Communication

Slack

Connect Claude Code to Slack via MCP to receive coding requests, post updates, and share results directly in your team channels.

Setup

1.
Create a Slack App and get a Bot Token
Go to api.slack.com/apps, create a new app, add the required scopes (channels:read, chat:write, users:read), and install it to your workspace. Copy the Bot User OAuth Token.
2.
Configure the Slack MCP server
Add the Slack MCP server to Claude Code. This gives the agent tools to read messages, post replies, and interact with channels.
```
claude mcp add slack -- npx -y @anthropic-ai/slack-mcp-server
# Set SLACK_BOT_TOKEN when prompted
```
3.
Test by reading a channel
Verify the integration works by asking Claude Code to read recent messages from a test channel.
```
claude "read the last 5 messages from #dev-general on Slack"
```

Features

+Reads messages from Slack channels and threads to understand context
+Posts progress updates and code snippets to specified channels
+Shares PR links and deployment status with the team automatically
+Reads bug reports posted in Slack and starts investigating immediately
+Searches Slack message history for past decisions and context

Use Cases

Bug report to fix pipeline

A teammate posts a bug report in Slack. You ask Claude Code to read the thread, investigate the reported issue in your codebase, fix it, and post the PR link back in the thread.

Development status updates

While Claude Code works on a feature, ask it to post progress updates to a Slack channel. The team stays informed without you typing manual updates.

Decision context retrieval

Before implementing a feature, ask Claude Code to search Slack for past discussions about the topic. It finds relevant threads and summarizes the decisions that were made, giving you context before you start coding.

How Claude Code talks to Slack

Claude Code connects to Slack through an MCP server that wraps the Slack Web API. Once configured, Claude Code can read channel messages, post replies, search message history, and react to messages. This turns Slack from a communication tool into a trigger point for AI-assisted development.

The integration is most powerful when combined with other tools. For example, a teammate reports a bug in Slack → Claude Code reads the report → investigates the codebase → pushes a fix → posts the PR link back in the Slack thread. The entire loop happens without context switching.

Example: Slack-driven bug fix

Security and permissions

The Slack MCP server only accesses channels and conversations that your bot token has been granted access to. It runs locally on your machine and communicates directly with Slack's API. Review the scopes carefully and only grant the minimum permissions needed for your workflow.

Can Claude Code send DMs on Slack?+

Only if your Slack bot token includes the chat:write scope for direct messages and the user has allowed the bot to message them. By default, it is recommended to limit the bot to specific channels.

Does Claude Code monitor Slack channels in real time?+

No. Claude Code reads messages on demand when you ask it to. It does not run a persistent listener. For real-time triggers, you would need a separate webhook that invokes Claude Code in headless mode.

Can I restrict which channels Claude Code accesses?+

Yes. Only invite the Slack bot to the channels you want Claude Code to interact with. It cannot read channels it has not been added to.

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