Updates to the Slack App Developer Policy

On December 10, 2024, we updated the Slack App Developer Policy to add clarity to guidance from our documentation that apps intended for commercial distribution at scale should go through Slack Marketplace review.

While gathering feedback from early customers helps improve your apps, the Slack Marketplace is the right place for apps as they begin to grow. The Slack Marketplace guidelines and our review process help keep the Slack app ecosystem working and customer data secure.

We also clarified existing guidelines about the usage of data collected by your app. Specifically, we are making explicit that the use of data to train an LLM is prohibited.

What's changing

The following text was added to the Business section (in bold below):

• As part of good business practices, Applications and developers are prohibited from:
  • Circumventing Slack’s intended limitations (including pricing, features and access structures). For clarity, this prohibition extends to listing an Application in the Marketplace and also offering mutual customers a parallel unlisted or custom Application (distributed beyond your organization) that violates our Marketplace guidelines. Apps intended for commercial distribution at scale should be submitted for Marketplace review.

The following text in the Use of Data section has been updated as follows:

• First and foremost, you have no independent rights to any Data. In accordance with this, Applications and developers are prohibited from:
  • Collecting, storing, and/or using Data without obtaining proper consent of the User
  • Using Data to train an LLM under any circumstances

Let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about our developer policies. Thank you!