Slackbot CLI for AI Agents

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Introduction

CLIs are eating MCPs. The industry is converging on the very same idea. MCPs for all their merit can be token hungry, slow, and unreliable for complex tool chaining. However, coding agents have become incredibly good at working with CLIs, and in fact they are far more comfortable working with CLI tools than MCP.

With Composio's Universal CLI, your coding agents can talk to over 850+ SaaS applications. With Slackbot, agents can send daily standup reminder to #engineering, add a custom emoji for our new logo, archive the #old-projects channel this week, and more — all without worrying about authentication.

This guide walks you through Composio Universal CLI and explains how you can connect it with coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, etc, for end-to-end Slackbot automation.

Also integrate Slackbot with

What is Universal CLI and why use it?

The idea behind building the universal CLI is to give agents a single command interface to interact with all your external applications. Here's what you'll get with it:

  • Agent-friendly: Coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode can use CLI tools natively — no MCP setup required.
  • Authentication handled: Connect once via OAuth or API Key, and all CLI commands work with your credentials automatically.
  • Tool discovery: Search, inspect, and execute 20,000+ tools across 850+ apps from one interface.
  • Trigger support: Use triggers to listen for events across your apps, powered by real-time webhooks or polling under the hood.
  • Type generation: Generate typed schemas for autocomplete and type safety in your projects.

Prerequisites

Install the Composio CLI, authenticate, and initialize your project:

bash
# Install the Composio CLI
curl -fsSL https://composio.dev/install | bash

# Authenticate with Composio
composio login

During login you'll be redirected to sign in page, finish the complete flow and you're all set.

Composio CLI authentication flow

Connecting Slackbot to Coding Agents via Universal CLI

Once it is installed, it's essentially done. Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, or any other agent will be able to access the CLI. A few steps to give agents access to your apps.

  1. Launch your Coding Agent — Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, anything you prefer.
  2. Prompt it to "Authenticate with Slackbot"
  3. Complete the authentication and authorization flow and your Slackbot integration is all set.
  4. Start asking anything you want.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Triggers
Add an emoji aliasAdds an alias for an existing custom emoji in a slack enterprise grid organization.
Add a remote fileAdds a reference to an external file (e.
Add a star to an itemStars a channel, file, file comment, or a specific message in slack.
Add call participantsRegisters new participants added to a slack call.
Add emojiAdds a custom emoji to a slack workspace given a unique name and an image url; subject to workspace emoji limits.
Add reaction to messageAdds a specified emoji reaction to an existing message in a slack channel, identified by its timestamp; does not remove or retrieve reactions.
Archive a Slack conversationArchives a slack conversation by its id, rendering it read-only and hidden while retaining history, ideal for cleaning up inactive channels; be aware that some channels (like #general or certain dms) cannot be archived and this may impact connected integrations.
Archive a public or private channelArchives a slack public or private channel, making it read-only; the primary 'general' channel cannot be archived.
Close conversation channelCloses a slack direct message (dm) or multi-person direct message (mpdm) channel, removing it from the user's sidebar without deleting history; this action affects only the calling user's view.
Create a reminderCreates a slack reminder with specified text and time; time accepts unix timestamps, seconds from now, or natural language (e.
Create a Slack user groupCreates a new user group (often referred to as a subteam) in a slack workspace.
Create channelInitiates a public or private channel-based conversation
Create a channel-based conversationCreates a new public or private slack channel with a unique name; the channel can be org-wide, or team-specific if `team id` is given (required if `org wide` is false or not provided).
Customize URL unfurlCustomizes url previews (unfurling) in a specific slack message using a url-encoded json in `unfurls` to define custom content or remove existing previews.
Delete file commentDeletes a specific comment from a file in slack; this action is irreversible.
Delete a file by IDPermanently deletes an existing file from a slack workspace using its unique file id; this action is irreversible and also removes any associated comments or shares.
Delete a public or private channelPermanently and irreversibly deletes a specified public or private channel, including all its messages and files, within a slack enterprise grid organization.
Delete a Slack reminderDeletes an existing slack reminder, typically when it is no longer relevant or a task is completed; this operation is irreversible.
Delete scheduled chat messageDeletes a pending, unsent scheduled message from the specified slack channel, identified by its `scheduled message id`.
Delete a message from a chatDeletes a message, identified by its channel id and timestamp, from a slack channel, private group, or direct message conversation; the authenticated user or bot must be the original poster.
Delete user profile photoDeletes the slack profile photo for the user identified by the token, reverting them to the default avatar; this action is irreversible and succeeds even if no custom photo was set.
Disable a Slack user groupDisables a specified, currently enabled slack user group by its unique id, effectively archiving it by setting its 'date delete' timestamp; the group is not permanently deleted and can be re-enabled.
Enable a user groupEnables a disabled user group in slack using its id, reactivating it for mentions and permissions; this action only changes the enabled status and cannot create new groups or modify other properties.
Share file public urlEnables public sharing for an existing slack file by generating a publicly accessible url; this action does not create new files.
End a callEnds an ongoing slack call, identified by its id (obtained from `calls.
End snoozeEnds the current user's snooze mode immediately.
End DND sessionEnds the authenticated user's current do not disturb (dnd) session in slack, affecting only dnd status and making them available; if dnd is not active, slack acknowledges the request without changing status.
Fetch bot user informationFetches information for a specified, existing slack bot user; will not work for regular user accounts or other integration types.
Fetch conversation historyFetches a chronological list of messages and events from a specified slack conversation, accessible by the authenticated user/bot, with options for pagination and time range filtering.
Fetch item reactionsFetches reactions for a slack message, file, or file comment, requiring one of: channel and timestamp; file id; or file comment id.
Retrieve conversation repliesRetrieves replies to a specific parent message in a slack conversation, using the channel id and the parent message's timestamp (`ts`).
Fetch team infoFetches comprehensive metadata about the current slack team, or a specified team if the provided id is accessible.
Fetch workspace settings informationRetrieves detailed settings for a specific slack workspace, primarily for administrators in an enterprise grid organization to view or audit workspace configurations.
Find channelsFind channels in a slack workspace by any criteria - name, topic, purpose, or description.
Lookup users by emailRetrieves the slack user object for an active user by their registered email address; fails with 'users not found' if the email is unregistered or the user is inactive.
Find usersFind users in a slack workspace by any criteria - email, name, display name, or other text.
Get channel conversation preferencesRetrieves conversation preferences (e.
Get reminder informationRetrieves detailed information for an existing slack reminder specified by its id; this is a read-only operation.
Get remote fileRetrieve information about a remote file added to slack.
Get team DND statusRetrieves a user's current do not disturb status.
Retrieve user presenceRetrieves a slack user's current real-time presence (e.
Invite users to a Slack channelInvites users to an existing slack channel using their valid slack user ids.
Invite users to channelInvites users to a specified slack channel; this action is restricted to enterprise grid workspaces and requires the authenticated user to be a member of the target channel.
Invite user to workspaceInvites a user to a slack workspace and specified channels by email; use `resend=true` to re-process an existing invitation for a user not yet signed up.
Join conversation by channel idJoins an existing slack conversation (public channel, private channel, or multi-person direct message) by its id, if the authenticated user has permission.
Leave conversation channelLeaves a slack conversation given its channel id; fails if leaving as the last member of a private channel or if used on a slack connect channel.
List all channelsLists conversations available to the user with various filters and search options.
List all usersRetrieves a paginated list of all users, including comprehensive details, profile information, status, and team memberships, in a slack workspace; data may not be real-time.
List all users in a user groupRetrieves a list of all user ids within a specified slack user group, with an option to include users from disabled groups.
List conversationsRetrieves conversations accessible to a specified user (or the authenticated user if no user id is provided), respecting shared membership for non-public channels.
List Slack filesLists files and their metadata within a slack workspace, filterable by user, channel, timestamp, or type; this action returns metadata only, not file content.
List remindersLists all reminders with their details for the authenticated slack user; returns an empty list if no reminders exist.
List remote filesRetrieve information about a team's remote files.
List scheduled messagesRetrieves a list of pending (not yet delivered) messages scheduled in a specific slack channel, or across all accessible channels if no channel id is provided, optionally filtered by time and paginated.
List pinned items in a channelRetrieves all messages and files pinned to a specified channel; the caller must have access to this channel.
List starred itemsLists items starred by a user.
List team custom emojisRetrieves all custom emojis for the slack workspace (image urls or aliases), not standard unicode emojis; does not include usage statistics or creation dates.
List user groupsLists user groups in a slack workspace, including user-created and default groups; results for large workspaces may be paginated.
List user reactionsLists all reactions added by a specific user to messages, files, or file comments in slack, useful for engagement analysis when the item content itself is not required.
List admin usersRetrieves a paginated list of admin users for a specified slack workspace.
Set user presenceManually sets a user's slack presence, overriding automatic detection; this setting persists across connections but can be overridden by user actions or slack's auto-away (e.
Mark reminder as completeMarks a specific slack reminder as complete using its `reminder` id; **deprecated**: this slack api endpoint ('reminders.
Open DMOpens or resumes a slack direct message (dm) or multi-person direct message (mpim) by providing either user ids or an existing channel id.
Pin an item to a channelPins a message to a specified slack channel; the message must not already be pinned.
Remove remote fileRemoves the slack reference to an external file (which must have been previously added via the remote files api), specified by either its `external id` or `file` id (one of which is required), without deleting the actual external file.
Remove a star from an itemRemoves a star from a previously starred slack item (message, file, file comment, channel, group, or dm), requiring identification via `file`, `file comment`, `channel` (for channel/group/dm), or both `channel` and `timestamp` (for a message).
Remove user from conversationRemoves a specified user from a slack conversation (channel); the caller must have permissions to remove users and cannot remove themselves using this action.
Remove call participantsRegisters participants removed from a slack call.
Remove reaction from itemRemoves an emoji reaction from a message, file, or file comment in slack.
Rename a Slack channelRenames a public or private slack channel; for enterprise grid workspaces, the user must be a workspace admin or channel manager.
Rename a conversationRenames a slack channel, automatically adjusting the new name to meet naming conventions (e.
Rename an emojiRenames an existing custom emoji in a slack workspace, updating all its instances.
Retrieve a user's identity detailsRetrieves the authenticated user's and their team's identity, with details varying based on oauth scopes (e.
Retrieve call informationRetrieves a point-in-time snapshot of a specific slack call's information.
Retrieve conversation informationRetrieves metadata for a slack conversation by id (e.
Get conversation membersRetrieves a paginated list of active member ids for a specified slack public channel, private channel, direct message (dm), or multi-person direct message (mpim).
Retrieve user DND statusRetrieves a slack user's current do not disturb (dnd) status to determine their availability before interaction; any specified user id must be a valid slack user id.
Retrieve detailed file informationRetrieves detailed metadata and paginated comments for a specific slack file id; does not download file content.
Retrieve detailed user informationRetrieves comprehensive information for a valid slack user id, excluding message history and channel memberships.
Retrieve message permalinkRetrieves a permalink url for a specific message in a slack channel or conversation; the permalink respects slack's privacy settings.
Retrieve team profile detailsRetrieves all profile field definitions for a slack team, optionally filtered by visibility, to understand the team's profile structure.
Retrieve user profile informationRetrieves profile information for a specified slack user (defaults to the authenticated user if `user` id is omitted); a provided `user` id must be valid.
Revoke a file's public urlRevokes a slack file's public url, making it private; this is a no-op if not already public and is irreversible.
Schedule messageSchedules a message to a slack channel, dm, or private group for a future time (`post at`), requiring `text`, `blocks`, or `attachments` for content; scheduling is limited to 120 days in advance.
Search messagesWorkspace‑wide slack message search with date ranges and filters.
Send ephemeral messageSends an ephemeral message to a user in a channel.
Send messagePosts a message to a slack channel, direct message, or private group; requires content via `text`, `blocks`, or `attachments`.
Set a conversation's purposeSets the purpose (a short description of its topic/goal, displayed in the header) for a slack conversation; the calling user must be a member.
Set DND durationTurns on do not disturb mode for the current user, or changes its duration.
Set profile photoThis method allows the user to set their profile image.
Set conversation read cursorMarks a message, specified by its timestamp (`ts`), as the most recently read for the authenticated user in the given `channel`, provided the user is a member of the channel and the message exists within it.
Set conversation topicSets or updates the topic for a specified slack conversation.
Set Slack user profile informationUpdates a slack user's profile, setting either individual fields or multiple fields via a json object.
Share a me message in a channelSends a 'me message' (e.
Share a remote file in channelsShares a remote file, which must already be registered with slack, into specified slack channels or direct message conversations.
Start callRegisters a new call in slack using `calls.
Start real time messaging sessionInitiates a slack rtm session providing a single-use websocket url (valid 30s) for event streaming; does not set initial presence status.
Unarchive a public or private channelUnarchives a specified public or private slack channel that is currently archived, using its channel id.
Unarchive channelReverses conversation archival.
Unpin message from channelUnpins a message, identified by its timestamp, from a specified channel if the message is currently pinned there; this operation is destructive.
Update Slack user groupUpdates an existing slack user group, which must be specified by an existing `usergroup` id, with new optional details such as its name, description, handle, or default channels.
Update call informationUpdates the title, join url, or desktop app join url for an existing slack call identified by its id.
Update a Slack messageUpdates a slack message, identified by `channel` id and `ts` timestamp, by modifying its `text`, `attachments`, or `blocks`; provide at least one content field, noting `attachments`/`blocks` are replaced if included (`[]` clears them).
Update an existing remote fileUpdates metadata or content details for an existing remote file in slack; this action cannot upload new files or change the fundamental file type.
Update user group membersReplaces all members of an existing slack user group with a new list of valid user ids.
Upload or create a file in SlackUploads a file to slack, requiring either `content` (for text) or `file` (for binary data), optionally sharing it in specified `channels` or as a reply via `thread ts`.

Universal CLI Commands for Slackbot

You can also manually execute CLI commands to interact with your Slackbot.

Connect your Slackbot account

Link your Slackbot account and verify the connection:

bash
# Connect your Slackbot account (opens OAuth flow)
composio connected-accounts link slackbot

# Verify the connection
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits slackbot

Discover Slackbot tools

Search and inspect available Slackbot tools:

bash
# List all available Slackbot tools
composio tools list --toolkit slackbot

# Search for Slackbot tools by action
composio tools search "slackbot"

# Inspect a tool's input schema
composio tools info SLACKBOT_ADD_AN_EMOJI_ALIAS_IN_SLACK

Common Slackbot Actions

Add an emoji alias — Adds an alias for an existing custom emoji in a slack enterprise grid organization

bash
composio tools execute SLACKBOT_ADD_AN_EMOJI_ALIAS_IN_SLACK \
  --name "parrot_alias" \
  --token "<string>" \
  --alias_for "party_parrot"

Add a remote file — Adds a reference to an external file (e

bash
composio tools execute SLACKBOT_ADD_A_REMOTE_FILE_FROM_A_SERVICE \
  --title "Project Proposal Q3.docx" \
  --token "xoxp-123456789012-123456789012-1234567890123-abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456" \
  --filetype "pdf" \
  --external_id "file-abc-123-xyz-789"

Add a star to an item — Stars a channel, file, file comment, or a specific message in slack

bash
composio tools execute SLACKBOT_ADD_A_STAR_TO_AN_ITEM \
  --file "F1234567890" \
  --channel "C1234567890" \
  --timestamp "1234567890.123456" \
  --file_comment "Fc1234567890"

Add call participants — Registers new participants added to a slack call

bash
composio tools execute SLACKBOT_ADD_CALL_PARTICIPANTS \
  --id "R0123456789" \
  --users "[{"slack_id": "U1H77", "external_id": "ext-id"}]"

Set up Slackbot Triggers

Listen for events in real time using triggers:

New Channel Created Trigger — Triggered when a new channel is created in Slack

bash
# Find your connected account ID
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits slackbot

# Create a trigger
composio triggers create SLACKBOT_CHANNEL_CREATED \
  --connected-account-id <your-connected-account-id> \
  --trigger-config '{}'

# Listen for trigger events in real time
composio triggers listen --toolkits slackbot --table

Reaction Added Trigger — Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack

bash
# Find your connected account ID
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits slackbot

# Create a trigger
composio triggers create SLACKBOT_REACTION_ADDED \
  --connected-account-id <your-connected-account-id> \
  --trigger-config '{}'

# Listen for trigger events in real time
composio triggers listen --toolkits slackbot --table

Reaction Removed Trigger — Triggered when a reaction is removed from a message

bash
# Find your connected account ID
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits slackbot

# Create a trigger
composio triggers create SLACKBOT_REACTION_REMOVED \
  --connected-account-id <your-connected-account-id> \
  --trigger-config '{}'

# Listen for trigger events in real time
composio triggers listen --toolkits slackbot --table

Generate Type Definitions

Generate typed schemas for Slackbot tools to get autocomplete and type safety in your project:

bash
# Auto-detect language
composio generate --toolkits slackbot

# TypeScript
composio ts generate --toolkits slackbot

# Python
composio py generate --toolkits slackbot

Tips & Tricks

  • Always inspect a tool's input schema before executing: composio tools info <TOOL_NAME>
  • Pipe output with jq for better readability: composio tools execute TOOL_NAME -d '{}' | jq
  • Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY as an environment variable for CI/CD pipelines
  • Use composio dev logs tools to inspect execution logs and debug issues

Next Steps

  • Try asking your coding agent to perform various Slackbot operations
  • Explore cross-app workflows by connecting more toolkits
  • Set up triggers for real-time automation
  • Use composio generate for typed schemas in your projects

How to build Slackbot MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK

OpenAI Agents SDK

Use Slackbot MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Use Slackbot MCP with Claude Agent SDK

Claude Code

Claude Code

Use Slackbot MCP with Claude Code

Codex

Codex

Use Slackbot MCP with Codex

OpenClaw

OpenClaw

Use Slackbot MCP with OpenClaw

Google ADK

Google ADK

Use Slackbot MCP with Google ADK

LangChain

LangChain

Use Slackbot MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Vercel AI SDK

Use Slackbot MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

Mastra AI

Use Slackbot MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

LlamaIndex

Use Slackbot MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI

CrewAI

Use Slackbot MCP with CrewAI

FAQ

What is the Composio Universal CLI?

The Composio Universal CLI is a single command-line interface that lets coding agents and developers interact with 850+ SaaS applications. It handles authentication, tool discovery, action execution, and trigger setup — all from the terminal, without needing to configure MCP servers.

Which coding agents work with the Composio CLI?

Any coding agent that can run shell commands works with the Composio CLI — including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, and others. Once the CLI is installed, agents automatically discover and use the composio commands to interact with Slackbot and other connected apps.

How is the CLI different from using an MCP server for Slackbot?

MCP servers require configuration and can be token-heavy for complex workflows. The CLI gives agents a direct, lightweight interface — no server setup needed. Agents simply call composio commands like any other shell tool. It's faster to set up, more reliable for multi-step tool chaining, and works natively with how coding agents already operate.

How safe is my Slackbot data when using the Composio CLI?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Slackbot data and credentials are handled as safely as possible. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials for full control.

Used by agents from

Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai

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