Connect an agent to Slack

Connect an AskTable agent to Slack so your team can ask data questions where they already work. People can mention the bot in a channel or message it directly, and the answer returns to Slack. AskTable connects through Slack’s Socket Mode. You do not need to expose a public callback URL.

Before you start

You need:

Permission to create and install an app in your Slack workspace. If your organization restricts app installation, ask a Slack workspace administrator to approve it.
An AskTable agent with its data sources and skills already configured.

One AskTable project can connect to one Slack workspace.

1. Create the Slack app

Open Slack apps, select Create New App, then choose From an app manifest. Select your workspace and paste this YAML manifest:

_metadata:
  major_version: 1
display_information:
  name: AskTable
  description: Ask questions about your data in natural language
features:
  bot_user:
    display_name: AskTable
    always_online: true
  app_home:
    home_tab_enabled: false
    messages_tab_enabled: true
    messages_tab_read_only_enabled: false
oauth_config:
  scopes:
    bot:
      - app_mentions:read
      - im:history
      - chat:write
      - reactions:write
      - users:read
      - users:read.email
settings:
  event_subscriptions:
    bot_events:
      - app_mention
      - message.im
  socket_mode_enabled: true
  org_deploy_enabled: false
  token_rotation_enabled: false

Review the settings, then select Create. You can change the app name and bot display name before creating the app. The requested permissions let the bot:

Purpose	Permissions
Receive questions	Messages that mention the bot and direct messages
Send answers	Messages and a short acknowledgment reaction
Identify users	Name, avatar, and email for access control

Keep messages_tab_enabled: true. Without it, people cannot send direct messages to the bot.

The manifest does not request channels:history or groups:history. AskTable cannot read unrelated channel conversations; as a result, every channel question must mention the bot.

2. Get the two tokens

First, open OAuth & Permissions and select Install to Workspace. Approve the requested permissions, then copy the Bot User OAuth Token. It starts with xoxb-. Next, open Basic Information → App-Level Tokens:

Select Generate Token and Scopes.
Enter a name for the token.
Add the connections:write scope.
Generate and copy the token. It starts with xapp-.

AskTable field	Slack token	Prefix
Bot Token	Bot User OAuth Token	`xoxb-`
App Token	App-Level Token	`xapp-`

The Bot Token lets AskTable receive user details and send replies. The App Token opens the Socket Mode connection. You do not need a Signing Secret.

Treat both tokens as passwords. Do not include them in screenshots, support tickets, or chat messages. If a token is exposed, revoke it in Slack and update AskTable with the replacement.

3. Connect Slack in AskTable

Open the agent you want to connect, then select the Channel tab:

Under Platform, select Slack.
Enter the xoxb- token in Bot Token.
Enter the xapp- token in App Token.
Select Save.

AskTable checks both token prefixes before saving. After a successful save, Slack becomes the active platform for this agent. You can also adjust these settings:

Setting	Default	What it does
Reply in thread	On	Opens a thread for each channel question and keeps follow-ups together
Deep reasoning	Off	Gives the model more time for complex questions
Channel preferences	Empty	Adds standing instructions, such as “Lead with the conclusion”

4. Check the connection

The Channel card shows the current connection status:

Status	Meaning
Connected	The tokens are valid and the Socket Mode connection is active
Connecting	AskTable is connecting or reconnecting
Disconnected	No active connection is available
Error	Slack rejected the connection or a connection error occurred

The status refreshes automatically every five seconds. Refresh only reloads the status; the Slack connection reconnects automatically when needed.

Connected confirms the Slack connection only. After sending a test question, check Latest message to confirm that AskTable received, processed, and replied to it.

5. Add the bot to a channel

The bot must be a member of a channel before it can receive mentions there. In the target channel, enter:

/invite @AskTable

You can also open the channel settings and select Integrations → Add apps. Direct messages do not require an invitation.

6. Ask questions

Where	What to send
Direct message	`What was revenue last month?`
Channel	`@AskTable What was revenue last month?`
Thread follow-up	`@AskTable Break it down by region.`

In channels, mention the bot in every question, including follow-ups inside a thread. AskTable deliberately avoids permissions that would let it read the full channel history. A thread belongs to the person who started it. If someone else mentions the bot in that thread, AskTable asks them to start a new question in the channel. Multi-person direct messages are not supported.

Answers posted in a channel are visible to everyone in that channel. Use a direct message when the result should remain private.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
Connection shows Error	Confirm that the Bot Token starts with `xoxb-`, the App Token starts with `xapp-`, Socket Mode is enabled, and the App Token has `connections:write`. Also confirm that the app is installed in the workspace.
Latest message is empty	Confirm that the bot is in the channel, the message mentions the bot, and the app subscribes to `app_mention` and `message.im`. For direct messages, confirm that the app’s Messages tab is enabled.
Processing failed	Open Details under Latest message. Check that the agent has working data sources and the user has access to it, then try the question again.
Reply failed	Confirm that the bot is still in the channel and has `chat:write`. If you changed Slack permissions, reinstall the app to the workspace before trying again.

Get Started

Concepts

Guides

Connect an agent to Slack

Before you start

1. Create the Slack app

2. Get the two tokens

3. Connect Slack in AskTable

4. Check the connection

5. Add the bot to a channel

6. Ask questions

Troubleshooting

Next steps

​Before you start

​1. Create the Slack app

​2. Get the two tokens

​3. Connect Slack in AskTable

​4. Check the connection

​5. Add the bot to a channel

​6. Ask questions

​Troubleshooting

​Next steps

Before you start

1. Create the Slack app

2. Get the two tokens

3. Connect Slack in AskTable

4. Check the connection

5. Add the bot to a channel

6. Ask questions

Troubleshooting

Next steps