Slack Setup

Connect your CCCC working group to Slack for team collaboration.

Overview

Slack integration uses Socket Mode for real-time messaging. It's ideal for:

• Team collaboration
• Enterprise environments
• Existing Slack workspaces

Prerequisites

• A Slack workspace where you have admin rights
• CCCC installed and running

Step 1: Create a Slack App

1. Go to Slack API Apps
2. Click Create New App
3. Choose From scratch
4. Enter app name (e.g., "CCCC Bot")
5. Select your workspace
6. Click Create App

Step 2: Enable Socket Mode

Socket Mode allows the bot to receive events without exposing a public URL.

1. In your app settings, go to Socket Mode
2. Toggle Enable Socket Mode to ON
3. Click Generate to create an app-level token
4. Name it (e.g., "cccc-socket-token")
5. Add the scope connections:write
6. Click Generate
7. Copy the token (starts with xapp-)

TIP

This is your App Token, used for the WebSocket connection.

Step 3: Configure Bot Permissions

1. Go to OAuth & Permissions
2. Under Scopes → Bot Token Scopes, add:

Scope	Purpose
chat:write	Send messages
channels:history	Read public channel messages
groups:history	Read private channel messages
im:history	Read direct messages
mpim:history	Read group DMs
files:read	Read shared files
files:write	Upload files
users:read	Read user info

Step 4: Enable Event Subscriptions

1. Go to Event Subscriptions
2. Toggle Enable Events to ON
3. Under Subscribe to bot events, add:

Event	Purpose
message.channels	Messages in public channels
message.groups	Messages in private channels
message.im	Direct messages
message.mpim	Group DMs
app_mention	When bot is @mentioned

4. Click Save Changes

Step 5: Install to Workspace

1. Go to OAuth & Permissions
2. Click Install to Workspace
3. Review permissions and click Allow
4. Copy the Bot Token (starts with xoxb-)

Step 6: Set Environment Variables

# Add to your shell profile
export SLACK_BOT_TOKEN="xoxb-your-bot-token"
export SLACK_APP_TOKEN="xapp-your-app-token"

Two Tokens Required

Slack requires both tokens:

• Bot Token (xoxb-): For API calls
• App Token (xapp-): For Socket Mode connection

Step 7: Configure CCCC

Option A: Via Web UI

1. Open the CCCC Web UI at http://127.0.0.1:8848/
2. Go to Settings (gear icon in header)
3. Navigate to the IM Bridge section
4. Select Slack as the platform
5. Enter your credentials:
   • Bot Token Environment Variable: SLACK_BOT_TOKEN
   • App Token Environment Variable: SLACK_APP_TOKEN
6. Click Save

Option B: Via CLI

cccc im set slack \
  --bot-token-env SLACK_BOT_TOKEN \
  --app-token-env SLACK_APP_TOKEN

Both methods save to group.yaml:

im:
  platform: slack
  bot_token_env: SLACK_BOT_TOKEN
  app_token_env: SLACK_APP_TOKEN

Step 8: Start the Bridge

cccc im start

Step 9: Subscribe in Slack

1. Invite the bot to a channel:

   /invite @your-bot-name

2. Send /subscribe in the channel
3. You should receive a confirmation

For direct messages:

1. Find the bot in your DMs
2. Send /subscribe

Usage

Sending Messages to Agents

In channels, @mention the bot first, then use the /send command:

@YourBotName /send Please implement the user authentication module

In direct messages with the bot, you can use /send directly:

/send Please implement the user authentication module

Important

• In channels, you must @mention the bot before using commands
• Plain messages without the /send command are ignored

Targeting Specific Agents

Use @mention syntax with the /send command (use CCCC's syntax, not Slack's):

/send @foreman Review the latest commits
/send @backend-agent Fix the API endpoint
/send @all Status update please

Receiving Messages

After subscribing, you will automatically receive:

• Agent responses
• Status updates
• Error notifications

Use /verbose to toggle whether you see agent-to-agent messages.

Thread Replies

Reply in threads to keep conversations organized. CCCC preserves thread context.

File Sharing

Attach files to your message. They're uploaded to CCCC's blob storage, then forwarded to agents.

Commands Reference

Command	Description
/subscribe	Start receiving messages from CCCC
/unsubscribe	Stop receiving messages
/send <message>	Send to foreman (default)
/send @<actor> <message>	Send to a specific agent
/send @all <message>	Send to all agents
/send @peers <message>	Send to non-foreman agents
/status	Show group and agent status
/pause	Pause delivery
/resume	Resume delivery
/verbose	Toggle verbose mode
/help	Show help

Troubleshooting

"invalid_auth" Error

Token is invalid or expired:

1. Go to OAuth & Permissions
2. Click Reinstall to Workspace
3. Update your SLACK_BOT_TOKEN environment variable

"missing_scope" Error

Add the required scope:

1. Go to OAuth & Permissions
2. Add the missing scope under Bot Token Scopes
3. Reinstall the app

Bot not receiving messages

1. Check Socket Mode is enabled
2. Verify SLACK_APP_TOKEN is correct
3. Ensure events are subscribed in Event Subscriptions
4. Check the bot is invited to the channel

Connection drops

Socket Mode connections may drop occasionally. CCCC auto-reconnects, but if issues persist:

cccc im stop
cccc im start

Advanced Configuration

Channel Restrictions

Limit which channels the bot responds to:

im:
  platform: slack
  bot_token_env: SLACK_BOT_TOKEN
  app_token_env: SLACK_APP_TOKEN
  allowed_channels:
    - C01234567  # Channel ID
    - C89012345

Custom Bot Name

The display name is set in Slack:

1. Go to App Home
2. Under Your App's Presence in Slack
3. Edit Display Name

Security Notes

• Bot tokens have broad access - limit to necessary workspaces
• Review channel membership regularly
• Consider using Enterprise Grid for additional controls
• Audit who can install apps in your workspace