Platform Newsletter - January 2026
Published January 15, 2026
It’s January — the month of clean slates and empty notebooks. ✨ While everyone else is making resolutions they’ll forget by February (me included 🤦), we’re here with actual useful stuff: new features, developer updates, and the kind of tools that make building on Slack even better than it was last year.
Some of you are already deep in building mode 🔨, others are still easing back into work mode with a second (or third) cup of coffee. ☕ Wherever you’re at, we’ve got something here for you — no New Year’s pressure, just solid updates and ideas worth exploring.
So settle in, and let’s see what 2026 has in store. 💜
Build a live stock and news dashboard with Slack Lists
Slack Lists aren’t just for tasks anymore! Put the newest Slack List APIs to work by building a lightweight dashboard that pulls real-time stock data and relevant news stories—directly into Slack.
Connect, preview, act: Work Objects bring your tools into Slack
Work Objects are changing how we work in Slack 🚀. Work Objects expands on unfurls to give you rich previews of files, tickets, tasks and more with action buttons so you can edit, approve, or take action all without leaving Slack. Plus, they're searchable across connected systems, making it easier to find what you need. Over 300 apps are already using them — see how you can too!
Best practices for AI-enabled Slack apps
Three words for great AI apps: clear, relevant, graceful ✨ Tell users exactly what your app does, give them info that matters, and communicate gracefully when things take time or don't work. The Slack platform has been reimagined for the agentic era and here are the best practices.
Unlock developer superpowers with Slackbot prompts
Three words for great AI apps: clear, relevant, graceful ✨ Tell users exactly what your app does, give them info that matters, and communicate gracefully when things take time or don't work. The Slack platform has been reimagined for the agentic era and here are the best practices.
Community Spotlight 🌟
This month we’re highlighting Standup for Me, an async daily update tool that keeps teams aligned without meetings or schedule juggling.
It shows just how far you can go using platform-native building blocks — the entire experience lives in Slack, leveraging Bolt (Python async), Block Kit UI components, and thoughtful design that supports all types of teams.
It’s a great example of solving a real problem with Slack APIs: reduce sync meetings, support distributed teams, and make sharing progress effortless.
Fresh features to start the year 🚀
- 🤖 Slackbot is now your personal agent for work
Slackbot isn’t just another assistant — it’s your personal agent built right into Slack. It understands the conversations, files, and channels you already use, respects permissions, and helps you get things done without switching tools.
Try it out by asking Slackbot for help with everyday tasks: find files, summarize threads, draft updates, or even prep for meetings. Need inspiration? Check out our Slackbot prompt tips to see how you can get more done with smarter, context-aware prompts.
- Webinar: Connect and Build Your Way: Slack for Developers
Join Staff Developer Advocate Jeremiah Peoples for an in-depth webinar on how Slack can transform your development workflow. Learn how to seamlessly connect apps, automate workflows, and deploy AI agents that collaborate directly in Slack — all while boosting productivity and efficiency.
What you’ll take away:
– Shift to a more agentic way of working and enhance your team’s efficiency.
– Connect Slack with your favorite apps and agents to automate workflows across your stack.
– Build and deploy AI agents that act and collaborate right within Slack channels, DMs, and search.
📅 Don’t miss it — RSVP here and start building smarter with Slack!
- Developer Changelog: Oct–Dec 2025
Big updates on the Slack platform! Work Objects are now generally available, OAuth flows got a sleek redesign, and new AI-friendly features make Slack apps smarter. Plus, several Slack CLI improvements and key policy updates.
Check out the full changelog blog post to see everything that’s new!
- New Salesforce channel triggers in Workflow Builder
You asked, we delivered! Workflow Builder now supports the trigger “When a Salesforce channel is created.” Now, even manually created channels can trigger automation of critical setup steps like adding users, sending messages, adding canvases. You can now add users to channels from related child objects of your triggering Salesforce record, giving you more control and flexibility in how collaboration starts.
Introducing Slack Dev Huddles — Live on LinkedIn!
We’re thrilled to launch a brand-new monthly livestream series packed with hands-on learning and inspiration.
Join us for interactive working sessions, live demos, feature deep dives, code-along moments, and conversations with the humans building the Slack platform you use every day.
Our mission? To learn, build, and grow — together.
📅 First episode: January 20, 2026 • 3PM EST / 12PM PST
Built something cool with Slack? This is your moment! 🚀 As we kick off 2026, we’re shining a light on the most innovative apps, workflows, and integrations from our developer community. Let’s celebrate what you’ve created. 💜
📬 Share your project at technewsletter@slack-corp.com — you might see it in our next spotlight!
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