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Slack

Connect your Slack workspace so the AI can search your team's messages for context.

Overview

The Slack connection lets the AI search messages across the Slack channels you have access to. When you ask a question or generate a brief, the AI can pull in relevant conversations, decisions, and information from Slack rather than relying on what you type in manually.

Slack works differently from most other connections. Instead of syncing all messages upfront, it searches Slack in real time when the AI needs relevant content. You always get current results, and no message history is stored on Hamster's servers.

The connection uses OAuth, so there is no token to manage.

What the AI Can Access

  • Messages — The AI can search messages in channels and conversations you have access to with your Slack account

The search is scoped to channels and conversations visible to the user who authenticated the connection. Private channels and direct messages you don't have access to are not searchable.

How to Connect

  1. Go to Settings > Connections and click the Slack card.
  2. In the dialog, click Connect with Slack.
  3. You are redirected to Slack's authorization page.
  4. Select the workspace you want to connect and click Allow.
  5. You are returned to Hamster Studio. The connection is ready immediately.

Permissions Requested

Hamster requests read-only search access on your user account. This allows searching messages in channels you have access to. No bot is added to your workspace, and no messages are stored outside of Slack.

How Slack Differs from Other Connections

Most connections (GitHub, Linear, Notion) index data into a context store on connection. Slack does not. Instead, each time the AI needs Slack context, it queries Slack's search at that moment. This means:

  • The connection shows as active immediately after authorizing — there is no sync to wait for.
  • Search results always reflect the current state of Slack.
  • The AI can only search; it cannot read full channel history beyond what Slack's search returns.

Tips

  • Connect Slack with an account that has access to the channels most relevant to your project work. The AI can only search channels visible to that account.
  • Slack search works best for finding specific information, decisions, or context that was discussed. For long-form documentation, Notion or a similar connection is more suitable.
  • If you reconnect Slack (for example, to switch to a different user account), the previous connection is replaced.

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