What gets indexed
- Public channel messages
- Direct messages (from historical exports only)
Private messages stay private, and are only searchable by the users who sent or received them.
Setup
1
Connect to Grapevine
- In Grapevine, go to Integrations and click on Slack
- Click Create Slack App to automatically generate your Slack app with pre-configured settings
- Install the app to your Slack workspace when prompted
- Authorize the requested permissions
2
Enter app credentials
- Return to the Grapevine integration page
- From your Slack app settings, copy:
- Client ID
- Client Secret
- Signing Secret
- Paste these values in Grapevine and click Save
3
Install to workspace
- Click Install to Workspace in Grapevine
- Complete the OAuth authorization flow
- The bot will be added to your Slack workspace
4
Upload historical data
- Export your Slack workspace data from Slack Settings → Import/Export Data
- Upload the ZIP file to Grapevine
- Historical messages will be indexed automatically
5
Indexing begins
Grapevine will begin indexing your Slack messages. The bot is now ready to answer questions in Slack channels and direct messages.
Permissions
The Slack bot requires these permissions:- Read public channel messages and history
- Send messages and replies
- Read user information
- Join public channels
- React to messages
How the bot works
Asking questions
The bot responds when:- Someone mentions the bot with
@BotName - Someone sends a direct message to the bot
- Someone replies in a thread where the bot has responded
Bot configuration
You can configure:- Bot name - Customize the bot’s display name
- Channel access - Choose whether the bot answers in all channels or only specific ones
- Excluded channels - Prevent the bot from responding in certain channels
Sync behavior
- Initial sync - Begins after historical export upload (if provided)
- Ongoing syncs - Real-time indexing of new messages via Slack events
- Deletions - Deleted messages are removed from the index automatically
Limitations
- Real-time indexing only captures public channel messages
- Direct messages require historical export upload and are only used as bot context (not searchable)
- File content is not indexed (only metadata)
- The bot does not respond to guest users or external Slack Connect channels