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The Slack integration enables your AI agents to communicate with your team directly in Slack. Agents can respond to messages, reply in threads, send rich formatted messages, and be triggered by @mentions in channels.

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Features

Direct Messages

Chat with Cotool directly via DM. The bot creates a personal chat for each conversation.

Channel Triggers

@mention the bot in channels to trigger agents with specific capabilities.

Thread Conversations

Agents automatically reply in threads to keep channels organized.

Rich Messages

Send formatted messages with buttons, charts, and file attachments.

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Setup

1

Navigate to Integrations

Go to Settings > Integrations in Cotool and find the Slack integration.
2

Install the Slack App

Click Connect to begin the OAuth flow. You’ll be redirected to Slack to authorize the Cotool app.
3

Grant Permissions

Review and approve the requested permissions. The app needs access to:
  • Read messages in channels where it’s mentioned
  • Read and respond to direct messages
  • Post messages and reactions
  • Upload files
4

Select Workspace

Choose which Slack workspace to connect. You can connect multiple workspaces if needed.

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How It Works

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Direct Messages

You can start a conversation with Cotool by sending a direct message to the bot:
  1. Find Cotool in your Slack workspace’s Apps section
  2. Send a message describing what you need help with
  3. The bot reacts with 👀 to acknowledge receipt
  4. A personal chat is created in Cotool and the agent processes your request
  5. The agent replies directly in the Slack thread with its findings
DM conversations create personal chats in Cotool. You can continue the conversation by replying in the same thread, and the agent will have full context of previous messages.

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Channel @Mentions (Agent Triggers)

For channel interactions, you need to set up a Slack trigger on an agent:
1

Create or Edit an Agent

Navigate to the agent you want to trigger from Slack.
2

Add a Slack Trigger

In the agent’s Triggers tab, click Add Trigger and select Slack.
3

Configure Access (Optional)

Optionally restrict which users, user groups, or channels can trigger the agent.
4

@Mention in Slack

In any channel where the bot is present, @mention the bot with your request:
@Cotool investigate the alert for IP 192.168.1.100
When you @mention the bot:
  1. The bot reacts with 👀 to acknowledge it received your message
  2. The configured agent processes your request
  3. The agent replies in a thread under your message with its findings
Unlike DMs, channel @mentions require a configured agent trigger. If no trigger is configured, the bot will let you know how to set one up.

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Thread Replies

All agent responses are sent as thread replies to keep channels organized. If you reply to an existing thread where Cotool has responded, the agent will:
  1. Re-enter the existing conversation with full context
  2. Process your follow-up message
  3. Reply in the same thread
This enables natural back-and-forth conversations without cluttering the main channel.

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Available Tools

When an agent has the Slack integration enabled, it can use these tools:
ToolDescription
slack_sendMessageSend a message to a channel or user
slack_replyToThreadReply to a specific thread
slack_listChannelsList channels in the workspace
slack_searchMessagesSearch for messages across channels
slack_getChannelHistoryGet recent messages from a channel
slack_getUserInfoGet information about a Slack user
slack_listUsersList users in the workspace
slack_uploadFileUpload a file to a channel
slack_waitForUserResponseSend a message with buttons and wait for user input

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Example Use Cases

Create an agent that monitors your SIEM and sends formatted alerts to a #security-alerts channel with relevant context and recommended actions.
Set up a trigger so on-call engineers can @mention the bot to quickly investigate incidents, gather context from multiple tools, and summarize findings.
Build an agent that processes access requests posted in a channel, checks user permissions, and either approves or escalates based on policy.
Schedule an agent to post daily summaries of open tickets, pending alerts, or team metrics to keep everyone informed.

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Best Practices

Use descriptive agent names - When multiple agents have Slack triggers, clear names help users know which agent to @mention.
Restrict channel access - Use trigger configuration to limit which channels can trigger sensitive agents, preventing accidental exposure in public channels.
Leverage thread context - Agents automatically read the full thread history, so users can have multi-turn conversations without repeating context.