slack-usage
Scannednpx machina-cli add skill fcakyon/claude-codex-settings/slack-usage --openclawSlack Usage Best Practices
Critical Search Rule
ALWAYS use mcp__slack__slack_search_messages first for message searches. Only use mcp__slack__slack_get_channel_history when explicitly asked for recent channel history.
Search is more efficient and finds messages across all channels. Channel history only shows recent messages in one channel.
Slack API Best Practices
Rate Limiting
Slack APIs have rate limits (typically 1 request per second for most methods). When making multiple requests:
- Space out bulk operations
- Handle rate limit errors gracefully
- Cache results when possible
Channel Types
- Public channels - Visible to all workspace members
- Private channels - Invite-only, prefix with lock icon
- DMs - Direct messages between users
- Group DMs - Multi-person direct conversations
Message Formatting
Format mentions and links properly:
- User mention:
<@USER_ID> - Channel link:
<#CHANNEL_ID> - URL with text:
<https://example.com|link text> - Bold:
*text* - Code: backticks for inline, triple backticks for blocks
Threading Best Practices
- Use threads for discussions to keep channels clean
- Reply in thread when responding to specific messages
- Use "Also send to channel" sparingly (only for important updates)
- Thread replies don't trigger channel notifications by default
Bot vs User Tokens
- Bot tokens (xoxb-): Actions appear as the bot, limited to channels bot is in
- User tokens (xoxp-): Actions appear as user, access to all user's channels
- Search typically requires user token for full workspace access
- Posting messages works with either token type
Common Workflows
Finding past discussions:
- Search with relevant keywords
- Filter by channel, user, or date if needed
- Get thread replies for full context
Monitoring channels:
- Get channel history for recent activity
- Note message timestamps for threading
- React or reply as appropriate
MCP Limitations
This MCP provides read and write access to Slack. Consider:
- Rate limits apply to all operations
- Some admin operations not available
- File uploads have size limits
Source
git clone https://github.com/fcakyon/claude-codex-settings/blob/main/plugins/slack-tools/skills/slack-usage/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
This skill enables finding messages across Slack with workspace-wide search and retrieving recent channel history when requested. It helps locate past discussions efficiently while guiding on rate limits and token usage.
How This Skill Works
The skill prioritizes mcp__slack__slack_search_messages for message searches. If recent history in a specific channel is requested, it falls back to mcp__slack__slack_get_channel_history. It also incorporates Slack rate-limiting guidance, channel-type considerations, and proper message formatting to ensure accurate results.
When to Use It
- You need to find messages containing specific keywords across all Slack channels.
- You want to locate messages about a topic within a particular channel.
- You need the most recent activity in a given Slack channel.
- You’re looking up a conversation with a teammate to cite what they said.
- You want to retrieve full thread replies to get complete context.
Quick Start
- Step 1: Determine if you need a workspace-wide search or just recent channel history.
- Step 2: Run mcp__slack__slack_search_messages with your keywords (and optional filters).
- Step 3: If requested, run mcp__slack__slack_get_channel_history for a specific channel or fetch related thread replies.
Best Practices
- ALWAYS use mcp__slack__slack_search_messages first for message searches.
- Only use mcp__slack__slack_get_channel_history when explicitly asked for recent channel history.
- Space out bulk requests and handle Slack rate limit errors gracefully.
- Prefer user tokens for workspace-wide search; bot tokens are limited to channels the bot is in.
- Filter results by channel, user, or date and pull thread replies for full context.
Example Use Cases
- Find all messages about 'Q3 roadmap' across the workspace.
- Retrieve the most recent messages from #engineering for a quick status check.
- Look up what @jane said about deployment in conversations.
- Get thread replies for a message discussing incident 452 to understand the full context.
- Compare search results across public channels versus private channels.
