Slack Integration | Solace Agent Mesh
Description: This tutorial integrates a Slack interface into Solace Agent Mesh, enabling interaction with the system directly from your Slack workspace and channels.

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# Slack Integration

This tutorial integrates a Slack interface into Solace Agent Mesh, enabling interaction with the system directly from your Slack workspace and channels.

Learn about gateways

Read about Gateways before you start this tutorial.

## Setting Up the Environment​

First, you need to install Solace Agent Mesh and Solace Mesh Agent (SAM) CLI, and then create a new Solace Agent Mesh project or create a new gateway plugin.

## Creating the Slack App​

Next, create a Slack Application in your workspace.

1. Go to the Slack Application website.
2. Select Your Apps and click Create New App.
3. Choose From a manifest and apply the following configuration.
   - You can customize the name and description, but keep the rest of the configuration and settings unchanged.

    display_information:
      name: solace-agent-mesh-bot
      description: An app to integrate with Solace Agent Mesh
    features:
      app_home:
        home_tab_enabled: false
        messages_tab_enabled: true
        messages_tab_read_only_enabled: false
      bot_user:
        display_name: Solace Agent Mesh
        always_online: false
    oauth_config:
      scopes:
        bot:
          - app_mentions:read
          - bookmarks:read
          - channels:history
          - channels:join
          - channels:manage
          - channels:read
          - chat:write
          - chat:write.customize
          - chat:write.public
          - files:read
          - files:write
          - groups:history
          - groups:read
          - groups:write
          - im:history
          - im:read
          - im:write
          - links:read
          - links:write
          - mpim:history
          - mpim:read
          - mpim:write
          - pins:read
          - pins:write
          - reactions:read
          - reactions:write
          - reminders:read
          - reminders:write
          - team:read
          - usergroups:read
          - usergroups:write
          - users.profile:read
          - users:read.email
          - users:read
          - users:write
          - conversations.connect:read
          - conversations.connect:write
          - incoming-webhook
    settings:
      event_subscriptions:
        bot_events:
          - app_mention
          - message.groups
          - message.im
      interactivity:
        is_enabled: true
      org_deploy_enabled: false
      socket_mode_enabled: true
      token_rotation_enabled: false

Then select `Create` to create your new App.

### App-Level Tokens​

In your created App, select `Basic Information` under `Settings`. Scroll down to `App-Level Tokens` and click `Generate Token and Scopes`.

Provide your token a name, add all available scopes, and then click `Generate`.

Make note of the resulting application token (beginning with `xapp-`) - you need it in a future step.

### Installing the App in Your Slack Workspace​

Next, select Install App under Settings and follow the installation flow to install the App in your workspace.

After installation, the bot token (beginning with `xoxb-`) is visible. Make note of this token.

## Installing the Slack Gateway​

After configuring your Slack App, the next step is to add the Slack gateway to Solace Agent Mesh.

1. Add the gateway plugin using the Solace Agent Mesh (SAM) CLI:

       sam plugin add slack-bot --plugin sam-slack

   You can change `slack-bot` to any name you prefer for your gateway.

2. Configure the required environment variables:

   The Slack interface requires two authentication tokens. Add these to your `.env` file in the project root directory using the tokens generated during Slack App setup:

       SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-xxxxxxxxxx
       SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-xxxxxxxxxx

tip

You can further customize the Slack gateway by updating the `configs/gateways/slack-bot.yaml` file. This file contains the configuration for the Slack gateway, including the initial status message, the gateway system purpose, and response format.

## Running the Slack Gateway​

Launch the Slack gateway with:

    sam run configs/gateways/slack-bot.yaml

For detailed information about available SAM CLI commands, see Solace Agent Mesh CLI.

## Testing the Installation​

To test your installation:

1. Open your Slack workspace in the desktop app or browser.
2. Find and click on the Solace Agent Mesh app under the Apps section.
3. Send a test message by typing `hello` and click Enter.
4. You should see:
   - A "Chatbot is thinking..." status message
   - A response from the chatbot within a few seconds