Connecting to Slack

Edit online

Slack is a cloud-based messaging platform that enables real-time communication and collaboration across teams. It supports public and private channels, direct messaging, file sharing, and integration with a wide range of tools and services. Integrating Slack with IBM watsonx Orchestrate allows you to automate notifications, streamline workflows, and enhance team productivity by connecting your business processes directly to your communication channels.

To integrate Slack with watsonx Orchestrate, you must establish a secure connection that allows both systems to communicate. For more information on managing connections, refer to Managing connections.

Important:

By default, Single sign-on (SSO) is disabled for your app. To enable it, refer to Configuring single sign-on for applications.

Steps to connect

Use the following steps to connect Slack to watsonx Orchestrate:

  1. Go to Manage > Connections and search for the corresponding Slack Connection ID.

  2. Click edit next to the matching connection ID.

  3. Select the authentication method your organization uses: (OAuth 2.0 or Bearer Token or Key Value Pair).

  4. Enter the Slack-specific fields described in the corresponding connection details section. See Connecting apps for prebuilt agents page for general connection workflow.

  5. Complete the Draft and Live setup steps.

  6. Save and test the connection to confirm successful connection.

Supported authentication methods

Slack supports the following authentication types in watsonx Orchestrate:

  1. OAuth 2.0 (Authorization Code): Recommended for production connections

  2. Bearer Token: Uses a token generated from your Slack account.

  3. Key Value Pair (KVP): Supported for API key–based

Connection ID

Use the following Connection IDs when locating your Slack connection in the Connections settings page. To understand how to search for a Connection ID and open a connection for editing, see Connecting apps for prebuilt agents.

Authentication type

Connection ID

OAuth2 Authorization Code

slack_ibm_184bdbd3

Bearer Token

slack_bearer_ibm_184bdbd3 (deprecated)

Key Value Pair

slack_key_value_ibm_184bdbd3 (deprecated)

OAuth 2.0 connection details

If your organization uses OAuth‑based authentication, set Authentication type to OAuth2 Authorization Code and enter the following fields:

Field

Description

Server URL

Base URL of the Slack server

Token URL

Endpoint to exchange the authorization code for an access token

Scope

Defines what access is being requested

Authorization URL

URL where users are redirected to log in and authorize access

Client ID

Unique ID for your application

Client Secret

A secret key used to authenticate your app with Slack

To get these values, see the Slack API documentation..

Bearer token connection details

Set Authentication type to Bearer Token and configure the credential type as needed. Your Slack administrator can provide the required bearer token.

Key Value Pair connection details

If your organization uses API keys, set Authentication type to Key Value Pair and add each of the following fields using Add new field:

Key

Description

base_url

The base URL for Slack API (for example, https://slack.com/api)

Note: When using Key Value Pair, only Team credentials are supported.

To get these values, see the Slack API documentation.

What to do next

Now that your app connection is live, you can start using it in watsonx Orchestrate.

  • Run an agent in Orchestrate Chat to complete tasks using natural language.

  • Use relevant tools to perform app-specific actions.