Using the Slack App
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How to interact with Inkeep agents in Slack — commands, mentions, and tips.
Using the Slack App
This guide is for all team members using the Inkeep Slack app. You'll learn how to ask questions, understand which agent responds, and get the most out of the integration.
Before you start
You need to link your Slack account to Inkeep (one-time setup):
- Type
/inkeep linkin any Slack channel - Click the private link the bot sends
- Sign in to Inkeep — the linking completes automatically
Run /inkeep status to confirm your account is linked.
Public responses — @Inkeep
Public responses are visible to everyone in the channel. They appear as threaded replies.
| Usage | What happens |
|---|---|
@Inkeep <your question> | Posts a response in a thread, visible to the whole channel |
@Inkeep <question> in a thread | Includes the full thread as context for a more relevant answer |
@Inkeep in a thread (no message) | Uses the entire thread as the question — great for "explain this conversation" |
@Inkeep with no message (in a channel) | Shows a usage hint |
The @Inkeep message itself is posted to the channel by Slack — this is standard Slack behavior and can't be suppressed.
Thread context
When you use @Inkeep inside a thread, the agent automatically receives the full conversation history as context. This is useful for:
- Getting a summary of a long discussion
- Asking follow-up questions about something in the thread
- Having the agent help draft a response
Private responses — /inkeep
Private responses are ephemeral — only you can see them. They don't appear in the channel for other users.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/inkeep <your question> | Ask the default agent privately |
/inkeep | Open a modal to pick a project, agent, and write your prompt |
/inkeep help | Show the full usage guide |
/inkeep status | See your linked account and the active agent for this channel |
/inkeep link | Link your Slack account to Inkeep (one-time) |
/inkeep unlink | Disconnect your Slack account |
Multi-turn conversations
When you use /inkeep (modal) or /inkeep <message>, the response includes a Follow Up button. Click it to continue the same conversation — the agent remembers everything from previous turns.
Each follow-up appears as a new ephemeral message showing your question and the agent's response.
Agent picker modal
Running /inkeep with no arguments opens a modal where you can:
- Select a project from the dropdown
- Select an agent from that project (the list updates as you change projects)
- Write your prompt
- Submit to get a private response
Which agent responds?
The agent that handles your request depends on how your admin configured the workspace:
| Priority | What's checked | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Channel default — has an admin assigned a specific agent to this channel? | #support → "Support Agent" |
| 2nd | Workspace default — the fallback agent for all channels | "General Assistant" |
In practice:
- If you're in
#supportand the admin set a "Support Agent" for that channel → you get the Support Agent - If you're in
#randomwith no channel-specific agent → you get the workspace default - If no agent is configured at all → the bot tells you to ask an admin to set one up
Run /inkeep status to see exactly which agent is active in the current channel and whether it's a channel default or workspace default.
Tool approvals
Some agents use tools that require your approval before they run. When this happens, you'll see an interactive message in the thread with the tool name, its inputs, and Approve / Deny buttons.
Approving or denying
- Click Approve to let the agent run the tool
- Click Deny to block the tool — the agent will acknowledge and may suggest alternatives
Only the person who started the conversation can approve or deny. If you're not the requester, you'll see an error if you try to click the buttons.
Approval timeout
If you don't respond within a few minutes, the approval request expires. The message updates to show "Expired" and the agent is notified.
If you frequently use agents that require tool approvals, make sure your account is linked (/inkeep link) beforehand to avoid interruptions.
Troubleshooting
"You need to link your account"
Run /inkeep link and click the link to connect your Slack and Inkeep accounts. This is a one-time setup per user.
"No agents configured"
Ask your workspace admin to set a workspace or channel default agent in the Inkeep dashboard at Work Apps → Slack.
"Request timed out"
The agent took too long to respond. Try again — if the issue persists, ask your admin to check that the Inkeep deployment is running and healthy.
Command shows "failed with error"
Check that:
- The Slack app is properly installed (try
/inkeep help) - Your account is linked (
/inkeep status) - An agent is configured for the workspace