Slack (Official)

Hosted by a third party. This MCP server is built and hosted by the vendor, not Runlayer. This guide covers connecting it through Runlayer for governance, policies, and audit.

Connect agents to Slack through Slack’s official MCP server, hosted by Slack at mcp.slack.com. Once connected, an agent can read and send messages, follow threads and channel history, search the workspace, work with Canvases, and look up users. Each connection belongs to the person who authorizes it, and connector actions use that person’s Slack identity and permissions. Runlayer adds identity-aware policy, runtime scanning, and an audit trail around this access. Admins decide what each agent can reach and who can use it.

Available Tools

Tool	Description
`slack_send_message`	Send messages to channels or users
`slack_schedule_message`	Schedule messages for future delivery
`slack_create_canvas`	Create Slack Canvas documents
`slack_read_canvas`	Read Canvas document content
`slack_search_public`	Search messages/files in public channels
`slack_search_public_and_private`	Search all channels including private/DMs
`slack_search_channels`	Find channels by name or description
`slack_search_users`	Find users by name, email, or profile
`slack_read_channel`	Read messages from a channel
`slack_read_thread`	Read messages from a thread
`slack_read_user_profile`	Get user profile information
`slack_send_message_draft`	Create draft messages

Setup

Runlayer-managed connector OAuth (Recommended)

Runlayer-hosted deployments can use Runlayer’s Slack Marketplace app to authorize this connector. You don’t need to create a Slack app or provide client credentials. If you already have a Slack connector, use it. Connectors configured as a Pre-registered Client need the upgrade below before they can provision managed agent apps. If your connector already uses the Official Runlayer app, connect your account and continue to managed setup. If your workspace does not have a Slack connector yet:

Add the connector

In Runlayer, go to Connectors > Add connector, choose Slack, and click Create.

Authorize your Slack account

On the connector page, click Connect, select your workspace, and click Allow.

Runlayer’s Marketplace app requests connector permissions and permissions to create and manage dedicated Slack apps for agents in one authorization. Connector access, Slack notifications, and dedicated agent apps remain separately enabled capabilities; Runlayer uses each permission only when its corresponding capability is enabled and allowed by policy. See Slack integrations for the workspace-level setup.

Upgrade an existing Slack connector

An administrator with connector-management and workspace-settings access can upgrade an existing Slack (Official) connector from Pre-registered Client to the Official Runlayer app. The upgrade keeps the existing connector; you do not need to add a second one.

Everyone using this connector must reconnect after the upgrade. Let affected users know before upgrading: their connector access needs reauthorization, even if they do not use Slack agent apps.

Open Slack integration settings

Go to Settings → Integrations and find Agent App Install Target in the Slack Integration card. Click Upgrade Slack Connector.

Slack Integration settings with the Upgrade Slack Connector button under Agent App Install Target

Review and upgrade the existing connector

Check the connector name. If several connectors are eligible, select the one your workspace uses. View Connector opens its details.Confirm the change from Pre-registered Client to Official Runlayer app by clicking Upgrade Slack Connector.

Upgrade Slack Connector dialog showing the change to the Official Runlayer app and warning that everyone must reconnect

Reconnect your Slack account

Open the upgraded connector and click Connect. Select your Slack workspace or organization, review the permissions, and complete authorization.Each person using the connector must reconnect their own account. An admin’s reconnection does not reconnect everyone else.

Finish managed agent setup

Return to Settings → Integrations and confirm the Agent App Install Target. If prompted, select the workspace or Enterprise Grid organization and click Save. Use an account that can install apps in that target.You can then configure a new agent’s dedicated Slack app from its Slack settings.

Upgrading the connector does not migrate or recreate existing Slack agent apps. Existing-app migration is a separate action.

If Agent App Install Target is missing, contact Runlayer to check rollout availability. If it is present but Upgrade Slack Connector is missing, check whether your connector already uses the Official Runlayer app and whether you have the required admin access. Contact us if you need help; an assisted session is optional.

Bring your own Slack app

If your organization prefers its own internal Slack app, configure the connector as a Pre-registered Client.

Create Slack App from Manifest

Go to Slack API: Applications
Click Create New App > From a manifest
Select your workspace and click Next
Paste this manifest, replacing <your-runlayer-host> with your deployment’s host:

display_information:
  name: Runlayer Slack MCP
  description: Official Slack MCP via Runlayer
  background_color: "#2c2d30"
features:
  bot_user:
    display_name: Slack MCP
    always_online: false
oauth_config:
  redirect_urls:
    - https://<your-runlayer-host>/oauth/callback
  scopes:
    user:
      - search:read.public
      - search:read.private
      - search:read.mpim
      - search:read.im
      - search:read.files
      - search:read.users
      - chat:write
      - channels:history
      - groups:history
      - mpim:history
      - im:history
      - canvases:read
      - canvases:write
      - users:read
      - users:read.email
      - reactions:write
      - reactions:read
      - emoji:read
      - files:read
      - channels:write
      - groups:write
      - im:write
      - mpim:write
      - channels:read
      - groups:read
      - mpim:read
    bot:
      - commands
settings:
  org_deploy_enabled: true
  socket_mode_enabled: false
  token_rotation_enabled: false

The bot user and commands scope are required by Slack for org-wide installs but are unused by Runlayer.

Click Next, review the summary, then click Create

Enable MCP

In your app settings, go to Agents & AI Apps in the sidebar
Enable MCP Server for your app

Install App to Workspace

Go to Settings > Install App in the sidebar
Click Install to Workspace/Organization and authorize the app

Get Credentials

Go to Basic Information in the app settings
Copy the Client ID and Client Secret

Add the connector in Runlayer

In Runlayer, go to Connectors > Add connector and choose Slack
Under Show advanced settings, set Registration to Pre-registered Client
Enter the Client ID and Client Secret
Click Create

Authorize

Click Connect on the connector page
Select your workspace and click Allow

After you connect

Attach the Slack connector to any AI assistant or agent in Runlayer. It can then summarize threads, draft and send messages, search across channels, and work with Canvases within the policies you set. To give an agent its own Slack identity for mentions and DMs, separately configure dedicated Slack apps. Manage access, permissions, and audit logs under Connectors > Slack.

Privacy

Runlayer’s handling of your data is described in our Privacy Policy.

Troubleshooting

MCP access not enabled

Runlayer’s managed Slack app is approved for MCP access. If you bring your own app, Slack requires it to be an internal app or published in the Slack Marketplace. Check Slack’s MCP documentation for current eligibility.

Redirect URI mismatch (bring-your-own-app)

Verify your Slack app’s redirect URL is exactly https://<your-runlayer-host>/oauth/callback with no trailing slash.

Missing scopes error

Ensure all scopes from the manifest are added to your Slack app. The official MCP server requires specific scopes that differ from the standard Slack API scopes.

Enable

Control

Self-Hosted Deployment

Operations

Cookbook

Integrations

Connectors

Resources

Available Tools

Setup

Runlayer-managed connector OAuth (Recommended)

Upgrade an existing Slack connector

Bring your own Slack app

After you connect

Privacy

Troubleshooting

​Available Tools

​Setup

​Runlayer-managed connector OAuth (Recommended)

​Upgrade an existing Slack connector

​Bring your own Slack app

​After you connect

​Privacy

​Troubleshooting

Available Tools

Setup

Runlayer-managed connector OAuth (Recommended)

Upgrade an existing Slack connector

Bring your own Slack app

After you connect

Privacy

Troubleshooting