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Slack Integration

Connect your Slack workspace to HiveWriter to automatically sync channel messages, threads, and files into your AI knowledge base. The Slack integration provides intelligent context from your team communications to enhance your AI agents' responses.

🚀 Quick Start​

  1. Navigate to Integration Settings in your HiveWriter workspace
  2. Click "Connect" on the Slack integration card
  3. Authorize HiveWriter in your Slack workspace
  4. Configure channels and preferences using our guided setup wizard
  5. Complete setup and start syncing your Slack data

🔌 MCP Enhancement​

This integration is MCP-powered, which means:

✅ AI agents get real-time tools - Agents can read channels, search messages, and analyze threads with live data ✅ Automatic provisioning - Connect once via OAuth, agents work immediately ✅ No additional setup - MCP tools deployed automatically in the background

What Can AI Agents Do?​

Once connected, your AI agents can:

  • Read channel messages - Access conversations to understand team context
  • Search across workspace - Find specific discussions or decisions
  • Analyze threads - Follow entire conversation flows
  • Post updates - Share summaries and notifications automatically
  • Track mentions - Monitor relevant conversations

Example Use Cases:

  • HivePilot searches recent Slack discussions when generating PRDs to capture team feedback
  • HiveWriter reads marketing channel updates before creating social posts
  • HiveMind analyzes meeting-related threads to generate comprehensive follow-ups
Technical Details

Learn how MCP powers our integrations: MCP Integration Architecture

⚙️ Configuration Options​

Channel Selection​

  • Public Channels: Access to all public channels in your workspace
  • Private Channels: Only channels where the HiveWriter bot is invited
  • Channel Filtering: Choose specific channels to sync or exclude
  • Member Visibility: See channel membership and privacy indicators

Data Preferences​

  • Retention Period: 30 days to 1 year (default: 90 days)
  • Sync Frequency: Daily automated sync at 2 AM UTC
  • Thread Inclusion: Include or exclude threaded replies
  • File Processing: Extract text from uploaded documents and images
  • Mention Filtering: Sync only messages with @mentions (optional)

Storage Management​

  • Message Limits: 500-5000 messages per channel (default: 1000)
  • Real-time Estimation: See storage impact before confirming
  • Workspace Limits: 50,000 message limit per workspace
  • Automatic Cleanup: Old messages removed based on retention settings

🔒 Privacy & Security​

Data Handling​

  • Encrypted Storage: All data encrypted at rest and in transit
  • Workspace Isolation: Your Slack data never shared between workspaces
  • AI Processing: Content vectorized for semantic search only
  • No Training Data: Your data never used for model training

Access Control​

  • OAuth Security: Secure token-based authentication
  • Granular Permissions: Channel-by-channel access control
  • Easy Revocation: Disconnect anytime to immediately stop data access
  • Token Management: Automatic token refresh and secure storage

Compliance​

  • GDPR Compliant: Right to export and delete data
  • Data Export: Download your data in JSON format anytime
  • Retention Policies: Automatic cleanup based on your preferences
  • Audit Trail: Complete sync history and activity logs

📊 Sync Management​

Automatic Sync​

  • Daily Schedule: Runs at 2 AM UTC for optimal performance
  • Incremental Updates: Only new messages since last sync
  • Error Handling: Automatic retry for failed operations
  • Status Monitoring: Real-time sync progress and history

Manual Sync​

  • On-Demand Trigger: Force sync anytime from integration settings
  • Initial Setup: Complete historical sync during configuration
  • Selective Sync: Re-sync specific channels if needed
  • Progress Tracking: Live updates during sync operations

Sync History​

  • Activity Log: Complete history of all sync operations
  • Performance Metrics: Messages processed, channels synced, duration
  • Error Reporting: Detailed error messages and recovery suggestions
  • Success Indicators: Clear confirmation of completed operations

🛠 Advanced Configuration​

Content Filtering​

{
  "includeThreads": true,        // Include threaded replies
  "includeFiles": true,          // Process file attachments
  "filterMentionsOnly": false,   // Only sync @mention messages
  "maxMessagesPerChannel": 1000, // Limit per channel
  "dataRetentionDays": 90,       // How long to keep data
  "syncFrequency": "daily"       // Sync schedule
}

Channel Configuration​

{
  "channels": [
    "C1234567890",  // General channel
    "C0987654321"   // Project-specific channel
  ],
  "excludeArchived": true,
  "onlyMemberChannels": false
}

🔧 API Integration​

Configuration Endpoints​

# Fetch available channels
POST /api/slack/integrations/slack/channels
{
  "access_token": "xoxb-...",
  "team_id": "T1234567890"
}

# Save configuration
POST /api/slack/integrations/slack/configure
{
  "access_token": "xoxb-...",
  "team_id": "T1234567890",
  "configuration": {
    "channels": ["C1234567890"],
    "dataRetentionDays": 90,
    "syncFrequency": "daily"
  }
}

# Trigger manual sync
POST /api/slack/integrations/slack/sync
{
  "team_id": "T1234567890",
  "initial_sync": false
}

# Get sync status
GET /api/slack/integrations/slack/status?team_id=T1234567890

# Disconnect integration
DELETE /api/slack/integrations/slack/disconnect?team_id=T1234567890

Legacy API Helpers​

# Send message to channel
POST /api/slack/post
{
  "token": "xoxb-...",
  "channel": "C1234567890",
  "text": "Hello from HiveWriter!"
}

# Fetch channel messages
GET /api/slack/messages?token=xoxb-...&channel=C1234567890&limit=20

# Ingest messages to RAG
POST /api/slack/ingest
{
  "token": "xoxb-...",
  "channel": "C1234567890",
  "limit": 100
}

🎯 Best Practices​

Channel Selection​

  • Start Small: Begin with 2-3 key channels
  • Focus on Quality: Choose channels with relevant, searchable content
  • Avoid Noise: Exclude channels with mostly automated messages
  • Consider Privacy: Only sync channels appropriate for AI context

Retention Settings​

  • 90-Day Default: Good balance of context and storage efficiency
  • Project-Based: Longer retention for project channels
  • Compliance Aware: Match your organization's data retention policies
  • Regular Review: Periodically assess and adjust retention needs

Performance Optimization​

  • Message Limits: Use 1000 messages per channel for best performance
  • Selective Sync: Only sync channels that provide valuable context
  • Monitor Usage: Keep track of storage limits and usage patterns
  • Regular Cleanup: Let automatic retention policies manage old data

🚨 Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Connection Problems

  • Verify Slack workspace permissions
  • Check if HiveWriter bot is installed
  • Ensure OAuth tokens haven't expired
  • Try disconnecting and reconnecting

Sync Failures

  • Check Slack API rate limits
  • Verify channel access permissions
  • Review error logs in sync history
  • Contact support for persistent issues

Missing Messages

  • Confirm channel selection includes desired channels
  • Check message date ranges vs retention settings
  • Verify bot has access to private channels
  • Review sync history for completion status

Error Codes​

  • 401 Unauthorized: Token expired or invalid
  • 403 Forbidden: Insufficient channel permissions
  • 429 Rate Limited: Too many API requests
  • 500 Server Error: Internal processing error

📞 Support & Resources​

Getting Help​

  • In-App Support: Use the help button in integration settings
  • Documentation: Complete guides at docs.hivewriter.ai
  • Community: Join our Discord for community support
  • Direct Support: Contact support@hivewriter.ai for urgent issues

Additional Resources​

Need help? Our support team is here to assist with your Slack integration setup and troubleshooting.