

  1. In Slate, open Workspace settings → Integrations.
  2. Under Essentials, find the Communication row and click Connect.
  3. Slack opens in a popup. Review the permissions and click Allow.
  4. Back in Slate, the Communication row shows Connected (for example, “Slack · 1 workspace”).
  5. Click Manage on the Communication row to open the Slack settings.
If your organization has already connected this Slack workspace from another Slate workspace, the Slack settings show Enable for this workspace instead — one click, no Slack approval needed.

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Step 2: Connect a channel

Channels are paired from inside Slack, so you always prove you have access to the channel you’re connecting:
  1. In the Slack channel, type @Slate connect. Slate replies in a thread with a pairing code like SLT-4K7Q2N.
  2. In Slate’s Slack settings, click Add channel on the Channel access card and paste the code.
  3. Click Connect channel. Slate posts a confirmation in the Slack channel.
Pairing codes expire after 15 minutes and can be used once. Each Slack channel maps to exactly one Slate workspace — if a channel is already connected elsewhere, Slate tells you which workspace owns it.
Slate attributes every request to a Slate user, so it knows who is asking and what they’re allowed to do.
  • Automatic — if your Slack profile email matches your Slate account email, you’re linked the first time you interact. Most people never notice this step.
  • Manual — in Slate’s Slack settings, click Link account on the Your Slack identity card. The card shows Linked when you’re done.

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Using Slate in Slack

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Ask questions in channels

Mention @Slate followed by your request in any connected channel:
  • Slate reacts to your message with 👀 to confirm it’s working on it.
  • The answer arrives as a threaded reply, formatted natively — headings, bullets, links, and tables.
  • When the run finishes, 👀 becomes ✅ (or ❌ if the run failed).
  • Follow-ups in the same thread don’t need another mention — just keep typing.

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Send direct messages

DM Slate like a teammate. An admin turns this on or off from the ⋮ menu on the Slack workspace row in Slate’s Slack settings: Allow direct messages or Turn off direct messages. If you belong to several Slate workspaces, Slate asks which one a new conversation is for, and each DM thread stays pinned to its workspace. These commands work in any DM:

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Give a channel custom instructions

Tailor how Slate behaves in each channel — tone, format, focus:
  1. In Slate’s Slack settings, select the channel on the Channel access card.
  2. Type into Custom instructions (for example, “Summarize meeting notes into decisions, owners, and next steps. Keep replies under 120 words.”).
  3. Click Save changes.
Slate applies these instructions every time it replies in that channel.

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Approve runs from Slack

When a run needs sign-off, Slate posts an approval card with Approve and Reject buttons. Only linked members of the Slate workspace can act on it. Anyone else gets a private note: “You don’t have permission to approve or reject runs in this Slate workspace.” Every decision is recorded with who clicked.

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Receive notifications

Channels can receive event notifications instead of (or in addition to) answering questions. Select a channel on the Channel access card to see its events under Notifications:
  • Workflow started, Workflow completed, Workflow failed
  • Approval required
  • Report ready
A notification-only channel shows “Notification-only channel. Slate posts updates here and never replies.”

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Review activity

On the Channel access card, select Audit log, then the Conversations tab, to see every thread where Slate was tagged — the channel, the request, who asked, and when.

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Managing channels

Select any channel on the Channel access card to manage it:
  • Active in channel — toggle off to pause Slate there (the channel shows an off badge; mentions get a polite “paused” reply). Toggle back anytime.
  • Remove channel — in the channel’s ⋮ menu; disconnects the channel entirely. You can connect it again with a new pairing code.
To connect another Slack workspace, open the ⋮ menu on the Slack workspace row and choose Add another Slack workspace.

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Permissions and security

  • Slate only participates in channels an admin has explicitly connected.
  • Every request requires a linked Slate identity — people without a Slate account get a prompt to link instead of an answer, so outsiders can’t query your workspace data.
  • If Slate gains new capabilities that need extra Slack permissions, the Slack workspace row shows Reconnect needed. Click Reconnect and re-approve the app in Slack. Channel mappings and settings stay as they are.

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Troubleshooting