Slack

The Slack Activity enables comprehensive interaction with your Slack workspace directly from your Boltic workflows. You can send messages, manage channels, find users, and perform various workspace operations to automate your team communication and collaboration.

Overview

The Slack activity provides powerful automation capabilities for:

• Messaging: Send messages to public channels, private channels, and direct messages
• Channel Management: Create public and private channels
• User Operations: Find users by email and invite users to channels
• Content Management: Set channel topics
• Integration Workflows: Connect Slack with other tools and services

Prerequisites

Before using Slack with Boltic, ensure you have the following configured:

1. Slack Credentials – Authentication set up in Boltic.
2. Permissions – The bot must have required scopes for operations (see below).
3. Channel Access – Bot must be added to relevant channels.

Required Scopes for Operations

Each operation requires specific scopes. Below is a mapping of operations to their required scopes:

Bot Scopes

Operation	Required Scopes
Send Channel Message	chat:write, channels:read
Send Private Channel Message	chat:write, groups:write
Send Direct Message	chat:write, im:write
Send to Non-Member Channel	chat:write.public
Custom Bot Name/Avatar	chat:write.customize
Create Public Channel	channels:manage
Create Private Channel	groups:write
Set Topic for Channel	channels:manage (public), groups:write (private)
Upload Files	files:write
Join Public Channel	channels:join
Webhook Messages	incoming-webhook

User Scopes

Operation	Required Scopes
Send Message as User	chat:write
Invite to Public Channel	channels:write.invites
Invite to Private Channel	groups:write.invites
Find User by Email	users:read, users:read.email
Manage Public Channels	channels:write
Manage Private Channels	groups:write
List Private Channels	groups:read
Send DM as User	im:write
Send Group DM as User	mpim:write
Upload Files as User	files:write

note

When you install the Boltic Slack app, all required scopes are requested together to support the full range of features. See the Slack Credentials page for the complete list of all 27 scopes.

Supported Operations

1. Send Channel Message

Send messages to public channels with text or block format.

2. Send Private Channel Message

Send messages to private channels the bot has access to.

3. Send Direct Message

Send messages directly to users, supporting text, blocks, mentions, and links.

4. Create Public Channel

Create a new public channel.

5. Create Private Channel

Create a new private channel.

6. Set Topic for Channel

Update the topic for a specified channel.

7. Invite Users to Channel

Invite one or more users to an existing channel.

8. Find User by Email

Find and return a Slack user by email address.

Configuration Guide

1. Select Slack Activity from the activities list.
2. Choose an Operation (e.g., Send Message, Create Channel).
3. Select or configure your Slack credentials.
4. Fill in required parameters such as Channel, Message, or User.
5. Test configuration before saving.

Dynamic Content Example

Hello {{API_1.result.name}}, your task '{{payload.task_title}}' is now {{API_2.result.status}}.

Rich Formatting Example

*Bold text*  _Italic text_  `Code`  > Quote block

Mentions Example

Hey <@USER123>, please review the latest update: <https://example.com|Project Board>

Error Handling

Common issues and solutions:

• Message Not Delivered: Ensure bot is in the target channel and message isn't empty. Verify chat:write scope.
• Channel Not Found: Verify spelling and bot access. Ensure channels:read or groups:read scope.
• Permission Denied: Review bot token scopes listed above and reinstall if updated.
• User Not Found: Ensure the user exists and the bot has users:read and users:read.email scopes.
• Cannot Create Channel: Ensure channels:manage (public) or groups:write (private) scope is granted.

Security Considerations

• Avoid sharing sensitive or private data in messages.
• Grant only the scopes required for your use case.
• Regularly review channel and bot permissions.
• Protect and rotate bot tokens.

Performance & Optimization

• Respect Slack's API rate limits (1+ request/sec).
• Use batching or async operations for high-volume workflows.
• Send messages conditionally to avoid unnecessary calls.

Example Use Cases

• Customer Support: Post a CRM ticket message in #support.
• Build Status Updates: Notify #dev-team about build completion.
• Meeting Reminders: Send DM reminders for upcoming events.
• Project Creation: Auto-create channels for new projects.

Best Practices

• Validate inputs and channel existence before sending.
• Use retry logic for transient failures.
• Log activity results for monitoring.
• Start simple and expand automation gradually.