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Slack

Deploy an agent to Slack, where it answers mentions and direct messages.

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How it worksSetupDisplay the agent in Slack's AI panelFor adminsFor membersChanging the bot iconDefault Runbear botCustom Slack botDisconnecting

Slack is the most common place to put an agent: it answers @mentions in any channel it is invited to, and direct messages from individual members. Use it for internal question-and-answer, team runbooks, and anything your team already asks each other in a channel.

How it works#

When a trigger event occurs in a connected Slack channel — such as an @mention or a direct message — Runbear forwards the message to your agent. The agent processes the request, executes any connected tools or knowledge-base lookups, and posts the response back to the Slack thread.

Setup#

  1. In the Runbear dashboard, open your agent and go to the Chatbots tab.
  2. Click Connect on the Slack tile.

  1. Click Add Runbear to Slack to install the Runbear bot in your Slack workspace.
  2. Confirm the correct workspace is selected, then click Add to activate it.
  3. Invite the bot to any channels where you want it to respond.
  4. Mention @Runbear (or your custom bot name) in a channel to start a conversation.

Display the agent in Slack's AI panel#

When your agent is installed in Slack, workspace owners and admins can make it available in the Agents & Assistants section of the Slack desktop app. This lets all members discover and use it from the top-right corner of Slack.

For admins#

  1. Open your workspace settings (click the workspace name or Admin icon in the sidebar).
  2. Navigate to Workspace Settings.
  3. Scroll to the Agents & Assistants section.
  4. Enable your agent and save.

For members#

  1. Click your profile picture in the sidebar.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Go to the Navigation section.
  4. Under App Agents and Assistants, check or uncheck agents to show or hide them.

Changing the bot icon#

You can customize the bot icon to match your brand. The method depends on whether you use the default Runbear bot or a custom Slack bot.

Default Runbear bot#

  1. In the Runbear dashboard, open your agent and go to Chatbots > Preferences.
  2. Click the icon at the top and upload your preferred image.

Custom Slack bot#

  1. In the Runbear dashboard, open your agent and go to Chatbots > Preferences.
  2. Click App Icon Settings.

  1. Scroll to the Display information section and upload your new icon.

Disconnecting#

In the Runbear dashboard, go to the Chatbots tab, click the more options menu on the Slack tile, and select Deactivate.