Scheduling messages

Getting started with scheduled messages
- Permissions
Schedule a message
List the messages you've scheduled
Delete a message you've scheduled
Warnings and known issues

Getting started with scheduled messages

One thing you'll need before starting is a Slack app. If you don't have one yet, here's a very quick guide to help you create one. Make sure you create the app in a workspace that won't mind you posting lots of test messages!

Since scheduling a message is just a bit of fancy footwork on top of sending a message directly, take a gander at our guide to sending messages. After you've done that, come back here and keep reading.

Permissions

Now for some particularly pleasant permissions news: your app's permissions are actually the ones you've already acquired to post messages!

A quick recap: you can use either an app with a bot or user token. If you choose to use a bot, the bot scope is all you need. As a friendly reminder, the legacy bot token isn't supported.

With a user token, the first scope your app requires is channels:read. That scope lets your app retrieve a list of all the public channels in a workspace so that you can pick one to publish a message to. If you already know the ID of the channel you wish to send messages to, you can skip out on requesting channels:read.

The next scope you'll need is chat:write:bot or chat:write:user. That scope grants permission for your app to send messages.

Schedule a message

Our guide to directly sending messages talked you through a simple call to chat.postMessage. Let's reinvent our app to send a reminder instead: say, about a weekly team breakfast.

{
  "channel": "YOUR_CHANNEL_ID",
  "text": "Hey, team. Don't forget about breakfast catered by John Hughes Bistro today."
}

If you want to do things the hard way, your app could implement state storage and job scheduling to send this message at the right time each week, using a database and batch task runner.

If you prefer an easier approach, use a scheduled message instead. Add a post_at parameter to your JSON request, and pass your JSON to chat.scheduleMessage instead of chat.postMessage:

Scheduling a message with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

import com.slack.api.bolt.App;
import com.slack.api.bolt.AppConfig;
import com.slack.api.bolt.jetty.SlackAppServer;
import com.slack.api.methods.SlackApiException;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
import java.time.temporal.ChronoUnit;

public class ChatScheduleMessage {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        var config = new AppConfig();
        config.setSingleTeamBotToken(System.getenv("SLACK_BOT_TOKEN"));
        config.setSigningSecret(System.getenv("SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET"));
        var app = new App(config); // `new App()` does the same

        app.command("/schedule", (req, ctx) -> {
            var logger = ctx.logger;
            var tomorrow = ZonedDateTime.now().truncatedTo(ChronoUnit.DAYS).plusDays(1).withHour(9);
            try {
                var payload = req.getPayload();
                // Call the chat.scheduleMessage method using the built-in WebClient
                var result = ctx.client().chatScheduleMessage(r -> r
                    // The token you used to initialize your app
                    .token(ctx.getBotToken())
                    .channel(payload.getChannelId())
                    .text(payload.getText())
                    // Time to post message, in Unix Epoch timestamp format
                    .postAt((int) tomorrow.toInstant().getEpochSecond())
                );
                // Print result
                logger.info("result: {}", result);
            } catch (IOException | SlackApiException e) {
                logger.error("error: {}", e.getMessage(), e);
            }
            // Acknowledge incoming command event
            return ctx.ack();
        });

        var server = new SlackAppServer(app);
        server.start();
    }

}

Hide code to initialize app
// Require the Bolt for JavaScript package (github.com/slackapi/bolt)
const { App, LogLevel } = require("@slack/bolt");

const app = new App({
  token: "xoxb-your-token",
  signingSecret: "your-signing-secret",
  // LogLevel can be imported and used to make debugging simpler
  logLevel: LogLevel.DEBUG
});
Show code to initialize app
// When "/schedule", schedule a message for tomorrow morning
// Tip: use the shortcut() method to listen to shortcut events
app.command("/schedule", async ({ command, ack, client, context }) => {
  // Acknowledge incoming command event
  ack();

  // Unix timestamp for tomorrow morning at 9AM
  const tomorrow = new Date();
  tomorrow.setDate(tomorrow.getDate() + 1);
  tomorrow.setHours(9, 0, 0);

  try {
    // Call the chat.scheduleMessage method using the built-in WebClient
    const result = await client.chat.scheduleMessage({
      // The token you used to initialize the app
      token: context.botToken,
      channel: command.channel_id,
      text: command.text,
      // Time to post message, in Unix Epoch timestamp format
      post_at: tomorrow.getTime() / 1000
    });

    // Print result
    console.log(result);
  }
  catch (error) {
    console.error(error);
  }
});
Hide code to run app
(async () => {
  // Start your app
  await app.start(process.env.PORT || 3000);

  console.log("⚡️ Bolt app is running!");
})();
Show code to run app

POST https://slack.com/api/chat.scheduledMessage
Content-type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer xoxb-your-token
{
  "channel": "YOUR_CHANNEL_ID",
  "text": "Hey, team. Don't forget about breakfast catered by John Hughes Bistro today.",
  "post_at": 1551891428,
}

Explore our developer tools to simplify your app development.

Then sit back and relax. Like magic, the message appears at the moment specified in the post_at UNIX timestamp.

Message in Slack conversation that shows a breakfast reminder from the Breakfast Club app

Helpful hint: messages can only be scheduled up to 120 days in advance, and can't be scheduled for the past.

The HTTP response from chat.scheduleMessage includes a scheduled_message_id, which can be used to delete the scheduled message before it is sent. Read on to find out how.

List the messages you've scheduled

"Fire and forget" reminders are all well and good, but the best-laid breakfast plans sometimes fall through. Let's say a holiday closes the office during one of your team's scheduled breakfast clubs. Better cancel that reminder message!

Your app can list all the messages that it currently has scheduled with the chat.scheduledMessages.list endpoint.

Call chat.scheduledMessages.list with optional channel, latest, and oldest parameters to specify which channel and time range you're interested in:

Listing scheduled messages with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

import com.slack.api.Slack;
import com.slack.api.methods.SlackApiException;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

import java.io.IOException;

public class ChatScheduledMessagesList {

    /**
     * Lists scheduled messages using latest and oldest timestamps
     */
    static void listScheduledMessages(String latest, String oldest) {
        // you can get this instance via ctx.client() in a Bolt app
        var client = Slack.getInstance().methods();
        var logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger("my-awesome-slack-app");
        try {
            // Call the chat.scheduledMessages.list method using the built-in WebClient
            var result = client.chatScheduledMessagesList(r -> r
                // The token you used to initialize your app
                .token(System.getenv("SLACK_BOT_TOKEN"))
                .latest(latest)
                .oldest(oldest)
            );
            // Print scheduled messages
            for (var message : result.getScheduledMessages()) {
                logger.info("message: {}", message);
            }
            // Print result
            logger.info("result: {}", result);
        } catch (IOException | SlackApiException e) {
            logger.error("error: {}", e.getMessage(), e);
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        listScheduledMessages("1551991429", "1551991427");
    }

}

Hide code to initialize app
// Require the Bolt for JavaScript package (github.com/slackapi/bolt)
const { App, LogLevel } = require("@slack/bolt");

const app = new App({
  token: "xoxb-your-token",
  signingSecret: "your-signing-secret",
  // LogLevel can be imported and used to make debugging simpler
  logLevel: LogLevel.DEBUG
});
Show code to initialize app
// List scheduled messages using latest and oldest timestamps
async function listScheduledMessages(latest, oldest) {
  try {
    // Call the chat.scheduledMessages.list method using the built-in WebClient
    const result = await app.client.chat.scheduledMessages.list({
      // The token you used to initialize your app
      token: "xoxb-your-token",
      latest: latest,
      oldest: oldest
    });

    // Print scheduled messages
    for (const message of result.scheduled_messages) {
      console.log(message);
    }
  }
  catch (error) {
    console.error(error);
  }
}

listScheduledMessages(1551991429, 1551991427);
Hide code to run app
(async () => {
  // Start your app
  await app.start(process.env.PORT || 3000);

  console.log("⚡️ Bolt app is running!");
})();
Show code to run app

POST https://slack.com/api/chat.scheduledMessages.list
Content-type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer xoxb-your-token
{
    "channel": "YOUR_CHANNEL_ID",
    "latest": 1551991429,
    "oldest": 1551991427,
}

Explore our developer tools to simplify your app development.

oldest signifies the UNIX timestamp of the earliest range you're interested in. latest signifies, well, the latest. So oldest must be less than latest if both are specified.

The endpoint yields scheduled messages sent by your app, plus pagination information.

{
    "ok": true,
    "scheduled_messages": [
        {
            "id": "YOUR_SCHEDULED_MESSAGE_ID",
            "channel_id": "YOUR_CHANNEL_ID",
            "post_at": 1551991428,
            "date_created": 1551891734
        }
    ],
    "response_metadata": {
        "next_cursor": ""
    }
}

Now that you've got the id of the breakfast club reminder you want to delete, one more method call awaits, so read on.

Delete a message you've scheduled

With the scheduled_message_id that you need in hand, it's time to banish that breakfast reminder. Use the chat.deleteScheduledMessage endpoint:

Calling chat.deleteScheduledMessage with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

import com.slack.api.Slack;
import com.slack.api.methods.SlackApiException;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

import java.io.IOException;

public class ChatDeleteScheduledMessage {

    /**
     * Deletes scheduled message using channel ID and scheduled message ID
     */
    static void deleteScheduledMessage(String channel, String id) {
        // you can get this instance via ctx.client() in a Bolt app
        var client = Slack.getInstance().methods();
        var logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger("my-awesome-slack-app");
        try {
            var result = client.chatDeleteScheduledMessage(r -> r
                // The token you used to initialize your app
                .token(System.getenv("SLACK_BOT_TOKEN"))
                .channel(channel)
                .scheduledMessageId(id)
            );
            // Print result
            logger.info("result: {}", result);
        } catch (IOException | SlackApiException e) {
            logger.error("error: {}", e.getMessage(), e);
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        deleteScheduledMessage("C12345", "Q123ABC95");
    }

}

Hide code to initialize app
// Require the Bolt for JavaScript package (github.com/slackapi/bolt)
const { App, LogLevel } = require("@slack/bolt");

const app = new App({
  token: "xoxb-your-token",
  signingSecret: "your-signing-secret",
  // LogLevel can be imported and used to make debugging simpler
  logLevel: LogLevel.DEBUG
});
Show code to initialize app
// Delete scheduled message using channel ID and scheduled message ID
// The scheduled message ID is returned in example above
async function deleteScheduledMessage(channel, id) {
  try {
    // Call the chat.deleteScheduledMessage method using the built-in WebClient
    const result = await app.client.chat.deleteScheduledMessage({
      // The token you used to initialize your app
      token: "xoxb-your-token",
      channel: channel,
      scheduled_message_id: id
    });

    // Print result
    console.log(result);
  }
  catch (error) {
    console.error(error);
  }
}

// See above example to get channel ID and scheduled message ID
deleteScheduledMessage("C12345", "Q123ABC95");

Hide code to run app
(async () => {
  // Start your app
  await app.start(process.env.PORT || 3000);

  console.log("⚡️ Bolt app is running!");
})();
Show code to run app

POST https://slack.com/api/chat.deleteScheduledMessage
Content-type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer xoxb-your-token
{
    "channel": "YOUR_CHANNEL_ID",
    "scheduled_message_id": "YOUR_SCHEDULED_MESSAGE_ID"
}

Explore our developer tools to simplify your app development.

You'll receive the typical success response once your scheduled message has been deleted.

Updating

To update a pending scheduled message, delete the old message and then schedule a new one.

Reminders, notifications, even calendars—all now fall within easy grasp of your app. You don't have to store any state at all if you don't wish to. Instead, list and delete your scheduled messages on the fly. Combine scheduled messages with user interactivity to create a chat bot that's a capable, clever assistant. Enjoy the newfound simplicity of scheduled messages!

Warnings and known issues

If your app tries to schedule a message in the past or more than 120 days in the future, we'll return an invalid_time error.
To update a pending scheduled message, you'll need to delete your old message and then schedule a new one.

Audience

Beginner

Read first

Sending messages

Next steps

Creating interactive messages

Planning your app

Designing a great experience

Building an app

Distributing an app

Installation & Permissions

Security

Reference

Home tabs

Modals

Messages

Reference

Block basics

Reference

Entry points

Shortcuts

Interaction payloads

Usage guides

Reference

Workflows for users

Workflows for developers

Reference

Enterprise Grid

Scheduling messages

Getting started with scheduled messages

Permissions

Schedule a message

Scheduling a message with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

List the messages you've scheduled

Listing scheduled messages with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

Delete a message you've scheduled

Calling chat.deleteScheduledMessage with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

Updating

Warnings and known issues

Scheduling messages

Getting started with scheduled messages

Permissions

Schedule a message

Scheduling a message with Bolt for JavaBolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

List the messages you've scheduled

Listing scheduled messages with Bolt for JavaBolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

Delete a message you've scheduled

Calling chat.deleteScheduledMessage with Bolt for JavaBolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

Updating

Warnings and known issues

Scheduling a message with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

Listing scheduled messages with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP

Calling chat.deleteScheduledMessage with Bolt for Java Bolt for JavaScriptraw HTTP