Slack MCP Server
A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Slack API integration. This server enables AI assistants like Claude to interact with your Slack workspace, including managing channels, sending messages, searching content, and more.
Features
Channel Management
- List all accessible channels (public/private)
- Get channel information and details
- Create new channels
- Archive channels
- Join/leave channels
- Set channel topics
- Fetch channel message history
Messaging
- Post messages to channels
- Reply to message threads
- Update and delete messages
- Add and remove emoji reactions
- Get message reactions
Direct Messages (DMs)
- Send direct messages to users
- List DM and group DM conversations
- Fetch DM conversation history
- Open new DM conversations
Search (requires User Token)
- Search messages across the workspace
- Search files
- Combined search for messages and files
User Management
- List workspace users
- Get user profile information
- Check user presence/online status
- Look up users by email
- Get bot and team information
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or higher
- A Slack workspace with admin access to create apps
- Slack Bot Token (xoxb-...) for most operations
- Slack User Token (xoxp-...) for search functionality
Installation
1. Clone the Repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd slack-mcp-server
2. Create Virtual Environment
python3.12 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
3. Install Dependencies
pip install -e .
Or install from requirements:
pip install -r requirements.txt
Slack App Setup
1. Create a Slack App
- Go to Slack API Apps
- Click "Create New App" → "From scratch"
- Name your app and select your workspace
2. Configure Bot Token Scopes
Navigate to OAuth & Permissions and add these Bot Token Scopes:
Channels
channels:read- View basic channel infochannels:write- Manage public channelschannels:history- View messages in public channelsgroups:read- View private channelsgroups:write- Manage private channelsgroups:history- View messages in private channels
Messaging
chat:write- Send messagesreactions:read- View reactionsreactions:write- Add reactions
Direct Messages
im:read- View DM infoim:write- Start DMsim:history- View DM historympim:read- View group DM infompim:write- Start group DMsmpim:history- View group DM history
Users
users:read- View usersusers:read.email- View user emails
3. Configure User Token Scopes (for Search)
If you need search functionality, add these User Token Scopes:
search:read- Search messages and files
4. Install the App
- Click "Install to Workspace"
- Authorize the app
- Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with
xoxb-) - If using search, also copy the User OAuth Token (starts with
xoxp-)
Configuration
Environment Variables
Create a .env file in the project root:
# Required: Bot Token for most operations
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token-here
# Optional: User Token for search functionality
SLACK_USER_TOKEN=xoxp-your-user-token-here
You can copy the example file:
cp env.example .env
# Then edit .env with your tokens
Usage
Running the Server
As a Python Module
source venv/bin/activate
python -m slack_mcp_server
Using the Entry Point
source venv/bin/activate
slack-mcp-server
Claude Desktop Configuration
Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"command": "/path/to/slack-mcp-server/venv/bin/python",
"args": ["-m", "slack_mcp_server"],
"cwd": "/path/to/slack-mcp-server",
"env": {
"SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-bot-token",
"SLACK_USER_TOKEN": "xoxp-your-user-token"
}
}
}
}
Replace /path/to/slack-mcp-server with the actual path to your installation.
Cursor IDE Configuration
Add to your Cursor MCP settings:
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"command": "/path/to/slack-mcp-server/venv/bin/python",
"args": ["-m", "slack_mcp_server"],
"cwd": "/path/to/slack-mcp-server",
"env": {
"SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-bot-token",
"SLACK_USER_TOKEN": "xoxp-your-user-token"
}
}
}
}
Available Tools
Channel Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_channels | List all accessible channels |
get_channel_info | Get details about a specific channel |
create_channel | Create a new channel |
archive_channel | Archive a channel |
get_channel_history | Fetch message history |
join_channel | Join a channel |
leave_channel | Leave a channel |
set_channel_topic | Set channel topic |
Message Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
post_message | Post a message to a channel |
reply_to_thread | Reply in a thread |
get_thread_replies | Get all replies in a thread |
add_reaction | Add emoji reaction |
remove_reaction | Remove emoji reaction |
get_message_reactions | Get reactions on a message |
update_message | Update an existing message |
delete_message | Delete a message |
DM Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
send_dm | Send a direct message |
list_conversations | List DM conversations |
get_dm_history | Fetch DM history |
open_dm | Open a DM conversation |
Search Tools (requires User Token)
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_messages | Search messages |
search_files | Search files |
search_all | Search both messages and files |
User Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_users | List workspace users |
get_user_info | Get user details |
get_user_presence | Check if user is online |
lookup_user_by_email | Find user by email |
get_user_profile | Get detailed profile |
get_bot_info | Get bot identity |
get_team_info | Get workspace info |
Testing
Using MCP Inspector
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector python -m slack_mcp_server
This opens a web interface to test all available tools interactively.
Manual Testing
- Start the server
- Use Claude Desktop or another MCP client
- Try basic commands:
- "List all channels in the workspace"
- "Get the history of #general channel"
- "Send a message to #test-channel saying Hello!"
Troubleshooting
"SLACK_BOT_TOKEN is not set"
Ensure your .env file exists and contains the token, or set it in your MCP client configuration.
"Search requires a User Token"
Search operations require a User Token (SLACK_USER_TOKEN). Add User Token scopes to your Slack app and include the token.
"channel_not_found"
The bot may not have access to the channel. Ensure:
- The channel exists
- The bot is a member of private channels
- The channel ID is correct (use
list_channelsto find IDs)
"missing_scope"
Your Slack app is missing required permissions. Check the OAuth scopes section above and add the missing scopes in your Slack app settings.
Development
Project Structure
slack-mcp-server/
├── src/
│ └── slack_mcp_server/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── __main__.py
│ ├── server.py # FastMCP server entry point
│ ├── tools/
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ ├── channels.py # Channel management tools
│ │ ├── messages.py # Messaging and DM tools
│ │ ├── search.py # Search functionality
│ │ └── users.py # User management tools
│ └── utils/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ └── slack_client.py # Slack API wrapper
├── pyproject.toml
├── requirements.txt
├── env.example
└── README.md
Adding New Tools
- Create or edit a file in
src/slack_mcp_server/tools/ - Define tools using the
@mcp.tool()decorator - Register the tools in the server by calling the registration function
License
MIT License
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.