> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cobalt.peoplereign.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Slack

> Install your agent as a Slack bot your employees can message directly.

# Slack

The Slack channel puts your agent in Slack as a bot. Employees message it
directly and it replies in-thread, with streaming and an assistant-style
experience where your workspace supports it.

The bot works in **direct messages only** — each employee talks to the agent
one-on-one. It doesn't respond to @-mentions in channels and can't be added to
a channel conversation.

## What employees get

Beyond the conversation itself, the Slack experience includes:

* **Suggested prompts** — starter chips when opening the bot (in workspaces with
  Slack's AI assistant container; classic DMs show a plain conversation).
* **Voice messages** — Slack voice clips are transcribed and answered as text
  (when you enable transcription).
* **Feedback buttons** — thumbs up/down on answers, feeding the agent's
  reporting.
* **Sources on demand** — a "Show sources" toggle on answers that cite indexed
  content.
* **Forms and confirmations** — structured forms for multi-field requests, and
  confirmation prompts before the agent takes an action; when a tool needs the
  employee's own sign-in to another system, the consent card appears right in
  the DM.

## Before you start

You'll need a **Slack workspace administrator** to create and approve the app.
Cobalt generates an app manifest for you, so there's nothing to configure by hand
in Slack beyond creating the app and pasting two credentials back.

## Install it

<Steps>
  <Step title="Copy the manifest">
    On the Slack channel, copy the app manifest Cobalt generates for this agent.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the app in Slack">
    In Slack's app settings, create a new app **from a manifest** and paste it in.
    This sets the name, scopes, and event subscriptions for you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste the credentials">
    Install the app to your workspace, then copy its **bot token** and **signing
    secret** back into Cobalt.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify and test">
    Run verify. Cobalt checks the credentials and sends a test direct message so
    you can confirm the bot responds.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Settings

On the channel's settings you can configure:

* **Bot display name** and **icon** — how the bot appears in Slack.
* **Suggested prompts** — a few starter chips shown in a direct message.
* **Voice transcription** — whether voice messages are transcribed.
* **AI disclaimer** — the text and frequency (off, once, or always).

Changing the bot's name or icon updates the app manifest. When that happens,
re-apply the manifest in Slack's app settings so the change takes effect there —
Cobalt tells you when a re-apply is needed. The other settings take effect
immediately.

## Pause and disconnect

* **Pause** stops the agent from responding while keeping the app installed —
  useful during maintenance. Resume to turn it back on.
* **Disconnect** removes the credentials and takes the channel offline.

## Slack as an integration

Connecting Slack as a **channel** (so employees can talk to the agent there) is
separate from connecting Slack as an [Integration](/integrations/overview) (so the
agent can *search* Slack on a user's behalf). You can use either or both.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The bot doesn't respond to @-mentions in a channel">
    That's expected — the Slack bot works in **direct messages only**. Employees
    talk to it one-on-one, not in shared channels.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A setting changed but nothing happened in Slack">
    Name and icon changes update the app **manifest**, which Slack doesn't pick
    up until you re-apply it in the app settings. Cobalt flags when a re-apply is
    needed; other settings take effect immediately.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Suggested prompts don't show up">
    They appear in the Slack AI assistant container. Workspaces without it fall
    back to a plain direct-message conversation, where the bot still works but
    doesn't show starter prompts.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Verification fails after pasting credentials">
    Re-check the **bot token** and **signing secret** — both must come from the
    app you created from Cobalt's manifest, and the app must be installed to the
    workspace first.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>