Channels
Connect Slack
Sign in with Slack so customers and teammates can reach your agent by direct-messaging your OrbitBase bot.
Connect a Slack workspace and anyone in it can direct-message your OrbitBase bot to get answers from your agent. This works well when your customers already share a Slack workspace with you, or for an internal help desk where teammates ask the agent questions.
Before you start
You need:
- A Slack workspace you can install apps into
- Permission to approve the app's bot permissions
Teammates and customers reach your agent by direct-messaging the bot. You also need to be an OrbitBase workspace owner or admin, and your plan needs a free messaging channel. See Plans and limits.
Connect your Slack workspace
Open the Slack connect dialog
In the sidebar, click Channels, then Connect on the Slack card.
Sign in with Slack
Click Continue with Slack. A Slack window opens. Check you're signed in to the right Slack workspace.
Approve the app
Review the bot permissions and click Allow.
Confirm the workspace
Back in OrbitBase, confirm the Slack workspace your agent should answer and click Connect. You'll see "Slack connected. Customers can now DM your agent."
To test it, open Slack, find the OrbitBase bot under Apps, and send it a direct message.
Bot DMs only
Slack as a channel is one-to-one direct messages with the bot only. The agent doesn't read or answer messages in Slack channels, group DMs or threads, even if the bot is in them.
One Slack workspace connects as a single channel. To add another Slack workspace, click Add account on the Slack card and sign in to it.
Slack channel vs Slack alerts
Slack appears twice in OrbitBase, doing two different jobs:
| Feature | Slack channel | Slack alerts action |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | People DM your bot and the agent answers them | The agent posts an alert to a team channel when a conversation needs a person |
| Where you set it up | Channels | Settings → Integrations, then Actions |
| Counts as a messaging channel | Yes | No |
They're separate connections. Connecting one doesn't connect the other, and disconnecting one leaves the other working. You can use either, both or neither. To set up alerts, see Slack alerts.
How Slack behaves
- Buttons work. Choices, such as meeting times, appear as buttons in the DM. Pressing one continues the conversation.
- Cards show as sections in the message, with their photos where there are any.
- Formatting. Slack shows bold and italic text, so formatting in your agent's replies carries through.
- No typing indicator. Slack doesn't let bots show that they're typing, so people see the reply arrive without a typing indicator.
- Files. People can share files with the bot, and your team can attach images and files to replies from the inbox.
Troubleshooting
I can't install the app
Your Slack workspace may limit who can install apps. Ask a Slack workspace admin to approve it, or to change who can install apps.
Files can't be downloaded or sent
If your Slack connection was made before OrbitBase supported files, it doesn't have file access. The channel shows Not delivering with a reason that says so. Click Reconnect and approve the app again to grant file access.
The Slack workspace shows "Connected to another workspace"
Each Slack workspace can only be connected to one OrbitBase workspace. Disconnect it there first, then connect it here.