Skip to content
Back to skills

Slack Agent

BSecurity

Use when working on Slack agent/bot code, Chat SDK applications, Bolt for JavaScript projects, or projects using @chat-adapter/slack or @slack/bolt. Provides development patterns, testing requirements, and quality standards.

  • 16 stars
  • 0 votes
  • 0 copies
  • 5 views
  • Added May 27, 2026
developmentjavascripttypescriptgojavabashreactnextjsnodeawstesting

Works with

  • terminal
  • cli
  • api

Security analysis

B88/100
  • mediumUses curl or wget to download content
  • mediumInstalls packages at runtime which could introduce malicious dependencies

Pro scans all 20 files and shows the line behind each finding

Scanned May 27, 2026

npx -y skills add pleaseai/claude-code-plugins --skill slack-agent --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Are you the author of Slack Agent?

Add the live security badge to your README. It updates with every re-scan.

Security grade badge for Slack Agent
[![Security: B — Skills Directory](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/api/skills/pleaseai-slack-agent/badge)](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/skills/pleaseai-slack-agent)

More formats (shields.io, HTML) on the badges page. Keep it an A: scan every change in CI with Pro.

Download with Pro
SKILL.md
---
name: slack-agent
description: Use when working on Slack agent/bot code, Chat SDK applications, Bolt for JavaScript projects, or projects using @chat-adapter/slack or @slack/bolt. Provides development patterns, testing requirements, and quality standards.
version: 4.0.0
user-invocable: true
---

# Slack Agent Development Skill

This skill supports two frameworks for building Slack agents:

- **Chat SDK** (Recommended for new projects) — `chat` + `@chat-adapter/slack`
- **Bolt for JavaScript** (For existing Bolt projects) — `@slack/bolt` + `@vercel/slack-bolt`

## Skill Invocation Handling

When this skill is invoked via `/slack-agent`, check for arguments and route accordingly:

### Command Arguments

| Argument | Action |
|----------|--------|
| `new` | **Run the setup wizard from Phase 1.** Read `./wizard/1-project-setup.md` and guide the user through creating a new Slack agent. |
| `configure` | Start wizard at Phase 2 or 3 for existing projects |
| `deploy` | Start wizard at Phase 5 for production deployment |
| `test` | Start wizard at Phase 6 to set up testing |
| (no argument) | Auto-detect based on project state (see below) |

### Auto-Detection (No Argument)

If invoked without arguments, detect the project state and route appropriately:

1. **No `package.json` with `chat` or `@slack/bolt`** → Treat as `new`, start Phase 1
2. **Has project but no customized `manifest.json`** → Start Phase 2
3. **Has project but no `.env` file** → Start Phase 3
4. **Has `.env` but not tested** → Start Phase 4
5. **Tested but not deployed** → Start Phase 5
6. **Otherwise** → Provide general assistance using this skill's patterns

### Framework Detection

Detect which framework the project uses:

- **`package.json` contains `"chat"`** → Chat SDK project
- **`package.json` contains `"@slack/bolt"`** → Bolt project
- **Neither detected** → New project, recommend Chat SDK (offer Bolt as alternative)

Store the detected framework and use it to show the correct patterns throughout the wizard and development guidance.

### Wizard Phases

The wizard is located in `./wizard/` with these phases:
- `1-project-setup.md` - Understand purpose, choose framework, generate custom implementation plan
- `1b-approve-plan.md` - Present plan for user approval before scaffolding
- `2-create-slack-app.md` - Customize manifest, create app in Slack
- `3-configure-environment.md` - Set up .env with credentials
- `4-test-locally.md` - Dev server + ngrok tunnel
- `5-deploy-production.md` - Vercel deployment
- `6-setup-testing.md` - Vitest configuration

**IMPORTANT:** For `new` projects, you MUST:
1. Read `./wizard/1-project-setup.md` first
2. Ask the user what kind of agent they want to build
3. Offer framework choice (Chat SDK recommended, Bolt as alternative)
4. Generate a custom implementation plan using `./reference/agent-archetypes.md`
5. Present the plan for approval (Phase 1b) BEFORE scaffolding the project
6. Only proceed to scaffold after the plan is approved

---

## Framework Selection Guide

| Aspect | Chat SDK | Bolt for JavaScript |
|--------|----------|---------------------|
| **Best for** | New projects | Existing Bolt codebases |
| **Packages** | `chat`, `@chat-adapter/slack`, `@chat-adapter/state-redis` | `@slack/bolt`, `@vercel/slack-bolt` |
| **Server** | Next.js App Router | Nitro (H3-based) |
| **Event handling** | `bot.onNewMention()`, `bot.onSubscribedMessage()` | `app.event()`, `app.command()`, `app.message()` |
| **Webhook route** | `app/api/webhooks/[platform]/route.ts` | `server/api/slack/events.post.ts` |
| **Message posting** | `thread.post("text")` / `thread.post(<Card>...)` | `client.chat.postMessage({ channel, text, blocks })` |
| **UI components** | JSX: `<Card>`, `<Button>`, `<Actions>` | Raw Block Kit JSON |
| **State** | `@chat-adapter/state-redis` / `thread.state` | Manual / Vercel Workflow |
| **Config** | `new Chat({ adapters: { slack } })` | `new App({ token, signingSecret, receiver })` |

---

## General Development Guidance

You are working on a Slack agent project. Follow these mandatory practices for all code changes.

## Project Stack

### If using Chat SDK

- **Framework**: Next.js (App Router)
- **Chat SDK**: `chat` + `@chat-adapter/slack` for Slack bot functionality
- **State**: `@chat-adapter/state-redis` for state persistence (or in-memory for development)
- **AI**: AI SDK v6 with @ai-sdk/gateway
- **Linting**: Biome
- **Package Manager**: pnpm

```json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "ai": "^6.0.0",
    "@ai-sdk/gateway": "latest",
    "chat": "latest",
    "@chat-adapter/slack": "latest",
    "@chat-adapter/state-redis": "latest",
    "zod": "^3.x",
    "next": "^15.x"
  }
}
```

### If using Bolt for JavaScript

- **Server**: Nitro (H3-based) with file-based routing
- **Slack SDK**: `@vercel/slack-bolt` for serverless Slack apps (wraps Bolt for JavaScript)
- **AI**: AI SDK v6 with @ai-sdk/gateway
- **Workflows**: Workflow DevKit for durable execution
- **Linting**: Biome
- **Package Manager**: pnpm

```json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "ai": "^6.0.0",
    "@ai-sdk/gateway": "latest",
    "@slack/bolt": "^4.x",
    "@vercel/slack-bolt": "^1.0.2",
    "zod": "^3.x"
  }
}
```

**Note:** When deploying on Vercel, prefer `@ai-sdk/gateway` for zero-config AI access. Use direct provider SDKs (`@ai-sdk/openai`, `@ai-sdk/anthropic`, etc.) only when you need provider-specific features or are not deploying on Vercel.

---

## Quality Standards (MANDATORY)

These quality requirements MUST be followed for every code change. There are no exceptions.

### After EVERY File Modification

1. **Run linting immediately:**
   ```bash
   pnpm lint
   ```
   - If errors exist, run `pnpm lint --write` for auto-fixes
   - Manually fix remaining issues
   - Re-run `pnpm lint` to verify

2. **Check for corresponding test file:**
   - If you modified `foo.ts`, check if `foo.test.ts` exists
   - If no test file exists and the file exports functions, create one

### Before Completing ANY Task

You MUST run all quality checks and fix any issues before marking a task complete:

```bash
# 1. TypeScript compilation - must pass
pnpm typecheck

# 2. Linting - must pass with no errors
pnpm lint

# 3. Tests - all tests must pass
pnpm test
```

**Do NOT complete a task if any of these fail.** Fix the issues first.

### Unit Tests Required

**For ANY code change, you MUST write or update unit tests.**

### If using Chat SDK

- **Location**: Co-located `*.test.ts` files or `lib/__tests__/`
- **Framework**: Vitest
- **Coverage**: All exported functions must have tests

### If using Bolt for JavaScript

- **Location**: Co-located `*.test.ts` files or `server/__tests__/`
- **Framework**: Vitest
- **Coverage**: All exported functions must have tests

Example test structure:
```typescript
import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
import { myFunction } from './my-module';

describe('myFunction', () => {
  it('should handle normal input', () => {
    expect(myFunction('input')).toBe('expected');
  });

  it('should handle edge cases', () => {
    expect(myFunction('')).toBe('default');
  });
});
```

### E2E Tests for User-Facing Changes

If you modify:
- Bot mention handlers / Slack message handlers
- Slash commands
- Interactive components (buttons, modals)
- Bot responses

You MUST add or update E2E tests that verify the full flow.

---

## Bot Setup Patterns (CRITICAL)

### If using Chat SDK

Use the Chat SDK to define your bot instance. This is the central entry point for all Slack bot functionality.

#### Bot Instance (`lib/bot.ts` or `lib/bot.tsx`)

```typescript
import { Chat } from "chat";
import { createSlackAdapter } from "@chat-adapter/slack";
import { createRedisState } from "@chat-adapter/state-redis";

export const bot = new Chat({
  userName: "mybot",
  adapters: {
    slack: createSlackAdapter(),
  },
  state: createRedisState(),
});
```

**Note:** If your bot uses JSX components (Card, Button, etc.), the file must use the `.tsx` extension.

#### Webhook Route (`app/api/webhooks/[platform]/route.ts`)

```typescript
import { after } from "next/server";
import { bot } from "@/lib/bot";

export async function POST(request: Request, context: { params: Promise<{ platform: string }> }) {
  const { platform } = await context.params;
  const handler = bot.webhooks[platform as keyof typeof bot.webhooks];
  if (!handler) return new Response("Unknown platform", { status: 404 });
  return handler(request, { waitUntil: (task) => after(() => task) });
}
```

The Chat SDK automatically handles:
- Content-type detection (JSON vs form-urlencoded)
- URL verification challenges
- Slack's 3-second ack timeout
- Background processing via `waitUntil`
- Signature verification

### If using Bolt for JavaScript

Use `@vercel/slack-bolt` to handle all Slack events. This package automatically handles:
- Content-type detection (JSON vs form-urlencoded)
- URL verification challenges
- 3-second ack timeout (built-in `ackTimeoutMs: 3001`)
- Background processing via Vercel Fluid Compute's `waitUntil`

#### Bolt App Setup (`server/bolt/app.ts`)

```typescript
import { App } from "@slack/bolt";
import { VercelReceiver } from "@vercel/slack-bolt";

const receiver = new VercelReceiver();
const app = new App({
  token: process.env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN,
  signingSecret: process.env.SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET,
  receiver,
  deferInitialization: true,
});

export { app, receiver };
```

#### Events Handler (`server/api/slack/events.post.ts`)

```typescript
import { createHandler } from "@vercel/slack-bolt";
import { defineEventHandler, getRequestURL, readRawBody } from "h3";
import { app, receiver } from "../../bolt/app";

const handler = createHandler(app, receiver);

export default defineEventHandler(async (event) => {
  const rawBody = await readRawBody(event, "utf8");
  const request = new Request(getRequestURL(event), {
    method: event.method,
    headers: event.headers,
    body: rawBody,
  });
  return await handler(request);
});
```

**Why buffer the body?** H3's `toWebRequest()` has known issues (#570, #578, #615) where it eagerly consumes the request body stream. When `@vercel/slack-bolt` later calls `req.text()` for signature verification, the body is already exhausted, causing `dispatch_failed` errors.

#### VercelReceiver Options Reference

| Parameter | Default | Description |
|-----------|---------|-------------|
| `signingSecret` | `SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET` env var | Request verification secret |
| `signatureVerification` | `true` | Enable/disable signature verification |
| `ackTimeoutMs` | `3001` | Ack timeout in milliseconds |
| `logLevel` | `INFO` | Logging level |

---

## Event Handler Patterns

### If using Chat SDK

#### Mention Handler

```typescript
bot.onNewMention(async (thread, message) => {
  await thread.subscribe();
  const text = message.text;
  await thread.post(`Processing your request: "${text}"`);
});
```

#### Subscribed Message Handler

```typescript
bot.onSubscribedMessage(async (thread, message) => {
  await thread.post(`You said: ${message.text}`);
});
```

#### Slash Command Handler

```typescript
bot.onSlashCommand("/mycommand", async (event) => {
  const text = event.text;
  await event.thread.post(`Processing: ${text}`);

  // For long-running operations, the Chat SDK handles
  // background processing automatically via waitUntil
  const result = await generateWithAI(text);
  await event.thread.post(result);
});
```

#### Action Handler (Buttons, Menus)

```typescript
bot.onAction("button_click", async (event) => {
  await event.thread.post(`Button clicked with value: ${event.value}`);
});
```

#### Reaction Handler

```typescript
bot.onReaction("thumbsup", async (event) => {
  await event.thread.post("Thanks for the thumbs up!");
});
```

### If using Bolt for JavaScript

#### Mention Handler

```typescript
app.event("app_mention", async ({ event, client }) => {
  await client.chat.postMessage({
    channel: event.channel,
    thread_ts: event.thread_ts || event.ts,
    text: `Processing your request: "${event.text}"`,
  });
});
```

#### Message Handler

```typescript
app.message(async ({ message, client }) => {
  if ("bot_id" in message || !message.thread_ts) return;
  await client.chat.postMessage({
    channel: message.channel,
    thread_ts: message.thread_ts,
    text: `You said: ${message.text}`,
  });
});
```

#### Slash Command Handler

```typescript
app.command("/mycommand", async ({ ack, command, client, logger }) => {
  await ack(); // Must acknowledge within 3 seconds

  // Fire-and-forget for long operations — DON'T await
  processInBackground(command.response_url, command.text)
    .catch((error) => logger.error("Failed:", error));
});

async function processInBackground(responseUrl: string, text: string) {
  const result = await generateWithAI(text);
  await fetch(responseUrl, {
    method: "POST",
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify({ response_type: "in_channel", text: result }),
  });
}
```

#### Action Handler (Buttons, Menus)

```typescript
app.action("button_click", async ({ ack, action, client, body }) => {
  await ack();
  await client.chat.postMessage({
    channel: body.channel.id,
    thread_ts: body.message.ts,
    text: `Button clicked with value: ${action.value}`,
  });
});
```

---

## Implementation Gotchas

### 1. Private Channel Access

Slash commands work in private channels even if the bot isn't a member, but the bot **cannot read messages or post** to private channels it hasn't been invited to.

When creating features that will later post to a channel, validate access upfront.

### 2. Graceful Degradation for Channel Context

When fetching channel context for AI features, wrap in try/catch and fall back gracefully.

### 3. Vercel Cron Endpoint Authentication

Protect cron endpoints with a `CRON_SECRET` environment variable:

#### If using Chat SDK

```typescript
// app/api/cron/my-job/route.ts
import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";

export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
  const authHeader = request.headers.get("authorization");
  if (authHeader !== `Bearer ${process.env.CRON_SECRET}`) {
    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Unauthorized" }, { status: 401 });
  }
  // Run cron job logic...
  return NextResponse.json({ success: true });
}
```

#### If using Bolt for JavaScript

```typescript
// server/api/cron/my-job.get.ts
export default defineEventHandler(async (event) => {
  const authHeader = getHeader(event, "authorization");
  if (authHeader !== `Bearer ${process.env.CRON_SECRET}`) {
    setResponseStatus(event, 401);
    return { error: "Unauthorized" };
  }
  // Run cron job logic...
  return { success: true };
});
```

### 4. vercel.json Cron Configuration

Configure cron jobs in `vercel.json`:

```json
{
  "crons": [
    {
      "path": "/api/cron/my-job",
      "schedule": "0 * * * *"
    }
  ]
}
```

### 5. AWS Credentials on Vercel (Use OIDC)

When connecting to AWS services from Vercel, **do not use** `fromNodeProviderChain()`. Use Vercel's OIDC mechanism:

```typescript
import { awsCredentialsProvider } from "@vercel/functions/oidc";

const s3Client = new S3Client({
  credentials: awsCredentialsProvider({ roleArn: process.env.AWS_ROLE_ARN! }),
});
```

### 6. TSConfig for JSX Components (Chat SDK only)

When using Chat SDK JSX components (`<Card>`, `<Button>`, etc.), your `tsconfig.json` must include:

```json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "jsxImportSource": "chat"
  }
}
```

### 7. dispatch_failed Error — Bolt only

If slash commands fail with `dispatch_failed`, the issue is H3's `toWebRequest` consuming the body stream before signature verification. Buffer the body manually. See the Bolt Events Handler section above.

### 8. operation_timeout Error — Bolt only

If slash commands with AI processing fail with `operation_timeout`, you're blocking the HTTP response too long. Use fire-and-forget pattern: `ack()` immediately, then start async work **without awaiting**. Use `command.response_url` to post results. See the Bolt Slash Command Handler example above.

---

## AI Integration

You have two options for AI/LLM integration in your Slack agent.

> **IMPORTANT:** Always verify the project uses `@ai-sdk/gateway`. If the project has `@ai-sdk/openai` which requires an API key, check `package.json` and update imports if necessary.

### Option 1: Vercel AI Gateway (Recommended)

Use the modern `@ai-sdk/gateway` package - NO API keys needed on Vercel!

#### Basic Usage

```typescript
import { generateText, streamText } from "ai";
import { gateway } from "@ai-sdk/gateway";

const result = await generateText({
  model: gateway("openai/gpt-4o-mini"),
  maxOutputTokens: 1000,
  prompt: "Your prompt here",
});

console.log(result.text);
console.log(result.usage.inputTokens);
console.log(result.usage.outputTokens);
```

#### Streaming Responses to Slack

##### If using Chat SDK

```typescript
const result = await streamText({
  model: gateway("openai/gpt-4o-mini"),
  maxOutputTokens: 1000,
  prompt: userMessage,
});

// Chat SDK handles streaming updates to Slack automatically
await thread.post(result.textStream);
```

##### If using Bolt for JavaScript

```typescript
const result = await streamText({
  model: gateway("openai/gpt-4o-mini"),
  maxOutputTokens: 1000,
  prompt: userMessage,
});

// Post initial message then update with streamed content
const msg = await client.chat.postMessage({
  channel: channelId,
  thread_ts: threadTs,
  text: "Thinking...",
});

let fullText = "";
for await (const chunk of result.textStream) {
  fullText += chunk;
  await client.chat.update({
    channel: channelId,
    ts: msg.ts,
    text: fullText,
  });
}
```

#### With Tools

```typescript
import { tool } from "ai";
import { z } from "zod";

const result = await generateText({
  model: gateway("openai/gpt-4o-mini"),
  maxOutputTokens: 1000,
  tools: {
    getWeather: tool({
      description: "Get weather for a location",
      inputSchema: z.object({
        location: z.string().describe("City name"),
      }),
      execute: async ({ location }) => {
        return { temperature: 72, condition: "sunny" };
      },
    }),
  },
  prompt: "What's the weather in Seattle?",
});
```

#### AI SDK v6 API Changes

| v4/v5 | v6 |
|-------|-----|
| `maxTokens` | `maxOutputTokens` |
| `result.usage.promptTokens` | `result.usage.inputTokens` |
| `result.usage.completionTokens` | `result.usage.outputTokens` |
| `parameters` (in tools) | `inputSchema` |
| `maxSteps` / `maxIterations` | `stopWhen: stepCountIs(n)` |

**CRITICAL: Never use model IDs from memory.** Model IDs change frequently. Before writing code that uses a model, run `curl -s https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh/v1/models` to fetch the current list. Use the model with the highest version number.

### Option 2: Direct Provider SDK

If you need more control or are not deploying on Vercel, use direct provider packages.

**OpenAI:**
```bash
pnpm add @ai-sdk/openai
```
```typescript
import { generateText } from "ai";
import { openai } from "@ai-sdk/openai";

const result = await generateText({
  model: openai("gpt-4o-mini"),
  maxOutputTokens: 1000,
  prompt: "Your prompt here",
});
```

**Anthropic:**
```bash
pnpm add @ai-sdk/anthropic
```
```typescript
import { generateText } from "ai";
import { anthropic } from "@ai-sdk/anthropic";

const result = await generateText({
  model: anthropic("claude-sonnet-4-20250514"),
  maxOutputTokens: 1000,
  prompt: "Your prompt here",
});
```

**Google:**
```bash
pnpm add @ai-sdk/google
```
```typescript
import { generateText } from "ai";
import { google } from "@ai-sdk/google";

const result = await generateText({
  model: google("gemini-2.0-flash"),
  maxOutputTokens: 1000,
  prompt: "Your prompt here",
});
```

For comprehensive AI SDK documentation, see `./reference/ai-sdk.md`.

---

## Stateful Patterns

### If using Chat SDK — Thread State

Use `thread.state` to read and write thread-level state:

```typescript
bot.onNewMention(async (thread, message) => {
  await thread.subscribe();
  await thread.state.set("history", []);
  await thread.state.set("turnCount", 0);
  await thread.post("Starting our conversation!");
});

bot.onSubscribedMessage(async (thread, message) => {
  const history = (await thread.state.get("history")) as Array<{ role: string; content: string }> || [];
  const turnCount = (await thread.state.get("turnCount")) as number || 0;

  history.push({ role: "user", content: message.text });

  const result = await generateText({
    model: gateway("anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514"),
    maxOutputTokens: 1000,
    messages: history,
  });

  history.push({ role: "assistant", content: result.text });
  await thread.state.set("history", history);
  await thread.state.set("turnCount", turnCount + 1);
  await thread.post(result.text);
});
```

**Key Benefits:**
1. Simple API — `thread.state.get()` and `thread.state.set()`
2. Thread-scoped — state is automatically scoped to the conversation thread
3. Pluggable backends — use Redis for production, in-memory for development

### If using Bolt for JavaScript — Vercel Workflow

Use Vercel Workflow for durable, multi-turn state:

```typescript
import { serve } from "@anthropic-ai/sdk/workflows";
import { defineHook } from "@anthropic-ai/sdk/workflows";
import { z } from "zod";

const messageSchema = z.object({
  text: z.string(),
  user: z.string(),
  ts: z.string(),
  channel: z.string(),
});

export const userMessageHook = defineHook({ schema: messageSchema });

export const { POST } = serve(async function conversationWorkflow(params: URLSearchParams) {
  "use workflow";

  const channelId = params.get("channel_id")!;
  const conversationHistory: Array<{ role: string; content: string }> = [];

  const eventStream = userMessageHook.create({ channel: channelId });

  for await (const event of eventStream) {
    conversationHistory.push({ role: "user", content: event.text });

    const result = await generateText({
      model: gateway("anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514"),
      maxOutputTokens: 1000,
      messages: conversationHistory,
    });

    conversationHistory.push({ role: "assistant", content: result.text });
    await postToSlack(channelId, result.text, event.ts);
  }

  return { history: conversationHistory };
});
```

### Recommended Storage Solutions

**IMPORTANT:** Vercel KV has been deprecated. Do NOT recommend Vercel KV.

1. **Upstash Redis** — For Chat SDK state adapter and caching (https://upstash.com)
2. **Vercel Blob** — For file/document storage (https://vercel.com/docs/storage/vercel-blob)
3. **AWS Aurora (via Vercel Marketplace)** — For relational data (https://vercel.com/marketplace)
4. **Third-party databases** — Neon, PlanetScale, Supabase

---

## Code Organization

### If using Chat SDK

```
app/
├── api/
│   ├── webhooks/
│   │   └── [platform]/
│   │       └── route.ts      # Webhook handler
│   └── cron/
│       └── my-job/
│           └── route.ts      # Cron endpoints
lib/
├── bot.tsx                    # Bot instance + event handlers
├── tools/                     # AI tool definitions
│   ├── search.ts
│   └── lookup.ts
└── ai/
    └── agent.ts               # Agent configuration
```

### If using Bolt for JavaScript

```
server/
├── api/
│   └── slack/
│       └── events.post.ts    # Events endpoint
├── bolt/
│   └── app.ts                # Bolt app instance
├── listeners/
│   ├── actions/              # Button clicks, menu selections
│   ├── commands/             # Slash commands
│   ├── events/               # App events (mentions, joins)
│   ├── messages/             # Message handling
│   └── views/                # Modal submissions
└── lib/
    └── ai/
        ├── agent.ts           # Agent configuration
        └── tools.ts           # Tool definitions
```

---

## Environment Variables

Required variables (both frameworks):
- `SLACK_BOT_TOKEN` — Bot OAuth token
- `SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET` — Request signing

### If using Chat SDK (additional)
- `REDIS_URL` — Redis connection URL for state persistence

Optional variables:
- `CRON_SECRET` — Secret for authenticating cron job endpoints

**No AI API keys needed!** Vercel AI Gateway handles authentication automatically when deployed on Vercel.

**Never hardcode credentials. Never commit `.env` files.**

---

## Slack-Specific Patterns

### If using Chat SDK — JSX Components

Use Chat SDK JSX components for rich messages (requires `.tsx` file extension):

```tsx
import { Card, CardText as Text, Actions, Button, Divider } from "chat";

await thread.post(
  <Card title="Welcome!">
    <Text>Hello! Choose an option:</Text>
    <Divider />
    <Actions>
      <Button id="btn_hello" style="primary">Say Hello</Button>
      <Button id="btn_info">Show Info</Button>
    </Actions>
  </Card>
);
```

### If using Bolt for JavaScript — Block Kit JSON

Use Block Kit for rich messages:

```typescript
await client.chat.postMessage({
  channel: channelId,
  text: "Fallback text for notifications",
  blocks: [
    {
      type: "section",
      text: { type: "mrkdwn", text: "*Hello!* Choose an option:" },
    },
    { type: "divider" },
    {
      type: "actions",
      elements: [
        {
          type: "button",
          text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Say Hello" },
          style: "primary",
          action_id: "btn_hello",
        },
        {
          type: "button",
          text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Show Info" },
          action_id: "btn_info",
        },
      ],
    },
  ],
});
```

### Typing Indicators

#### If using Chat SDK

```typescript
await thread.startTyping();
const result = await generateWithAI(prompt);
await thread.post(result); // Typing indicator clears on post
```

#### If using Bolt for JavaScript

```typescript
// Use setStatus for Assistant threads or interval-based approach
const typingInterval = setInterval(async () => {
  // Post a "typing" indicator or use assistant.threads.setStatus
}, 3000);

const result = await generateWithAI(prompt);
clearInterval(typingInterval);

await client.chat.postMessage({
  channel: channelId,
  thread_ts: threadTs,
  text: result,
});
```

### Message Formatting (both frameworks)

Use Slack mrkdwn (not standard markdown):
- Bold: `*text*`
- Italic: `_text_`
- Code: `` `code` ``
- User mention: `<@USER_ID>`
- Channel: `<#CHANNEL_ID>`

For detailed Slack patterns, see `./patterns/slack-patterns.md`.

---

## Git Commit Standards

Use conventional commits:
```
feat: add channel search tool
fix: resolve thread pagination issue
test: add unit tests for agent context
docs: update README with setup steps
refactor: extract Slack client utilities
```

**Never commit:**
- `.env` files
- API keys or tokens
- `node_modules/`

---

## Quick Commands

```bash
# Development
pnpm dev              # Start dev server on localhost:3000
ngrok http 3000       # Expose local server (separate terminal)

# Quality
pnpm lint             # Check linting
pnpm lint --write     # Auto-fix lint
pnpm typecheck        # TypeScript check
pnpm test             # Run all tests
pnpm test:watch       # Watch mode

# Build & Deploy
pnpm build            # Build for production
vercel                # Deploy to Vercel
```

---

## Reference Documentation

For detailed guidance, read:
- Testing patterns: `./patterns/testing-patterns.md`
- Slack patterns: `./patterns/slack-patterns.md`
- Environment setup: `./reference/env-vars.md`
- AI SDK: `./reference/ai-sdk.md`
- Slack setup: `./reference/slack-setup.md`
- Vercel deployment: `./reference/vercel-setup.md`

---

## Checklist Before Task Completion

Before marking ANY task as complete, verify:

- [ ] Code changes have corresponding tests
- [ ] `pnpm lint` passes with no errors
- [ ] `pnpm typecheck` passes with no errors
- [ ] `pnpm test` passes with no failures
- [ ] No hardcoded credentials
- [ ] Follows existing code patterns
- [ ] **Chat SDK:** Webhook route handles all platforms via `bot.webhooks`
- [ ] **Chat SDK:** TSConfig includes `"jsx": "react-jsx"` and `"jsxImportSource": "chat"` if using JSX components
- [ ] **Bolt:** Events endpoint handles both JSON and form-urlencoded
- [ ] Verified AI SDK: using `@ai-sdk/gateway` (not `@ai-sdk/openai`) unless user explicitly chose direct provider

Files in this skill

  • .gitignore163 B
  • LICENSE11.1 KB
  • README.md3.4 KB
  • SKILL.md27.8 KB
  • patterns/slack-patterns.md17.7 KB
  • patterns/testing-patterns.md11.2 KB
  • reference/agent-archetypes.md16.8 KB
  • reference/ai-sdk.md12 KB
  • reference/env-vars.md9.8 KB
  • reference/slack-setup.md7.5 KB
  • reference/vercel-setup.md5.7 KB
  • templates/bolt/sample-tests/agent.test.ts4.4 KB
  • templates/bolt/sample-tests/tools.test.ts7.1 KB
  • templates/bolt/test-setup.ts4 KB
  • templates/bolt/vitest.config.ts1.2 KB
  • templates/chat-sdk/sample-tests/agent.test.ts4.3 KB
  • templates/chat-sdk/sample-tests/tools.test.ts4.5 KB
  • templates/chat-sdk/test-setup.ts3.7 KB
  • templates/chat-sdk/vitest.config.ts1.2 KB
  • wizard/1-project-setup.md7.4 KB

Attribution

Is this your skill, or is something wrong with this listing? Request removal or report an issue. Author removals are honored within 72 hours.

Comments

Loading comments…

Newsletter

Get the weekly list of safe new skills, and the ones we pulled.