Getting started
Create an agent, give it knowledge and tools, and deploy it to Slack.
On this page
This guide takes an empty Runbear organization to an agent answering questions in a Slack channel.
Before you begin#
- A Runbear account. Sign up at runbear.io.
- Permission to install apps in your Slack workspace, or an admin who can approve the installation.
For workflows involving protected health information (PHI), complete the HIPAA setup checklist before uploading data or connecting sources. A general-purpose agent is not a substitute for that setup.
1. Create the agent#
Open Agents in the dashboard and select Create Agent. Give it a name that
says what it is for, such as HR Helper, then choose how it should work:
| Choice | What you get |
|---|---|
| Standard | The current runtime, usually Claude Agent SDK. Recommended unless you have a reason to pick otherwise. |
| Classic | The previous engine, under Other runtimes. Faster and sufficient for simple question-and-answer agents. |
The runtime decides which channels the agent can deploy to and which settings it has. Compare runtimes
If your organization is on HIPAA mode, the Standard option is labeled accordingly and the other runtimes are marked as not covered. See Agent settings for what the mode changes.
2. Write the instructions#
Open the Instructions tab and describe what the agent does, who it serves, and what it should refuse. Main instructions holds the core instructions; use Add section for named sections of extra guidance, and keep one subject per section rather than writing a single long page.
The main instructions for an HR agent might start:
You answer employee questions about company policy using the HR handbook. Quote the relevant section. If the handbook does not cover the question, say so and suggest contacting the People team rather than guessing.
3. Connect knowledge, tools, or both#
Open Knowledge and connect the source that holds the answers. Notion, Confluence, Google Drive, Slack, SharePoint, and public websites sync automatically; you can also upload files directly. The first sync runs immediately and later syncs are incremental.
Open Tools if the agent needs to do something rather than answer from documents, such as creating a Linear issue or looking up a HubSpot contact.
Knowledge answers "what does our documentation say", tools answer "what is true right now" and "do this for me". Most agents use both.
4. Try it before anyone sees it#
Open Improve & Try and ask the agent the questions you expect real users to ask. Wrong answers here are usually missing knowledge or vague instructions, and both are faster to fix now than after the agent is live.
5. Deploy to Slack#
Open the Chatbots tab and click the Slack tile. Choose the Create option named after your agent (for example Create @HR Helper) for a dedicated bot, which is recommended and needs a Slack configuration token, or Use @Runbear for the shared Runbear bot. Install it in your workspace if prompted (Install @Runbear to Slack for the shared bot). Then, under Create Connection, pick the channel the agent should answer in, or the direct-message option, and click Create. Invite the bot to that channel and mention it:
@Runbear What is our parental leave policy?What to do next#
- Deploy the same agent to Microsoft Teams. Agents on the Claude Agent SDK runtime deploy to Slack and Microsoft Teams only; Classic, Anthropic and OpenAI Responses agents can also deploy to Discord, HubSpot, and Zendesk.
- Run it without being asked, on a schedule or an incoming event, with triggers.
- Watch what it costs on the billing and credits page.
- Control who can view and edit it in the dashboard in agent settings.