OpenClaw Slack Setup for Teams

Why Slack

What teams use OpenClaw in Slack for

Catch up fast

"Summarize what happened in #product this week."

Draft replies

"Help me reply to this customer thread politely."

Answer questions

"Where's our refund policy?" answered in a thread.

Standups and notes

"Collect today's updates and post a summary at 5pm."

Support triage

Flag urgent messages in #support and suggest an owner.

Charts and tables

Answers with native Slack charts, tables and forms.

Before you start

What you need

OpenClaw running on an always-on machine
Your team will expect it to answer during work hours. A VPS or office server is ideal.
Permission to install apps
A workspace admin, or approval from one. Many company workspaces require admin approval for new apps.
A plan for access
Decide which channels and people can use it. See team settings.

1

Step 1

Create the Slack app from the manifest

Go to api.slack.com/apps, click Create New App and choose From a manifest.
Pick your workspace.
Paste the manifest below. Rename the bot first if you like. Then click Next and Create.

Make it yours

Manifest builder

Customize the name your team sees. Scopes and events stay as OpenClaw needs them.

Bot name Short description Slash command

App manifest (JSON)

This is the official base manifest from the OpenClaw docs. It sets up Socket Mode, the bot user, App Home, Slack's Agent View with suggested prompts, a slash command, 23 bot scopes and the events OpenClaw listens to.

2

Step 2

Generate the app-level token

In your new app, open Basic Information › App-Level Tokens and click Generate Token and Scopes.
Name it (for example "socket") and add the connections:write scope.
Click Generate and copy the token. It starts with xapp-.

3

Step 3

Install the app to your workspace

Open Install App and click Install to Workspace. If your workspace needs admin approval, request it here.
Review the permissions and click Allow.
Copy the Bot User OAuth Token. It starts with xoxb-.

xapp-…App-level tokenOpens the Socket Mode connection

xoxb-…Bot tokenReads and posts messages as the bot

Keep both secret. Anyone with them can act as your bot in your workspace.

4

Step 4

Connect OpenClaw to Slack

Store the tokens as environment variables, not in the config file. Add them to ~/.openclaw/.env so the background service can read them:

~/.openclaw/.env

SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-...
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-...

Then point the Slack channel at them in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (JSON5)

{
  channels: {
    slack: {
      enabled: true,
      mode: "socket",
      appToken: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "SLACK_APP_TOKEN" },
      botToken: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" },
    },
  },
}

Restart and check the connection:

Terminal

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw channels status --probe

5

Step 5

Approve yourself and invite it to channels

DM the app. Find OpenClaw under Apps in Slack's sidebar and send a message. Direct messages use pairing by default, so you'll get a code.

Approve it:

Terminal

openclaw pairing list slack
openclaw pairing approve slack <CODE>

Invite it to a channel by typing this in the channel:
Slack
```
/invite @OpenClaw
```
Mention it to ask something: "@OpenClaw summarize this channel."

For teams

Recommended team settings

A shared assistant acts with whatever access you give it. Start narrow and widen as your team gets comfortable.

Channel allowlist. Only enable the channels where it should work, using the channels setting
Require a mention (requireMention) so it only replies when asked
Reply in threads (replyToMode) to keep channels tidy
DM access. Keep pairing, or use allowFrom for your team's user IDs
A separate team agent with its own workspace and memory, via multi-agent routing
Limit tools for the team agent. Shared channels rarely need shell or file access
Tell your team what it can see and do, and who to ask about it

Running a large company? OpenClaw supports Enterprise Grid org-wide installs across Grid organizations. Read the security guide before rolling out widely.

Permissions

What the Slack permissions are for

Your admin will ask what the app can access. Here are the manifest's bot scopes in plain English:

Area	Scopes	Why OpenClaw needs it
Mentions	`app_mentions:read`	See when someone @mentions it
Channels	`channels:history`, `channels:read`, `groups:history`, `groups:read`	Read public and private channels it's been invited to
Direct messages	`im:`, `mpim:`	Chat one-to-one and in group DMs
Posting	`chat:write`, `assistant:write`	Reply, and work in Slack's agent view
Commands	`commands`	The slash command
Files	`files:read`, `files:write`	Read shared files and upload results
Reactions and pins	`reactions:`, `pins:`, `emoji:read`	React, see reactions and pin key messages
People	`users:read`, `usergroups:read`	Know who's who and handle @group mentions

The bot can only read channels it has been invited to.

What you get

OpenClaw features in Slack

Agent View

Opens in Slack's assistant panel with suggested prompts like "Summarize this channel".

Slash command

/openclaw sends a message from anywhere.

App Home

A home tab and private messages tab for one-to-one chats.

Block Kit

Native charts, tables and forms in replies.

Threads

Each thread can keep its own session and context.

Files, reactions, pins

Works with what your team shares and marks as important.

Connection type

Socket Mode vs HTTP Request URLs

Mode	How it works	Best for
Socket Mode default	OpenClaw opens an outgoing connection to Slack with the app-level token. No public URL or open ports.	Almost everyone, including laptops and private servers
HTTP Request URLs	Slack sends events to a public HTTPS address on your server, verified with the signing secret	Setups that need classic webhooks behind a load balancer
Relay	Events arrive through a trusted router	Managed deployments

Troubleshooting

Fix common Slack problems

No reply in a channel

Invite it with /invite @OpenClaw, mention it, and make sure the channel is in your allowlist.

Socket Mode won't connect

Check SLACK_APP_TOKEN starts with xapp- and has connections:write. The bot token starts with xoxb-, so check they aren't swapped.

missing_scope

You changed the manifest after installing. Go to Install App and reinstall to apply new scopes.

Can't DM the app

Make sure the App Home messages tab is enabled (it is in the manifest), then reinstall.

Install needs approval

Your workspace restricts apps. Ask an admin to approve OpenClaw. Share the permissions table above.

Tokens not found

The background service reads ~/.openclaw/.env. Put the tokens there, not only in your terminal session.

More fixes: troubleshooting guide.

FAQ

OpenClaw Slack questions

How do I add OpenClaw to Slack?

Create a Slack app from the OpenClaw manifest at api.slack.com/apps, generate an app-level token with connections:write, install the app to get the bot token, add both tokens to OpenClaw and restart the gateway. Then invite the bot to channels with /invite.

Does OpenClaw need a public URL for Slack?

No. OpenClaw uses Socket Mode by default, which opens an outgoing connection to Slack. HTTP Request URL mode, which needs a public HTTPS address and the signing secret, is optional.

Which Slack tokens does OpenClaw need?

Two for Socket Mode: an app-level token starting with xapp- that has the connections:write scope, and a bot token starting with xoxb- from installing the app. HTTP mode also uses the signing secret.

Can my whole team use one OpenClaw in Slack?

Yes. Invite it to shared channels, limit it with a channel allowlist and requireMention, and consider a separate team agent with its own memory and limited tools through multi-agent routing.

Does OpenClaw work with Slack Enterprise Grid?

Yes. OpenClaw supports org-wide installs across Enterprise Grid organizations.

Can OpenClaw read all my Slack channels?

No. The bot can only read channels it has been invited to, plus direct messages sent to it. You can narrow it further with a channel allowlist.

OpenClaw Slack Setup for Teams

What teams use OpenClaw in Slack for

What you need

Create the Slack app from the manifest

Manifest builder

Generate the app-level token

Install the app to your workspace

Connect OpenClaw to Slack

Approve yourself and invite it to channels

Recommended team settings

What the Slack permissions are for

OpenClaw features in Slack

Socket Mode vs HTTP Request URLs

Fix common Slack problems

OpenClaw Slack questions

Other channels