In This Article
Introduction
Slack is the communication hub for many teams. OpenClaw's Slack integration lets your AI agent operate where your team already works — answering questions, summarizing threads, running workflows, and sending alerts. Here's what we're covering: setup and effective use: step-by-step configuration, real use cases, cost numbers, and the patterns that make Slack + OpenClaw powerful.
Whether you're setting up a Q&A bot for your knowledge base, automating standup summaries, or routing alerts to the right channel, you'll find actionable steps. We'll cover OAuth scopes, channel strategies, security, and the exact configurations teams use in production.
Slack Setup: Step-by-Step
OpenClaw connects to Slack via the Slack Skill. Create a Slack app in your workspace, configure OAuth scopes (chat:write, channels:read, users:read, etc.), and add the credentials to your OpenClaw config. The agent can read messages, post replies, and react to mentions. Restrict which channels it monitors for security.
Step 1: Create Slack App. Go to api.slack.com/apps. Create New App > From scratch. Name it (e.g., "OpenClaw Assistant"). Choose your workspace.
Step 2: Configure OAuth scopes. Under OAuth & Permissions, add Bot Token Scopes: chat:write, channels:history, channels:read, groups:history, groups:read, im:history, im:read, mpim:history, mpim:read, users:read, users:read.email, reactions:write, app_mentions:read. For DMs: im:write, im:read. For posting to channels: chat:write, channels:read.
Step 3: Install to workspace. Install App. Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-). Store securely. Never commit to git.
Step 4: Configure OpenClaw. Add Slack Skill to config. Set SLACK_BOT_TOKEN. Configure allowed_channel_ids or allowed_user_ids to restrict access. Whitelist is safer than allowing all.
Step 5: Invite bot to channels. Add the bot to channels where it should operate. /invite @YourBotName. For DMs, users can message the bot directly if it's in the workspace.
Step 6: Verify. @mention the bot in a whitelisted channel. It should respond. Check OpenClaw logs for errors.
Use Cases with Examples
Q&A bot: Team members @mention the agent for quick answers from your knowledge base. "What's our refund policy?" — agent queries Notion/Confluence/docs, responds. Store knowledge in memory or connect via HTTP Skill. One 25-person team reduced "where do I find X?" questions by 60%.
Thread summarization: Long threads get summarized on request or on schedule. "Summarize this thread" — agent reads, produces 5-bullet summary. Or: Heartbeat runs daily, summarizes #product-decisions for leadership. Saves 30 min/day of reading.
Alert routing: Heartbeat tasks detect conditions and post to relevant channels. "Pipeline dropped 20% — post to #sales-alerts." "Deploy failed — post to #engineering." Agent formats the alert, includes links. Right people see it immediately.
Standup aggregation: Collect async standup posts and produce team summaries. Team posts to #standups; agent compiles 9am digest to #team-digest or DMs to managers. Reduces sync meeting load. See our Remote Teams guide for full workflow.
Meeting prep: "What did we decide about [topic]?" — agent searches channel history, summarizes. Useful before customer calls or internal meetings.
Real-world example. A 40-person SaaS company uses OpenClaw in Slack for: (1) #support — agent triages, answers FAQ, escalates complex; (2) #deployments — agent posts deploy status from CI/CD; (3) #standups — agent compiles daily digest. Saves ~15 hours/week across the team.
Channels vs DMs
Channel integration is powerful but visible. Use private channels for sensitive workflows. DMs keep interactions one-on-one. Many teams use both: channels for team-wide Q&A, DMs for personal assistance.
Channels: when to use. Team Q&A (everyone benefits from answers). Alerts (relevant people in channel). Standup digests (visibility). Public knowledge sharing. Drawback: everything is visible. Don't put confidential data in channels the bot can read.
DMs: when to use. Personal productivity. Sensitive questions. 1:1 assistance. Drawback: no shared context. Each user gets isolated interaction.
Hybrid. Bot in #general for @mention Q&A. Bot available for DM for "help me with X" personal tasks. Best of both.
Implementation Checklist
- □ Create Slack app. Configure OAuth scopes
- □ Install to workspace. Store token securely
- □ Add Slack Skill to OpenClaw config
- □ Configure allowed_user_ids or channel whitelist — never allow all
- □ Invite bot to relevant channels
- □ Create memory with knowledge base, policies, escalation rules
- □ Test with @mention. Verify response
- □ Set up Heartbeat tasks if using scheduled workflows
- □ Document for team: what the bot does, how to use it
Cost Breakdown
OpenClaw: free. Slack: your existing plan (bot doesn't add cost). Infrastructure: $20–80/month. API: $30–100/month depending on usage. A team of 20 with daily Q&A and standup digests might use $50/month in tokens. Implementation: 4–8 hours DIY, or $1,000–2,500 professional. Total: ~$600–3,000 first year.
Best Practices
Configure allowed_user_ids or channel whitelists. Don't let the agent roam all channels. Use clear naming so the team knows it's an AI ("OpenClaw Assistant" not "Bob"). Set expectations: the agent assists, it doesn't replace human judgment on critical decisions. Pin a message in #general: "@OpenClaw helps with X, Y, Z. For sensitive issues, contact [human]."
Rate limits. Slack has rate limits. High-volume agents can hit them. Add throttling. Batch messages when possible.
Threading. Reply in thread when appropriate. Keeps channels clean. "Summary of this thread: ..." in thread is better than new top-level message.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Pitfall 1: Bot in every channel. Overwhelming. Noisy. Restrict to channels where it adds value. #random doesn't need a bot.
Pitfall 2: No access control. allowed_user_ids = [] means anyone can use. Restrict to your team. Prevent prompt injection from external guests.
Pitfall 3: Sensitive data in bot-accessible channels. If the bot reads #hr or #legal, that data goes to the LLM. Be careful. Use private channels and restrict bot access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OpenClaw work with Slack Enterprise Grid? Yes. Same OAuth flow. Configure per-workspace if you have multiple. Some enterprises have additional security requirements — check with IT.
Can the bot read private channels? Only if invited and you've granted groups:history. The bot needs to be a member. Use sparingly — private often means sensitive.
What about Slack Connect (external orgs)? Bot in shared channels can interact with external users. Be careful — external users might try prompt injection. Restrict what the bot can do in shared channels.
How do we handle Slack's message limit? Free Slack: 90-day history. Agent can only read recent messages. Paid: full history. For "summarize last week" you need history. Plan accordingly.
Can the agent post to multiple channels? Yes. Heartbeat can post to a list of channels. E.g., morning digest to #team-digest and #leadership. Configure in task.
What about Slack workflows? OpenClaw is separate from Slack's native Workflow Builder. They can coexist. OpenClaw offers more flexibility (LLM reasoning, external APIs). Use Workflow Builder for simple automation; OpenClaw for intelligent automation.
Wrapping Up
Slack integration makes OpenClaw accessible to the whole team. Start with Q&A or standup summaries. Restrict access. Set expectations. OpenClaw Consult helps configure Slack setups for your workflow — we've deployed for teams from 5 to 500.