Slack Integration

Elevate your team's communication with aura's Slack integration. Connect your workspace to unlock powerful features that streamline your workflow and provide valuable insights.

What You Can Do

• Intelligent Search: Find messages and files with ease using natural language
• Seamless Messaging: Create and update messages directly from aura, keeping your conversations in sync
• Conversation Summaries: Get the highlights of long conversations and channels in an instant
• Actionable Insights: Discover key information and trends from your Slack conversations
• Rich Messaging: Post rich, formatted messages to Slack, enriched with content from your other integrations

Prerequisites

Before connecting Slack to aura, you'll need:

1. Slack Workspace: Admin or owner access to a Slack workspace
2. Slack App: Ability to create and install Slack apps in your workspace
3. Bot Token: A Bot User OAuth Token with appropriate scopes
4. Permissions: Necessary permissions to read channels and messages

Connection Setup

Step 1: Create a Slack App

1. Go to Slack API Apps
2. Click "Create New App"
3. Choose "From scratch"
4. Enter an app name (e.g., "aura Integration")
5. Select your workspace
6. Click "Create App"

Step 2: Configure OAuth Scopes

1. In your app settings, go to "OAuth & Permissions" in the sidebar
2. Scroll down to "Bot Token Scopes"
3. Add the following scopes:
   • channels:history - View messages in public channels
   • channels:read - View basic channel information
   • users:read - View people in the workspace
   • files:read - View files shared in channels (optional)
   • chat:write - Send messages as the bot (optional)
   • groups:history - View messages in private channels (if needed)
   • groups:read - View basic private channel information (if needed)

Step 3: Install the App to Your Workspace

1. At the top of the "OAuth & Permissions" page, click "Install to Workspace"
2. Review the permissions your app is requesting
3. Click "Allow" to authorize the installation
4. You'll be redirected back to the OAuth & Permissions page

Step 4: Copy Your Bot Token

1. On the "OAuth & Permissions" page, you'll see "Bot User OAuth Token"
2. The token starts with xoxb-
3. Click "Copy" to copy the token to your clipboard
4. Keep this token secure - you'll need it for aura

Step 5: Connect in aura

1. Navigate to the Integrations page in aura
2. Find "Slack" and click "Connect & Configure"
3. You'll see two tabs: "Info" and "Settings"
4. Click on the "Settings" tab
5. Paste your Bot User OAuth Token in the "Bot User OAuth Token" field
6. Click "Connect Slack"
7. Wait for the connection to be established
8. Return to your dashboard to verify the status shows "Connected"

Understanding Connection Status

✅ Connected

Your Slack integration is working properly. You can:

• Search messages and files across channels
• View conversation summaries
• Post messages to channels
• Access shared files

⚠️ Not Connected

The integration hasn't been set up yet. Follow the connection setup steps above.

⚠️ Token Expired or Invalid

Your Bot OAuth Token is no longer valid:

1. Go to your Slack App settings
2. Select your app
3. Navigate to "OAuth & Permissions"
4. If needed, reinstall the app to generate a new token
5. Copy the new Bot User OAuth Token
6. Update it in aura's Slack integration settings

Using the Slack Integration

Searching Messages

Use natural language to search across your Slack workspace:

Examples:

• "Find messages about the product launch"
• "Show me files shared in #marketing channel"
• "Search for messages from Sarah about the budget"
• "What did the team discuss about the Q4 roadmap?"

Getting Conversation Summaries

Ask aura to summarize long conversations:

Examples:

• "Summarize the #general channel from last week"
• "What are the key points from the engineering standup?"
• "Give me highlights from the project-alpha channel"

Posting Messages

Through aura's chat interface, you can post messages to Slack:

Examples:

• "Post to #general: Team meeting at 3 PM today"
• "Send a message to #announcements about the new feature release"
• "Share the Q4 report in #leadership channel"

Finding Files

Search for files shared in your workspace:

Examples:

• "Find the presentation shared in #sales last week"
• "Show me PDFs shared by John"
• "Search for spreadsheets in #finance channel"

Updating Your Integration

When to Update

Update your Slack integration when:

• Your Bot OAuth Token is revoked or expires
• You need to add additional scopes/permissions
• You reinstall the Slack app
• The integration status shows an error

How to Update

1. Navigate to the Slack integration page in aura
2. Click the "Settings" tab
3. Generate a new Bot OAuth Token if needed:
   • Go to your Slack App settings
   • Navigate to "OAuth & Permissions"
   • Reinstall the app if necessary
   • Copy the new token
4. Paste the new token in aura
5. Click "Update Slack"
6. Verify the status returns to "Connected"

Disconnecting the Integration

To remove the Slack integration:

1. Go to the Slack integration page in aura
2. Click the "Info" tab
3. Scroll down and click "Unlink Slack"
4. Confirm the disconnection
5. You'll be redirected to the Integrations page

Note: Disconnecting will:

• Remove access to Slack data in aura
• Stop syncing messages and files
• Prevent you from posting messages through aura
• Not affect your Slack workspace or data

Optional: You can also uninstall the Slack app from your workspace:

1. Go to your Slack App settings
2. Select your app
3. Go to "Settings" → "Basic Information"
4. Scroll to "Remove App" and click "Remove App"

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

Possible causes:

• Incorrect Bot OAuth Token
• Token doesn't start with xoxb-
• App not installed to workspace
• Network connectivity issues

Solutions:

1. Verify you copied the complete token (starts with xoxb-)
2. Ensure the app is installed to your workspace
3. Try reinstalling the Slack app
4. Generate a new token and try again
5. Check your internet connection

Search Not Returning Results

Possible causes:

• Bot doesn't have access to channels
• Insufficient scopes/permissions
• No messages match search criteria
• Bot not added to private channels

Solutions:

1. Verify bot has necessary scopes (channels:history, channels:read)
2. Add the bot to channels you want to search
3. For private channels, add the bot as a member
4. Try broader search terms
5. Check that messages exist in the channels

Cannot Post Messages

Possible causes:

• Missing chat:write scope
• Bot not added to target channel
• Insufficient permissions

Solutions:

1. Add chat:write scope to your Slack app
2. Reinstall the app after adding scopes
3. Add the bot to the target channel
4. Verify you have permission to post in the channel

Token Keeps Expiring

Possible causes:

• App was uninstalled from workspace
• Token was manually revoked
• Workspace security policies

Solutions:

1. Reinstall the app to your workspace
2. Check workspace security settings
3. Ensure the app isn't being automatically removed
4. Contact your Slack workspace admin

Security & Permissions

What aura Can Access

With the Slack integration, aura can:

• Read messages from public channels the bot is added to
• Read messages from private channels the bot is a member of
• View basic user information
• Access files shared in accessible channels
• Post messages to channels (if granted permission)

What aura Cannot Access

aura respects Slack permissions and cannot:

• Access direct messages between users
• Read channels the bot isn't added to
• Access private channels without being invited
• Modify workspace settings
• Delete messages or channels

Token Security

Your Slack Bot OAuth Token is:

• Encrypted in transit and at rest
• Never exposed in logs or error messages
• Only used to authenticate with Slack APIs
• Revocable at any time from your Slack app settings

Privacy Considerations

• Only messages in channels where the bot is present are accessible
• User privacy is maintained for direct messages
• File access is limited to what's shared in accessible channels
• aura never stores your Slack messages permanently

Best Practices

Bot Management

• Use a descriptive name for your Slack app (e.g., "aura Integration")
• Add the bot only to channels where you need search functionality
• Regularly review which channels the bot has access to
• Remove the bot from channels when no longer needed

Scope Management

• Only add scopes that you actually need
• Review and update scopes as your needs change
• Understand what each scope allows before adding it
• Reinstall the app after changing scopes

Search Efficiency

• Use specific channel names when searching
• Include relevant keywords and context
• Leverage date ranges for time-specific searches
• Use natural language - aura understands context

Message Posting

• Be clear about which channel to post to
• Include all necessary context in your message
• Use formatting for better readability
• Verify messages before posting

Advanced Features

Channel-Specific Search

Search within specific channels:

Example: "Find messages in #engineering about the API update"

User-Specific Search

Search for messages from specific users:

Example: "Show me messages from @john about the project timeline"

Date-Range Search

Search within specific time periods:

Example: "Find messages from last week about the product launch"

File Type Search

Search for specific types of files:

Example: "Find all PDFs shared in #documents channel"

Integration Tips

Adding Bot to Channels

To search a channel, the bot must be added:

1. Open the channel in Slack
2. Click the channel name at the top
3. Go to "Integrations" tab
4. Click "Add apps"
5. Find and add your aura bot

Private Channel Access

For private channels:

1. The bot must be explicitly invited
2. A channel member must add the bot
3. Bot will only see messages after being added
4. Historical messages before bot was added are not accessible

Workspace-Wide Search

To search across all public channels:

1. Add the bot to all relevant channels
2. Or use Slack's "Add to all public channels" feature (if available)
3. Remember: bot can only search channels it's a member of

Need Help?

• Integrations Overview - General integration information
• Dashboard Guide - Understanding integration status
• FAQ - Common questions
• Troubleshooting - Solutions to common issues
• Slack API Documentation - Official Slack API docs

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Connect your Slack workspace to aura and unlock powerful search and automation capabilities for your team communication.