Slack — how to connect

Posts text messages to a Slack channel — no app setup here. Either paste an Incoming Webhook URL (channel-locked, simplest) or a bot token (xoxb-) plus a Channel ID when you add the channel; webhook posts cannot be edited or deleted, bot-token posts can.

Slack posting supports two paste-in options: a channel-locked Incoming Webhook URL (simplest, no OAuth review) or a bot token + Channel ID (posts editable/deletable, works in any channel the bot joins).

Before you start

Ability to create a Slack app for the target workspace (or admin approval) — needed to generate either an Incoming Webhook or a Bot User OAuth token, since Slack does not offer app-free posting
For the simple path: an Incoming Webhook URL bound to one specific channel (App → Incoming Webhooks) — this locks the connection to that single channel and cannot post elsewhere
For the advanced path (edit/delete support): a Bot User OAuth token (xoxb-…) with the chat:write scope, installed to the workspace, plus the numeric Channel ID (not the #name) of the target channel
If using the bot token, invite the bot into the target channel first (or grant chat:write.public) — Slack will reject posts to channels the bot hasn't joined

Step by step

1
Create a Slack app
Go to the Slack app creation page and create a new app "From scratch" in the workspace you want to post to.
Open
2
Option A — Enable Incoming Webhooks (simplest)
In the app's settings, open "Incoming Webhooks", toggle it on, click "Add New Webhook to Workspace", pick the channel, and copy the generated URL (https://hooks.slack.com/services/T.../B.../XXXX) into the "Incoming Webhook URL" field.
3
Option B — Enable a bot token instead
In "OAuth & Permissions", add the chat:write Bot Token Scope, click "Install to Workspace" (a workspace admin must approve this), then copy the "Bot User OAuth Token" (starts xoxb-) into the "Bot token (xoxb-…)" field.
4
Get the Channel ID for the bot-token option
In Slack, open the target channel, click its name to open "View details", scroll to the bottom, copy the Channel ID (e.g. C0123456789) into the "Channel ID (for bot token)" field, and invite the bot to that channel.
5
Optionally label the connection
Fill in "Channel label (display only, optional)" with something like #announcements so the account is recognizable in the tool's UI.
6
Save — only fill one option
Paste either the webhook URL alone, or the bot token plus Channel ID together; leave the unused fields blank.

Paste when you connect

Incoming Webhook URLsecret
Option A (simplest): App → Incoming Webhooks → channel-bound URL. Leave the bot-token fields blank if you use this.
Bot token (xoxb-…)secret
Option B (more capable): App → OAuth & Permissions → Bot User OAuth Token (needs chat:write). Requires a Channel ID below.
Channel ID (for bot token)
In Slack: channel → View details → bottom shows the Channel ID. Only for the bot-token option.
Channel label (display only, optional)

Good to know

Installing/reinstalling an OAuth app (bot-token route) requires a workspace admin's approval in many workspaces — a non-admin operator may hit an approval request screen instead of an immediate token.
The webhook URL and bot token are both secrets — Slack's own docs warn not to share them or commit them to version control.
Each Incoming Webhook is bound to one channel only; to post to a different channel, generate a new webhook (or use the bot-token route which lets you post to any channel the bot has joined).
Webhook posts cannot be edited or deleted and cannot include media/files — only the bot-token route supports chat.update/chat.delete and files.upload.
If using the bot token, the bot must be invited into the target channel, and only chat:write is needed — do not request broader scopes than that.

Troubleshooting

Publish fails with a plain-text body like no_service or no_active_hooks: The Incoming Webhook was deleted, revoked, or disabled in Slack app settings. Generate a fresh webhook URL (App → Incoming Webhooks → add a new one for the channel) and reconnect the account — old webhook URLs cannot be reactivated.
Webhook post fails with posting_to_general_channel_denied: The workspace restricts who can post to #general and the webhook's creator isn't authorized. Create the webhook against a different (non-#general) channel, or have a workspace admin authorize posting to #general.
Webhook post fails with channel_is_archived: The channel the webhook is bound to was archived. Unarchive it in Slack, or create a new webhook pointed at an active channel — the webhook cannot be re-pointed to a different channel.
Bot-token publish fails with not_in_channel or missing_scope: not_in_channel: invite the bot user into the target channel (Slack channel → Integrations → Add app), since chat.postMessage requires channel membership unless chat:write.public is granted. missing_scope: reinstall the app after adding the chat:write scope under OAuth & Permissions — token capabilities don't update until reinstalled.

Slack developer docs

Before you start

Ability to create a Slack app for the target workspace (or admin approval) — needed to generate either an Incoming Webhook or a Bot User OAuth token, since Slack does not offer app-free posting

For the simple path: an Incoming Webhook URL bound to one specific channel (App → Incoming Webhooks) — this locks the connection to that single channel and cannot post elsewhere

For the advanced path (edit/delete support): a Bot User OAuth token (xoxb-…) with the chat:write scope, installed to the workspace, plus the numeric Channel ID (not the #name) of the target channel

If using the bot token, invite the bot into the target channel first (or grant chat:write.public) — Slack will reject posts to channels the bot hasn't joined

Step by step

Create a Slack app

Go to the Slack app creation page and create a new app "From scratch" in the workspace you want to post to.

Open

Option A — Enable Incoming Webhooks (simplest)

In the app's settings, open "Incoming Webhooks", toggle it on, click "Add New Webhook to Workspace", pick the channel, and copy the generated URL (https://hooks.slack.com/services/T.../B.../XXXX) into the "Incoming Webhook URL" field.

Option B — Enable a bot token instead

In "OAuth & Permissions", add the chat:write Bot Token Scope, click "Install to Workspace" (a workspace admin must approve this), then copy the "Bot User OAuth Token" (starts xoxb-) into the "Bot token (xoxb-…)" field.

Get the Channel ID for the bot-token option

In Slack, open the target channel, click its name to open "View details", scroll to the bottom, copy the Channel ID (e.g. C0123456789) into the "Channel ID (for bot token)" field, and invite the bot to that channel.

Optionally label the connection

Fill in "Channel label (display only, optional)" with something like #announcements so the account is recognizable in the tool's UI.

Save — only fill one option

Paste either the webhook URL alone, or the bot token plus Channel ID together; leave the unused fields blank.

Paste when you connect

Incoming Webhook URLsecret

Option A (simplest): App → Incoming Webhooks → channel-bound URL. Leave the bot-token fields blank if you use this.

Bot token (xoxb-…)secret

Option B (more capable): App → OAuth & Permissions → Bot User OAuth Token (needs chat:write). Requires a Channel ID below.

Channel ID (for bot token)

In Slack: channel → View details → bottom shows the Channel ID. Only for the bot-token option.

Channel label (display only, optional)

Good to know

Installing/reinstalling an OAuth app (bot-token route) requires a workspace admin's approval in many workspaces — a non-admin operator may hit an approval request screen instead of an immediate token.

The webhook URL and bot token are both secrets — Slack's own docs warn not to share them or commit them to version control.

Each Incoming Webhook is bound to one channel only; to post to a different channel, generate a new webhook (or use the bot-token route which lets you post to any channel the bot has joined).

Webhook posts cannot be edited or deleted and cannot include media/files — only the bot-token route supports chat.update/chat.delete and files.upload.

If using the bot token, the bot must be invited into the target channel, and only chat:write is needed — do not request broader scopes than that.

Troubleshooting

Publish fails with a plain-text body like no_service or no_active_hooks

The Incoming Webhook was deleted, revoked, or disabled in Slack app settings. Generate a fresh webhook URL (App → Incoming Webhooks → add a new one for the channel) and reconnect the account — old webhook URLs cannot be reactivated.

Webhook post fails with posting_to_general_channel_denied

The workspace restricts who can post to #general and the webhook's creator isn't authorized. Create the webhook against a different (non-#general) channel, or have a workspace admin authorize posting to #general.

Webhook post fails with channel_is_archived

The channel the webhook is bound to was archived. Unarchive it in Slack, or create a new webhook pointed at an active channel — the webhook cannot be re-pointed to a different channel.

Bot-token publish fails with not_in_channel or missing_scope

not_in_channel: invite the bot user into the target channel (Slack channel → Integrations → Add app), since chat.postMessage requires channel membership unless chat:write.public is granted. missing_scope: reinstall the app after adding the chat:write scope under OAuth & Permissions — token capabilities don't update until reinstalled.