In the following guide, you'll install the Slack CLI and authorize it in your workspace. Then, you'll use the CLI to scaffold a fully-functional next generation app and run it locally.
In order to complete this quickstart guide, your workspace must be on a paid plan. Check out our FAQ for more details.
Run the automated installer from your terminal window:
curl -fsSL https://downloads.slack-edge.com/slack-cli/install.sh | bash
This will install the Slack CLI and all required dependencies, including Deno — the runtime environment for our next generation platform. If you have VSCode installed, the VSCode Deno extension will be installed.
The installation script will detect existing binaries named slack and bail if
it finds one; it will not overwrite your existing slack binary.
If you want to install the CLI as anything other than slack, you can do so by
passing the -s argument to the installer script:
curl -fsSL https://downloads.slack-edge.com/slack-cli/install.sh | bash -s <your-preferred-alias>
Run the automated installer from Windows PowerShell:
irm https://downloads.slack-edge.com/slack-cli/install-windows.ps1 | iex
This will install the Slack CLI and all required dependencies, including Deno — the runtime environment for our modular platform. If you have VSCode installed, the VSCode Deno extension will be installed.
1. Download and install Deno.
2. Verify that Deno is installed and in your path:
$ deno --version
deno 1.25.* (release, x86_64-apple-darwin)
v8 10.*
typescript 4.*
3. Download and install Git, a dependency of the slack CLI.
4. Download the Slack CLI installer for your environment.
The slack CLI is currently at version v2.3.0. See the changelog for details.
5. Add the slack CLI to your path.
Existing slack binary in path?
If you have another CLI tool in your path called slack, we recommend renaming our slack binary to a different name before adding it to your path.
Mac/Linux: Copy the CLI into any folder that is already in your
path—such as /usr/local/bin—or add a new folder to your path by
listing whatever folder you installed the CLI to in /etc/paths.
Windows: Copy the CLI into any folder that is already in your path, or add a
new folder to your path by listing whatever folder you installed the CLI to in
your Environment Variables. You may not have access to edit System variables,
so you might need to add it to your account's User variables. You can open the
Environment Variables dialog by pressing the Win+R keys to open the Run
window, and entering the following command: rundll32.exe sysdm.cpl,EditEnvironmentVariables.
6. Verify that slack is installed and in your path:
$ slack version
Using slack v2.3.0
7. Verify that all dependencies have been installed:
$ slack doctor
8. Download the VSCode extension for Deno (recommended, but optional).
With the CLI freshly installed, authorize the CLI in your workspace with the following command:
slack login
In your terminal window, you should see an authorization ticket in the form of a slash command, and a prompt to enter a challenge code:
$ slack login
📋 Run the following slash command in any Slack channel or DM
This will open a modal with user permissions for you to approve
Once approved, a challege code will be generated in Slack
/slackauthticket ABC123defABC123defABC123defABC123defXYZ
? Enter challenge code
Copy the slash command and paste it into any Slack conversation in the workspace you will be developing in.
When you send the message containing the slash command, a modal will pop up, prompting you to grant certain permissions to the CLI. Click the Confirm button in the modal to move to the next step.
A new modal with a challenge code will appear. Copy that challenge code, and paste it back into your terminal:
? Enter challenge code eXaMpLeCoDe
✅ You've successfully authenticated! 🎉
Authorization data was saved to ~/.slack/credentials.json
💡 Get started by creating a new app with `slack create my-app`
Explore the details of available commands with `slack help`
Verify that your CLI is set up by running slack auth list in your
terminal window:
$ slack auth list
myworkspace (Team ID: T123ABC456)
User ID: U123ABC456
Last updated: 2023-01-01 12:00:00 -07:00
You should see an entry for the workspace you just authorized. If you don't, get a new authorization ticket with slack login to try again.
You're now ready to begin building next generation Slack apps! In the next step, we'll use a sample app to get started.
The create command is how you create a next generation Slack app.
For this guide, we'll be creating a Slack app using the Deno Starter Template as a template:
slack create my-app --template https://github.com/slack-samples/deno-starter-template
The CLI creates an app project folder and fills it with the sample app code. Once it has finished, cd into your new project directory:
cd my-app
Then continue to the next step.
While building your app, you can see your changes propagated to your workspace
in real-time by running slack run within your app's directory.
slack run
When you execute slack run, you'll be asked to select a local environment:
? Choose a local environment
> Install to a new workspace
Since you've not installed your app to any workspaces, select Install to a new workplace. Then select the workspace you authenticated in.
The CLI will inform you there are no triggers installed for the app. Triggers are what cause workflows to run. A link trigger generates a Shortcut URL which, when posted in a channel or added as a bookmark, becomes a link.
Triggers are created from trigger definition files. The CLI will look for any
trigger definition files and prompt you to select one. In this case, there is
only one trigger: sample_trigger.ts. Select it.
? Choose a trigger definition file:
> triggers/sample_trigger.ts
Do not create a trigger
Once your app's trigger is created, you will see the following output:
⚡ Trigger successfully created!
Sample trigger (local) Ft0123ABC456 (shortcut)
Created: 2023-01-01 12:00:00 -07:00 (1 second ago)
Runnable by: everyone
https://slack.com/shortcuts/Ft0123ABC456/XYZ123
...
The CLI will also start a local development server, syncing changes to your
workspace's development version of your app. You'll know your local development
server is up and running when your terminal window tells you it's Connected, awaiting events.
Grab the Shortcut URL you generated in the previous step and post it in a
public channel in your workspace. You will see the shortcut unfurl with a
"Start Workflow" button. Click the button to execute the shortcut.
In the modal that appears, select a channel, and enter a message. When you click the "Send message" button, you should see your message appear in the channel you specified.
When you want to turn off the local development server, use Ctrl+c in the
command prompt.
At this point your CLI is fully authorized and ready to create new projects. It's time to choose the next path of adventure.
We have curated a collection of sample apps. Many have tutorials. All highlight features of next generation Slack apps. Learn how to:
Each tutorial will expose you to many aspects of the next generation Slack platform. If you'd rather explore the documentation on your own, here are a few places to start. You can learn how to: