name: slack
description: Enables Claude to manage Slack workspaces, send messages, manage channels, and automate team communication
version: 1.0.0
author: Canifi
category: communication

Slack Skill

Overview

Automates Slack workspace interactions including sending messages, managing channels, searching conversations, setting status, and handling notifications through browser automation.

Quick Install

curl -sSL https://canifi.com/skills/slack/install.sh | bash

Or manually:

cp -r skills/slack ~/.canifi/skills/

Setup

Configure via canifi-env:

# First, ensure canifi-env is installed:
# curl -sSL https://canifi.com/install.sh | bash

canifi-env set SLACK_EMAIL "[email protected]"
canifi-env set SLACK_WORKSPACE_URL "your-workspace.slack.com"

Privacy & Authentication

Your credentials, your choice. Canifi LifeOS respects your privacy.

Option 1: Manual Browser Login (Recommended)

If you prefer not to share credentials with Claude Code:
1. Complete the Browser Automation Setup using CDP mode
2. Login to the service manually in the Playwright-controlled Chrome window
3. Claude will use your authenticated session without ever seeing your password

Option 2: Environment Variables

If you're comfortable sharing credentials, you can store them locally:

canifi-env set SERVICE_EMAIL "your-email"
canifi-env set SERVICE_PASSWORD "your-password"

Note: Credentials stored in canifi-env are only accessible locally on your machine and are never transmitted.

Capabilities

• Send direct messages and channel messages
• Create, archive, and manage channels
• Search messages and files across workspaces
• Set user status and availability
• Manage notifications and Do Not Disturb settings
• Upload and share files in conversations
• React to messages with emojis
• Create and manage Slack Connect channels

Usage Examples

Example 1: Send a Direct Message

User: "Send a Slack message to John saying the meeting is moved to 3pm"
Claude: I'll send that message to John on Slack.
- Navigate to Slack workspace via Playwright
- Open direct message with John
- Type and send: "Hey, the meeting is moved to 3pm"
- Confirm message sent successfully

Example 2: Post to a Channel

User: "Post in #engineering that the deployment is complete"
Claude: I'll post the update to the engineering channel.
- Navigate to #engineering channel
- Compose message: "Deployment is complete"
- Send message to channel
- Confirm delivery

Example 3: Search Conversations

User: "Find all messages about the Q4 budget in Slack"
Claude: I'll search Slack for Q4 budget discussions.
- Use Slack search with query "Q4 budget"
- Collect matching messages and threads
- Present summary of findings with links

Example 4: Set Status

User: "Set my Slack status to 'In a meeting' for 1 hour"
Claude: I'll update your Slack status.
- Navigate to profile settings
- Set status emoji and text: "In a meeting"
- Set expiration to 1 hour
- Confirm status updated

Authentication Flow

1. Navigate to workspace URL via Playwright MCP
2. Enter email from canifi-env
3. Handle SSO or password authentication
4. Complete 2FA if prompted (notify user via iMessage)
5. Verify workspace access
6. Maintain session cookies for subsequent requests

Error Handling

• Login Failed: Retry 3x with fresh browser context, then iMessage notification
• Session Expired: Re-authenticate automatically using stored credentials
• Rate Limited: Implement exponential backoff (1s, 2s, 4s, 8s)
• 2FA Required: Send iMessage notification for user to provide code
• Workspace Not Found: Verify workspace URL and notify user
• Channel Not Found: Search for similar channel names and suggest alternatives
• User Not Found: Search workspace directory and suggest matches

Self-Improvement Instructions

When encountering new Slack UI patterns or features:
1. Document the new element selectors
2. Update capability list if new features discovered
3. Log successful automation patterns for future reference
4. Suggest SKILL.md updates via commit to working-branch

Notes

• Slack frequently updates UI; selectors may need adjustment
• Some enterprise workspaces have additional SSO requirements
• File uploads may be size-limited based on workspace plan
• Slack Connect channels require additional permissions
• Message formatting supports Slack markdown syntax