Connecting Agents to Slack

One App, Many Agents

When connected, there's a single NinjaCat app in your Slack workspace, and you always get its attention by typing @NinjaCat. Which agent actually answers depends on the channel you're in: different channels can be connected to different agents, or you can set it up so just one NinjaCat agent is the catch-all agent. Tagging @NinjaCat in one channel might get a reply from your reporting agent, while tagging @NinjaCat in another gets your alerts agent. The mention you type never changes — only the responding agent does.

Before you begin: connect Slack as a Data Source

Before you can add the Slack connector to an agent, someone in your organization needs to connect Slack as an overarching Data Source.

1. Go to Settings (in left hand nav bar) → Data Sources.
2. Click Add Network.
3. Search for Slack and select it.
4. Give the connection a name so you can identify it later.
5. Click Add Network.
6. When prompted, allow access for the Slack workspace you want to connect.

This one-time step establishes the link between NinjaCat and your Slack workspace. Until it's done, Slack won't be available to select when you add the connector to an agent (in the next section).

Configuring the connector on an agent

Once Slack is connected as a data source, you can add and configure the connector on any agent:

1. Open the agent you want to connect to Slack.
2. Click Add Connector, then select Slack.
3. In the Configure Slack window, set the options below.

Connection. Confirms which Slack connection this agent is using and shows an Available status, indicating the account-level authentication is active. If you don't see an available connection, complete the data source step above first.

Routing. Choose how this agent receives messages (pick one):

• Route to a specific channel — Send this agent's messages to one Slack channel you choose below. This agent becomes the one that answers when someone types @NinjaCat in that channel.
• Organization catch-all — Make this the agent that answers any Slack channel or direct message that isn't already routed to a more specific agent. It's what responds to @NinjaCat in DMs and in any channel that hasn't been connected to its own agent.

Slack channel. When you choose Route to a specific channel, use the Select a channel dropdown to pick the channel this agent should respond in. (This option isn't needed for a catch-all agent.)

Tool permissions. Control exactly what the agent is allowed to do in Slack. Permissions are grouped into two categories, and you can set an entire group at once (Always Allow or No Access) or fine-tune individual actions:

• Read-only actions — Things the agent can look up without changing anything, such as listing channels, reading channel history and thread replies, viewing pinned items and bookmarks, and looking up user or workspace information.
• Write and delete actions — Things the agent can change in Slack, such as posting, editing, and deleting messages.

Setting permissions lets you give an agent read-only visibility, full posting ability, or anything in between — whatever fits how you want that agent to behave in Slack.

What you can do in Slack

Once connected, a NinjaCat agent can do the following inside Slack:

• Answer questions about your marketing and campaign performance in plain language.
• Generate reports on request and post them back into the conversation.
• Post messages and react within channels and threads.
• Work with Slack canvases to capture and organize information.
• Read files you attach to a message, so you can share context directly.

Your Slack identity is automatically matched to your NinjaCat user account, so an agent only sees the data and capabilities your NinjaCat permissions allow.

Ways to reach an agent in Slack

You always get an agent's attention the same way — by mentioning @NinjaCat. The agent that answers is whichever one is connected to that channel (or your workspace's catch-all agent for direct messages and unconnected channels). Here are the ways to start or continue a conversation:

• Direct message the NinjaCat app to chat one-on-one. Your workspace's catch-all agent responds to DMs.
• @-mention @NinjaCat in a channel or private group to bring an agent into the conversation. The agent connected to that channel is the one that replies.
• Reply in a thread — once a thread is pinned to an agent, you can keep replying without typing @NinjaCat again; the same agent stays with the thread.
• Use the Agent view — the app's home and messages tabs in Slack give you a dedicated space to interact with your agent.
• Share a NinjaCat link — when you paste a ninjacat.io or app.ninjacat.io link into Slack, it expands with a preview so your team has instant context.

How agents are matched to channels

Your organization decides which agent responds where. Whatever the setup, the mention people type is always @NinjaCat — only the responding agent changes based on the channel:

• Channel-specific agents — Specific Slack channels can be connected to specific agents, so the right agent always responds in the right place. Tagging @NinjaCat in that channel reaches the agent connected to it.
• A default (catch-all) agent — One agent in your workspace can be set as the default responder. It handles anything that isn't tied to a specific channel — for example, direct messages or channels that haven't been assigned their own agent.

What to expect during a conversation

We've designed the Slack experience to feel responsive, even for more involved requests:

• Quick acknowledgment — When you ask for something that takes a little longer (like generating a report), the agent sends an initial reply right away so you know it's working — no staring at silence.
• Longer tasks complete reliably — Requests that take a while to process run through to completion.
• You're always kept in the loop — If something interrupts a request before it finishes, you'll get a message letting you know, rather than silence. Just ask again to retry.
• Your latest message wins — If you send a quick follow-up while the agent is still working, your new message takes over so you're not waiting on an outdated response.

Current limitations

The Slack app is available today with the following limitations, which we plan to address in future updates:

• No slash commands yet — You interact with agents through direct messages, @-mentions, and threads rather than typed / commands.
• Installed per workspace — The app is connected to one Slack workspace at a time rather than across an entire organization at once.
• Admin-installed connection — A workspace admin connects the app on behalf of the workspace; individual users don't need to grant their own separate access.