Slack MCP server

Slack is the leading business communication platform used by millions of teams worldwide. An AI agent with access to Slack can post messages and notifications, manage channels and memberships, search conversation history, and automate routine communication tasks without requiring manual intervention in the application.

Setting up an MCP server

This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the individual application pages.

Before you begin

You'll need:

• Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers
• API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the relevant application page for what to collect)

Create an MCP server

Find the API in the catalog

1. Sign in to AI Gateway and select MCP Servers from the left navigation.
2. Select New MCP Server.
3. Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.

Configure the server

1. Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose (for example, "Zendesk Support — Prod").
2. Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
3. Set the Timeout value. 30 seconds works for most APIs; increase to 60 seconds for APIs that return large payloads.
4. Toggle Production mode on if this server will be used in a live workflow.
5. Select Next.

Configure authentication

Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section of the relevant application page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.

Configure security

1. Set any Rate limits appropriate for your use case and the API's own limits.
2. Enable Logging if you want AI Gateway to record requests and responses for auditing.
3. Select Next.

Deploy

Review the summary, then select Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.

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Connect to an AI client

Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:

• Claude Desktop
• Claude Code
• Cursor
• VS Code
• Windsurf

Tips

• You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
• If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
• You can edit a server's name, description, timeout, and security settings after deployment without redeploying.

Authentication

Slack uses OAuth 2.0 authentication. Create a Slack app at api.slack.com and configure OAuth with your AI Gateway's redirect URI. The authorization endpoint is https://slack.com/oauth/v2/authorize and the token endpoint is https://slack.com/api/oauth.v2.access. Configure scopes based on your needs: channels:read, channels:write, chat:write, users:read, files:read, files:write, and others depending on which Slack features you need to access. The API base URL is https://slack.com/api.

Available tools

This MCP server enables messaging, channel management, user operations, file sharing, and workspace automation for Slack.

Tool	Description
Send message	Post a message to a channel, direct message, or thread
Update message	Edit the text or formatting of a previously sent message
Delete message	Remove a message from a channel
Get message	Retrieve a specific message with full context and replies
List messages	Retrieve messages from a channel with time range filtering
Create channel	Create a new public or private channel
Get channel	Retrieve channel details including topic, purpose, and membership
Update channel	Modify channel name, topic, or description
Archive channel	Close a channel while preserving history
Add member	Invite a user to a channel
Remove member	Remove a user from a channel
Get user	Retrieve user profile information and status
List users	Retrieve all workspace members with details
Upload file	Share a file to a channel or direct message
Get file	Retrieve file information and download links
Search messages	Query messages and files across channels using keywords
Create reminder	Set up a reminder notification for a user
React to message	Add an emoji reaction to a message

Tips

Use threads instead of posting to the channel when responding to existing messages. This reduces noise and keeps conversations focused.

Use @mentions sparingly to notify specific people. Overusing mentions reduces their effectiveness and can overwhelm users with notifications.

Space message sends by at least 1 second per channel — Slack rate-limits message posting. This helps you avoid hitting limits and degrading the experience.

Structure search queries with keyword combinations and use from: and in: filters to narrow results. Slack's search function doesn't use filters the way some APIs do.

Check user status before sending direct messages with urgent requests. If a user is in "away" or "do not disturb" mode, consider waiting or using a channel instead.

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