SLACK_BOT_TOKEN / SLACK_APP_TOKEN env fallback applies only to the default account.
userToken (xoxp-...) is config-only (no env fallback) and defaults to read-only behavior (userTokenReadOnly: true).
Optional: add chat:write.customize if you want outgoing messages to use the active agent identity (custom username and icon). icon_emoji uses :emoji_name: syntax.
Slack can render agent-authored interactive reply controls, but this feature is disabled by default.
Enable it globally:
{
channels: {
slack: {
capabilities: {
interactiveReplies: true,
},
},
},
}
Or enable it for one Slack account only:
{
channels: {
slack: {
accounts: {
ops: {
capabilities: {
interactiveReplies: true,
},
},
},
},
},
}
When enabled, agents can emit Slack-only reply directives:
[[slack_buttons: Approve:approve, Reject:reject]]
[[slack_select: Choose a target | Canary:canary, Production:production]]
These directives compile into Slack Block Kit and route clicks or selections back through the existing Slack interaction event path.
Notes:
This is Slack-specific UI. Other channels do not translate Slack Block Kit directives into their own button systems.
The interactive callback values are OpenClaw-generated opaque tokens, not raw agent-authored values.
If generated interactive blocks would exceed Slack Block Kit limits, OpenClaw falls back to the original text reply instead of sending an invalid blocks payload.
Default slash command settings:
enabled: false
name: "openclaw"
sessionPrefix: "slack:slash"
ephemeral: true
Slash sessions use isolated keys:
`agent:
:slack:slash:
`
and still route command execution against the target conversation session (CommandTargetSessionKey).
DMs route as direct; channels as channel; MPIMs as group.
With default session.dmScope=main, Slack DMs collapse to agent main session.
Channel sessions: `agent:
:slack:channel:
`.
Thread replies can create thread session suffixes (`:thread:
`) when applicable.
channels.slack.thread.historyScope default is thread; thread.inheritParent default is false.
channels.slack.thread.initialHistoryLimit controls how many existing thread messages are fetched when a new thread session starts (default 20; set 0 to disable).
channels.slack.replyToModeByChatType: per direct|group|channel
legacy fallback for direct chats: channels.slack.dm.replyToMode
Manual reply tags are supported:
[[reply_to_current]]
`[[reply_to:
]]`
Note: replyToMode="off" disables all reply threading in Slack, including explicit [[reply_to_*]] tags. This differs from Telegram, where explicit tags are still honored in "off" mode. The difference reflects the platform threading models: Slack threads hide messages from the channel, while Telegram replies remain visible in the main chat flow.
Slack file attachments are downloaded from Slack-hosted private URLs (token-authenticated request flow) and written to the media store when fetch succeeds and size limits permit.
Runtime inbound size cap defaults to 20MB unless overridden by channels.slack.mediaMaxMb.
Outbound text and files
text chunks use channels.slack.textChunkLimit (default 4000)
typingReaction adds a temporary reaction to the inbound Slack message while OpenClaw is processing a reply, then removes it when the run finishes. This is a useful fallback when Slack native assistant typing is unavailable, especially in DMs.
Resolution order:
`channels.slack.accounts.
.typingReaction`
channels.slack.typingReaction
Notes:
Slack expects shortcodes (for example "hourglass_flowing_sand").
The reaction is best-effort and cleanup is attempted automatically after the reply or failure path completes.
Exec approval prompts can route natively through Slack using interactive buttons and interactions, instead of falling back to the Web UI or terminal. Approver authorization is enforced: only users identified as approvers can approve or deny requests through Slack.
This uses the same shared approval button surface as other channels. When interactivity is enabled in your Slack app settings, approval prompts render as Block Kit buttons directly in the conversation.
Config path:
channels.slack.execApprovals.enabled
channels.slack.execApprovals.approvers (optional; falls back to commands.ownerAllowFrom when possible)
Slack auto-enables native exec approvals when enabled is unset or "auto" and at least one
approver resolves. Set enabled: false to disable Slack as a native approval client explicitly.
Set enabled: true to force native approvals on when approvers resolve.
Default behavior with no explicit Slack exec approval config:
{
commands: {
ownerAllowFrom: ["slack:U12345678"],
},
}
Explicit Slack-native config is only needed when you want to override approvers, add filters, or
opt into origin-chat delivery:
{
channels: {
slack: {
execApprovals: {
enabled: true,
approvers: ["U12345678"],
target: "both",
},
},
},
}
Shared approvals.exec forwarding is separate. Use it only when approval prompts must also route
to other chats or explicit out-of-band targets.
Same-chat /approve also works in Slack channels and DMs that already support commands. See Exec approvals for the full approval forwarding model.