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Connect your SiteGPT chatbot to Slack to provide instant AI-powered support directly in your team’s workspace. Your bot responds to direct messages, channel mentions, and maintains conversation context across all interactions.

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How it works

Once connected, your chatbot integrates seamlessly with Slack:

Direct messages

Responds to private DMs for one-on-one support

Channel mentions

Answers when mentioned in any channel

Context awareness

Maintains conversation history across messages

Dashboard sync

All conversations sync to your SiteGPT dashboard

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Prerequisites

A Slack workspace where you can install and manage apps
Workspace admin or owner permissions to create custom apps
A trained SiteGPT chatbot ready to deploy

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Setup

1

Open the Slack integration in SiteGPT

Navigate to Integrations in your SiteGPT dashboard, locate the Slack card, and click Get Started. A modal titled “Connecting Slack to SiteGPT” will appear.
2

Copy the Slack app manifest

Inside the integration modal, you’ll see a Manifest section containing JSON configuration. Click the copy icon to copy the entire manifest to your clipboard.
This manifest defines your Slack app’s features including bot user, OAuth scopes, and event subscriptions.
3

Create a Slack app from the manifest

Visit api.slack.com/apps and click Create New App → From an app manifest.Select your Slack workspace, paste the JSON manifest, and click Next → Create.
Slack automatically configures all required permissions and settings from the manifest.
4

Install the app and get the Bot User OAuth token

On the app’s Basic Information page, click Install to Workspace → Allow.Navigate to OAuth & Permissions in the left menu and copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-).
Store this token securely—you’ll need it to connect SiteGPT.
5

Find your Slack channel ID

Get the channel ID using either method:
  • From URL
  • From channel details
Open the channel in Slack’s web client. The URL contains /archives/C... where the string after /archives/ is your channel ID.
6

Connect in SiteGPT

Return to the SiteGPT integration modal and enter:
  • Bot User OAuth Token (from step 4)
  • Channel ID (from step 5)
Click Connect. The button will change to Disconnect when successfully connected.
7

Test your integration

Open your Slack channel and send a test message. Your SiteGPT bot should respond with a welcome message and answer questions from your knowledge base.
Responses appear in threads with source citations for transparency.

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Using your chatbot in Slack

  • Direct messages
  • Channel mentions
  • Adding to channels
Users can send private DMs to your chatbot:
  1. Find your chatbot in the Slack sidebar under Apps
  2. Click to open a direct message
  3. Type your question and press Enter
  4. Get instant AI-powered answers
Perfect for sensitive questions or personal support requests.

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How the bot behaves

Your bot automatically:
  • Responds in threads to keep channels organized
  • Includes source citations for transparency
  • Maintains conversation history within threads
  • Works in any channel where it’s invited (use /invite @YourBotName)
  • Only accesses messages where it’s mentioned or DM’d
The Channel ID in SiteGPT settings determines the primary channel for system notifications.

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Managing the integration

  • Monitor performance
  • Update your bot
  • Disconnect
Track your Slack bot’s performance in the SiteGPT dashboard:Navigate to Chat History to:
  • Review conversation transcripts
  • Analyze response accuracy
  • Identify knowledge gaps
  • Export conversation data
  • Track usage metrics
Use conversation insights to improve your chatbot’s training data.

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Advanced features

Enable seamless handoff to human agents:
  1. Configure human support in SiteGPT
  2. Users can request human assistance during conversations
  3. Escalated conversations appear in your SiteGPT dashboard
  4. Respond via email or your preferred support channel
Combine with Zapier to create support tickets automatically.
Capture leads directly in Slack conversations:
  1. Enable lead collection in SiteGPT
  2. Configure trigger keywords (e.g., “pricing”, “demo”, “consultation”)
  3. Bot collects contact information when users show interest
  4. Leads sync to your SiteGPT dashboard
Perfect for sales teams using Slack for customer communication.
Receive real-time notifications for Slack conversations:Set up webhooks to:
  • Log conversations to your database
  • Trigger custom workflows
  • Send notifications to other systems
  • Analyze chatbot performance
{
  "event": "ADD_MESSAGE",
  "data": {
    "chatbotId": "chatbot_123",
    "threadId": "thread_456",
    "question": "How do I reset my password?",
    "answer": "To reset your password..."
  }
}
The app manifest includes these OAuth scopes:Bot scopes:
  • app_mentions:read - Read mentions
  • channels:read - View public channels
  • chat:write - Send messages
  • incoming-webhook - Post messages to channels
  • im:history - Read direct messages
  • channels:history - Read channel messages
  • groups:history - Read private channel messages
All scopes are automatically configured when you create the app from the manifest.

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Troubleshooting

If your chatbot isn’t responding in Slack:Check bot invitation:
  • Ensure the bot is invited to the channel (/invite @YourBotName)
  • Verify you’re using the correct Channel ID in SiteGPT
Verify connection:
  • Confirm the integration shows as connected in SiteGPT
  • Check that the Bot User OAuth Token is still valid
  • Ensure your chatbot has trained content
Test the webhook:
  • Verify the webhook URL in your Slack app manifest is correct
  • Check for any error messages in the Slack API console
Try disconnecting and reconnecting the integration if issues persist.
You need workspace owner or admin privileges to install custom Slack apps.Solutions:
  • Request admin access from your workspace owner
  • Ask an admin to install the app for you
  • Use a different workspace where you have admin rights
If responses are slow or don’t appear:
  • Wait 5-10 seconds—the bot may still be processing
  • Check your SiteGPT dashboard for any service issues
  • Verify your chatbot has sufficient training data to answer the question
  • Test with a simple question to confirm the connection works
Responses appear in threads, so check the thread view if you don’t see a reply in the main channel.
The Channel ID in SiteGPT determines where system notifications are sent, but the bot responds wherever it’s mentioned or DM’d.To change the primary notification channel:
  1. Get the new channel ID
  2. Update it in the SiteGPT integration settings
  3. Click Connect to save changes

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Best practices

Help users understand what your bot can do:
  • Add a welcome message explaining the bot’s capabilities
  • Pin a message in channels describing how to use the bot
  • Include example questions in your Slack app home
  • Set up conversation starters for common queries
Example welcome message:
“Hi! I’m the SiteGPT support bot. Ask me anything about our products, pricing, or documentation. Mention me with @BotName or send me a DM!”
Regularly review conversations to enhance performance:
  • Check Chat History weekly for common questions
  • Add frequently asked questions to your training data
  • Identify topics where the bot struggles
  • Update chatbot instructions based on user feedback
Export conversation data to analyze trends and identify knowledge gaps.
Add your bot to channels where it provides the most value:
  • #support - Primary customer support channel
  • #general - Company-wide announcements and questions
  • #sales - Lead qualification and product questions
  • #onboarding - New employee questions
Avoid adding the bot to channels where it’s not relevant (e.g., #random, #watercooler).
Provide a safety net for complex questions:
  1. Enable human support in SiteGPT
  2. Configure escalation triggers (keywords, low confidence, user request)
  3. Set up email notifications for your support team
  4. Use Zapier to create support tickets automatically
This ensures users always get help, even when AI can’t answer.
Protect your Slack integration:
  • Store the Bot User OAuth Token securely (use environment variables)
  • Regularly review OAuth scopes and remove unused permissions
  • Monitor the Slack API console for suspicious activity
  • Rotate tokens periodically for enhanced security
  • Only grant workspace access to trusted team members

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Next steps

Human support

Set up escalation to human agents

Lead collection

Capture leads from Slack conversations

Webhooks

Receive real-time conversation notifications

Chat history

Review and analyze Slack conversations