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Getting started with AI in Slack

Everything you need to get started with AI in Slack

Elevate your workOS with AI

Leverage Slack’s AI capabilities to centralize workflows, automate tasks, and enhance collaboration—all within a unified platform built for secure, efficient teamwork.

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Be where your users are

  • – Slack is the conversational interface for work

  • – Reduce context switching and improve productivity

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AI with confidence

  • – Use our purpose-built APIs to build powerful Agents and Assistants

    – Follow along with our tutorials, sample apps, and documentation
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Work smarter and faster

  • – Save time with AI-powered search and summaries

  • – Automate routine tasks and processes

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Enhance collaboration

  • – Improve information sharing and knowledge management

  • – Enable faster decision-making across teams

AI in Slack

Slack AI

  • Search answers: Find information quickly using natural language queries
  • Conversation summaries: Catch up on channels and threads in one click
  • Channel recaps: Get daily digests of important channel activities
  • Huddle notes: AI-generated meeting summaries and action items
Slack workspace interface showing the 'project-acme' channel with 53 unread messages. A cursor hovers over the search bar at the top, demonstrating navigation and search functionality in the workspace.

AI in Workflow Builder

  • Create powerful workflows with just a few words
  • Summarize channels and messages right within your workflows
  • AI-powered step suggestions so you what’s possible
Slack Workflow Builder interface for creating a new workflow titled 'Send a weekly standup message.' The interface includes sections to describe the automation, define the trigger ('If this happens...'), and add steps ('Do this!'). A 'Finish Up' button is visible in the top-right corner.

Agents and Assistants

Agents and assistants are located side-by-side within the flow of work 

Agents and assistants use threads, context, and Slack data to complete complex tasks or reasoning to help you do your best work.

Access pre-built 3rd-party agents and assistants through Slack Marketplace

Slack workspace interface showing navigation within the 'proj-creative-report' channel. The user interacts with the sidebar, exploring different sections like Home, DMs, and Activity.
Slack workspace interface showing the 'astro-inc' channel. A user navigates through the sidebar, switching between channels and sections like Home, DMs, and Activity.

Key Best Practices for Developing AI App Agents in Slack

To create a seamless and trustworthy user experience with your AI app in Slack, here are the essential best practices:

 

  • Content Disclaimers: Always inform users when content is AI-generated and include any necessary disclaimers to highlight potential inaccuracies.

  • Gather Feedback: Collect user feedback, whether through simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down reactions or more detailed input, to improve your app’s responses.

  • Cite Sources: Ensure your app provides clear references for any external information or sources it uses, building trust with users.

  • Smooth Onboarding: Guide first-time users with clear next steps (e.g., signing in or agreeing to terms) but avoid repetitive prompts once they’re onboarded.

  • Media Support: Let users know what types of media the app supports and provide helpful messages if unsupported media is uploaded.

  • Formatting: Use Block Kit for complex responses and Slack’s mrkdwn for simpler ones to ensure correct display formatting.

  • Graceful Error Handling: Provide clear error messages and status updates if something goes wrong, so users know what to expect.

  • Use App Home: Leverage the app home to share important settings and let users easily adjust configurations.

 

For more detailed information, check out the full AI app best practices documentation.

Resources

Follow-ups

Slack AI Guidelines

  • Best practices for developing AI-powered Slack apps
  • Ethical considerations and responsible AI usage
  • Performance optimization tips

 

Case Studies and Developer Stories

    • Success stories from companies using Slack AI
    • Developer testimonials and project showcases
    • Metrics and ROI examples from AI implementation