# Slack

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

Source: https://docs.runbear.io/channels/slack

Last updated: 2026-10-07

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.

![Mentioning the bot in Slack](/img/slack-trigger-bot-mention.png)

## 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 the **Slack** tile.

![Connecting Slack](/img/plugbear-activate-channel.png)

3. Choose how the agent appears in Slack:
   - The **Create** option named after your agent, such as **Create @HR Helper**
     (**Create Custom Bot**, recommended): a dedicated bot for this agent, with
     its own name and avatar. Enter a **Custom App Name** and select a **Slack
     Configuration Token**, then click **Create**. The form links
     to instructions for generating a configuration token in Slack.
   - **Use @Runbear** (**Use @Runbear Bot**): the shared Runbear bot, which every
     agent in your organization can use. If it isn't in your workspace yet, click
     **Install @Runbear to Slack** and approve the installation in Slack.
4. Under **Create Connection**, pick the channel the agent should answer in, or
   **Direct Message with Runbear** for direct messages, then click **Create**.
5. Invite the bot to any channels where you want it to respond.
6. 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.

## After setup

Each channel or DM you deploy to is a connection on the agent's **Chatbots** tab,
with its own triggers and preferences: whether the agent keeps answering in a
thread, replies to every message, runs on a schedule, replies privately, and more.
See [Chatbot settings](/channels/chatbot-settings.md).

To change the bot's icon, use the **App icon** row on the connection's
**Preferences** tab. For the shared Runbear bot you upload the image there; for a
custom bot the row links to the bot's settings on api.slack.com, where you upload
it under **Display information**. Claude Agent SDK agents have no **Preferences**
tab; a custom bot's icon can still be changed directly in its Slack app settings.

## Disconnecting

To remove the agent from one channel or DM, delete that connection from the
**Chatbots** tab; see
[Deleting a connection](/channels/chatbot-settings.md#deleting-a-connection).

To remove a bot from the whole Slack workspace, for every agent, use
**Settings → Integrations → Slack**; see [Integrations](/administration/integrations.md#slack).