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The Add Slack skill installs Slack support in NanoClaw using Socket Mode (no public URL needed). It handles code installation, Slack app creation, authentication, and channel registration.

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What It Does

The Add Slack skill:
  • Installs Slack channel code and dependencies
  • Guides through Slack app creation and OAuth setup
  • Configures Socket Mode for local connectivity
  • Registers Slack channels (public, private, or DM)
  • Verifies connection and provides testing instructions

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Prerequisites

  • NanoClaw base installation complete
  • Slack workspace admin access (to install apps)
  • Ability to create Slack apps at api.slack.com

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How to Apply

1

Invoke the skill

Run /add-slack in your NanoClaw context.
2

Create Slack app

Follow the detailed setup guide (see SLACK_SETUP.md):
  1. Create app at api.slack.com/apps
  2. Enable Socket Mode and generate App-Level Token (xapp-...)
  3. Subscribe to bot events: message.channels, message.groups, message.im
  4. Add OAuth scopes: chat:write, channels:history, groups:history, im:history, channels:read, groups:read, users:read
  5. Install to workspace and copy Bot Token (xoxb-...)
3

Apply code changes

The skill runs npx tsx scripts/apply-skill.ts .claude/skills/add-slack which:
  • Adds src/channels/slack.ts
  • Adds unit tests (46 tests)
  • Installs @slack/bolt dependency
  • Updates channel registry
4

Configure environment

The skill adds to .env:
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-your-app-token
5

Get channel ID

  1. Add the bot to a Slack channel
  2. Right-click channel → Copy link
  3. Extract channel ID from URL (the C... part)
  4. Format for NanoClaw: slack:C0123456789
6

Register channel

The skill registers the channel with:
  • Channel ID (format: slack:C0123456789)
  • Channel name
  • Trigger requirement (main vs. trigger-only)

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What Changes

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Files Created

  • src/channels/slack.ts - Slack channel implementation
  • src/channels/slack.test.ts - Unit tests (46 tests)
  • groups/slack_main/ - Main channel workspace (if registered as main)

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Files Modified

  • package.json - Adds @slack/bolt dependency
  • src/channels/index.ts - Imports Slack channel
  • .env - Adds SLACK_BOT_TOKEN and SLACK_APP_TOKEN
  • data/env/env - Synced environment for container
  • .nanoclaw/state.yaml - Records skill application
  • store/messages.db - Adds registered channel entries

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Dependencies Added

  • @slack/bolt - Slack Bolt framework for JavaScript

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Usage

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Channel Types Supported

  • Public channels - Bot must be added to the channel
  • Private channels - Bot must be invited to the channel
  • Direct messages - Users can DM the bot directly
  • Multi-channel - Can run alongside WhatsApp or other channels

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Main Channel (No Trigger Required)

You: What's the weather?
Andy: [responds immediately]

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Additional Channels (Trigger Required)

You: @Andy what's the weather?
Andy: [responds]

You: regular message
Andy: [no response]
Slack uses Socket Mode which doesn’t require a public URL or webhook endpoint. The bot connects to Slack from behind your firewall.

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Known Limitations

  • Threads are flattened - Threaded replies appear as channel messages. Responses go to the channel, not back into the thread.
  • No typing indicator - Slack Bot API doesn’t expose typing indicator endpoints.
  • Message splitting is naive - Long messages split at 4000 characters, may break mid-sentence.
  • No file/image handling - Only text content is processed.
  • Channel metadata sync is unbounded - Workspaces with thousands of channels may experience slow startup.

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Troubleshooting

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Bot Not Responding

  1. Check tokens in .env AND data/env/env
  2. Check channel is registered: sqlite3 store/messages.db "SELECT * FROM registered_groups WHERE jid LIKE 'slack:%'"
  3. For non-main channels: message must include trigger pattern
  4. Service is running: launchctl list | grep nanoclaw

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Bot Connected But Not Receiving Messages

  1. Verify Socket Mode is enabled
  2. Verify bot subscribed to events: message.channels, message.groups, message.im
  3. Verify bot added to the channel
  4. Check OAuth scopes

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”missing_scope” Errors

  1. Go to OAuth & Permissions in app settings
  2. Add the missing scope
  3. Reinstall the app to workspace
  4. Copy new Bot Token (changes on reinstall)
  5. Update .env and sync: mkdir -p data/env && cp .env data/env/env
  6. Restart: launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.nanoclaw

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Getting Channel ID

  • Desktop: Right-click channel → Copy link → extract C... ID
  • Web: URL shows https://app.slack.com/client/TXXXXXXX/C0123456789
  • API: curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" "https://slack.com/api/conversations.list" | jq '.channels[] | {id, name}'

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