Slack

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with Slack workspaces. This server provides a bridge between AI tools and Slack, allowing you to read messages, post content, and manage Slack channels programmatically through MCP-compatible clients.

This MCP server transforms your Slack workspace into an AI-accessible environment. It provides 21+ tools for comprehensive Slack interaction:

- Read channel history with date filtering and thread support
- Post messages and replies to threads
- Search messages across workspace or within specific channels
- Execute Slack commands

- List, join, create, and rename channels
- Look up channel IDs by name
- Invite users to channels

- Add and view emoji reactions
- Send direct messages and group DMs
- Manage usergroups (clear members)

- Check authentication status
- Cache management for performance

- Seamless Integration: Connect your AI assistant directly to Slack without manual copy-pasting
- Automated Workflows: Build AI-powered Slack bots that can read, analyze, and respond to messages
- Enhanced Productivity: Let AI help manage notifications, summarize conversations, or automate routine Slack tasks
- Real-time Collaboration: Enable AI assistants to participate in team discussions and provide instant insights

- Team Assistant: Have an AI that can read team updates and provide summaries
- Notification Manager: Automatically categorize and respond to incoming messages
- Knowledge Base: AI that can search through channel history and provide context
- Meeting Scheduler: AI that can read meeting requests and help coordinate schedules

This repo ships as a Claude Code plugin with a guided setup skill. Claude will walk you through the entire process — no manual config editing required.

Run the setup script. It handles everything — venv, Playwright, token extraction, wrapper script, and Claude Code registration. The only interaction required is logging in to Slack when the browser opens, and entering an optional channel ID for server logs, if desired.

python3 <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redhat-community-ai-tools/slack-mcp/main/scripts/setup-slack-mcp.py)

Or clone the repo first and run it locally:

git clone https://github.com/redhat-community-ai-tools/slack-mcp python3 slack-mcp/scripts/setup-slack-mcp.py

python3 slack-mcp/scripts/setup-slack-mcp.py --refresh-tokens

If you have theSlack desktop appinstalled, you can refresh tokens without opening a browser:

slack-mcp/scripts/slack-refresh-tokens --validate

- Scoped access— only the OAuth permissions you grant, not full user access
- Distinct identity— actions appear as the bot, not as your user account
- Central management— IT can audit and revoke via the Slack admin panel
- No browser DevTools— tokens are generated once in the Slack App settings
- Create a Slack App atapi.slack.com/apps
- Add OAuth scopes:channels:read,channels:history,channels:manage,groups:read,groups:history,groups:write,chat:write,reactions:read,reactions:write,search:read,users:read,commands,mpim:write
- Install to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token (xoxb-...)
- Invite the bot to channels it needs access to

{ "mcpServers": { "slack": { "command": "podman", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN", "-e", "LOGS_CHANNEL_ID", "quay.io/redhat-ai-tools/slack-mcp" ], "env": { "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-...", "LOGS_CHANNEL_ID": "C7000000" } } } }

LOGS_CHANNEL_IDis optional. When omitted, tool activity is written tostderrinstead of posted to Slack.

If bothSLACK_BOT_TOKENandSLACK_XOXC_TOKEN/SLACK_XOXD_TOKENare set, the bot token takes precedence.

For agents or automation that shouldbrowse and searchSlack without posting, reacting, running commands, or joining channels, enable read-only mode.

- Environment variable:setSLACK_MCP_READ_ONLYto a truthy value (1,true,yes, oron, case-insensitive).
- CLI:pass--read-onlywhen startingslack_mcp_server.py(equivalent to setting the variable).

In read-only mode, tools that mutate Slack state (post_message,send_dm,post_command,add_reaction,join_channel) raise a clear error. Read tools (history, search, threads,whoami, channel listing, cache refresh helpers, and so on) behave as usual. Tool activity that would normally be mirrored toLOGS_CHANNEL_IDis written tostderrinstead.

On startup, the server logs a line to stderr when read-only mode is active.

For Podman or Docker, add-e SLACK_MCP_READ_ONLY=true(and the matching key inenv) when you want the container to run read-only.

You can run the slack-mcp server in a container using Podman or Docker:

Example configuration for running with Podman:

{ "mcpServers": { "slack": { "command": "podman", "args": [ "run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "SLACK_XOXC_TOKEN", "-e", "SLACK_XOXD_TOKEN", "-e", "MCP_TRANSPORT", "-e", "LOGS_CHANNEL_ID", "quay.io/redhat-ai-tools/slack-mcp" ], "env": { "SLACK_XOXC_TOKEN": "xoxc-...", "SLACK_XOXD_TOKEN": "xoxd-...", "MCP_TRANSPORT": "stdio", "LOGS_CHANNEL_ID": "C7000000" } } } }

LOGS_CHANNEL_IDis optional. When omitted, tool activity is written tostderrinstead of posted to Slack.

By default, tool activity is written tostderr(visible in your terminal or process logs). To mirror activity to a Slack channel instead, setLOGS_CHANNEL_IDto any channel the bot or session user has access to — a self-DM or a DM with Slackbot works well for personal use.

In read-only mode,LOGS_CHANNEL_IDis ignored and all activity is always written to stderr.

To run the server with a non-stdio transport (such as SSE), set theMCP_TRANSPORTenvironment variable to a value other thanstdio(e.g.,sse).

Example configuration to connect to a non-stdio MCP server:

Extract your Slack XOXC and XOXD tokens easily using browser extensions or Selenium automation:https://github.com/maorfr/slack-token-extractor.

Post messages to Slack channels using incoming webhooks.