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Connect Slack so investigations can read relevant conversations. OpenCluster never posts, reacts, or joins channels. Access depends on the token you connect: the recommended bot token reads public channels the app has joined, while user-token search can return any conversation visible to that user, including private channels and direct messages.

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What OpenCluster uses it for

Slack provides responder observations, decisions, and actions around an incident. OpenCluster can list public channels, read channel history and threads, resolve author names, and—when a user token permits it—search messages.

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Prerequisites

  • Permission to create and install a Slack app.
  • The Admin role in OpenCluster.

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Scopes

The recommended bot-token setup uses the first three scopes. It supports public-channel and thread reads but not workspace search. Connect a user token only if the broader search boundary is acceptable.

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Connect

1

Create the Slack app

Create an app at api.slack.com/apps. Under OAuth & Permissions, add channels:read, channels:history, and users:read as bot token scopes.
2

Install the app

Install it to the workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token (xoxb-…).
3

Create the integration

In OpenCluster, choose Slack, enter a name, and paste the token. OpenCluster verifies the token with Slack before encrypting and storing it.The operator API retains the configuration key botToken for compatibility. The field accepts either token type described on this page.
4

Grant channel access

Invite the app to each public incident channel it should read. OpenCluster does not join channels on its own.

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Verify

Select Verify on the integration. Verification records the workspace, identity, token type, and granted scopes. A bot token normally reports degraded because it lacks search:read. This does not disable channel history or thread reads. A token with none of the usable scopes cannot be offered to investigations.

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During investigations

Available reads depend on verified scopes, token type, and channel membership. OpenCluster may list public channels, read history within the incident window, follow a thread, or search by keyword when a user token has search:read. Search covers conversations visible to that user, not only channels joined by the app. Messages are treated as leads; a responder’s statement alone does not establish a cause.

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Limitations

  • Bot-token channel and thread reads are limited to public channels available to the app. User-token search can return private-channel, group-message, and direct-message results visible to that user.
  • Search uses Slack’s day-level date filters. A result can fall outside the exact investigation window on either boundary day.
  • Text only. Files, attachments, reactions, and edit history are not read.
  • Reads are bounded. Truncated channel, history, and thread results are marked.
  • Slack rate limits are honored and surfaced in the investigation record.

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Troubleshooting

  • invalid_auth: paste a current token and verify again.
  • No channel messages: invite the app to the channel and confirm channels:history is granted.
  • No message search: use a user token with search:read, or rely on channel and thread reads.
  • Stored credential cannot be opened: the deployment sealing key changed; paste the token again.

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Replace or disconnect

Paste a new token to replace the credential after it passes live verification. Disable the integration to remove Slack from new investigations while retaining its record. Delete it to remove the stored credential; deletion is refused when investigation records depend on it. Revoking the token in Slack takes effect independently.