Slack

Add your agent to a Slack workspace, and people can ask it questions without leaving Slack. It's a good fit for your own team, for example looking up the returns policy in seconds, or for a customer community that lives in Slack.

Where to find it: open your agent and go to Channels → Slack.

What people see

In Slack, your agent appears as an app called Hourzero. People talk to it in two ways:

• In a channel: they mention the app, for example @Hourzero what's our return window for jackets?. The agent replies in a thread under that message.
• In a direct message: they open a direct message with the app and ask their question.

Once the agent has answered in a thread, people can keep asking follow-up questions in that thread without mentioning it again.

The agent's replies can use your agent's own name and picture, like "Acme Support" with your logo, even though the app is called Hourzero.

How it works

1. 1ConnectAdd the Hourzero app to your Slack workspace.
2. 2Choose the agentPick where this agent answers: everywhere, or specific channels.
3. 3PublishTurn on replies for Slack.
4. 4TestMention the app in Slack and check the reply.

Before you start

• You're a workspace owner or admin in Hourzero. Other members can't see the setup buttons.
• You can add apps to your Slack workspace. Some Slack workspaces only let admins add apps. If yours does, ask your Slack admin to approve Hourzero.
• You're connecting one Slack workspace. Organization-wide installs for Slack Enterprise Grid aren't supported yet. Install the app into one workspace instead.

Connect your Slack workspace

1. Go to Channels and find the Slack row.
2. Select Connect Slack. Slack opens in a new tab. If a workspace is already connected, the button says Add workspace instead.
3. Check the workspace name in the top right of Slack's screen. Switch it if needed.
4. Review what Hourzero asks to do. Slack lists permissions like reading messages in channels the app is added to, reading its direct messages, and posting replies with a custom name and picture.
5. Select Allow.
6. The tab returns to the Hourzero Channels page with the message "Slack connected. Publish Slack to start replies." The badge says Needs publishing.

When you connect from an agent's Channels page, that agent becomes the default for the whole Slack workspace, unless another agent already is.

Choose where the agent answers

Each Slack workspace can have one default agent. You can also pick specific Slack channels for an agent.

1. Under your Slack workspace, select Reply settings.
2. Turn on Use this agent across the workspace to make this agent the default. It answers all direct messages, and mentions in every channel that has no other agent assigned.
3. Under Channels, tick the Slack channels where this agent should answer mentions. Channels that belong to another agent say Assigned to that agent.
4. Select Save choices. A message confirms: "Choices saved. Publish Slack to apply them."

If the channel list is empty, invite the app to a channel first, then select Refresh.

A specific channel always wins over the workspace default. For example, Acme's default is Acme Support, but in #warehouse the team uses a second agent trained on stock and shipping procedures.

Invite the app to your channels

The agent can only see channels it has been invited to. In each Slack channel where you want it:

1. Open the channel in Slack.
2. Type /invite @Hourzero and send it.

Direct messages don't need an invitation. People can find the app under Apps in Slack's sidebar and message it there.

Give it your agent's name and picture

1. In the Slack row, select Edit agent. The Playground opens with Slack selected.
2. On the Display tab, set the Display name, for example "Acme Support".
3. Under Avatar, select Upload image and choose a JPG, PNG, or WebP file up to 5 MB.
4. Select Save draft, then publish Slack.

Replies then show your name and picture. The app itself, and the name people type to mention it, stay Hourzero.

Publish Slack

1. In the Slack row, select Edit agent. The Playground opens with Slack selected.
2. On the Overview tab, make sure Agent replies says Replies on after publishing. Select Save draft if you changed anything.
3. Select Publish → Slack. The Publish Slack dialog shows whether the draft is saved and the connection is ready.
4. Select Publish saved draft. The next time, the button says Publish latest draft.

A message confirms "Slack published". In Channels, the badge changes to Connected, and an Open Slack button appears.

Test it for real

1. Select Open Slack, or open Slack yourself.
2. In a channel where you invited the app, send @Hourzero how long do refunds take?.
3. Check that the agent replies in a thread under your message. Ask a follow-up in the thread without mentioning the app.
4. Send the app a direct message and check that it answers there too.
5. In Hourzero, open Activity → Conversations and select Visitors. The chats appear with the Slack label.

Stop or disconnect

To pause the agent but keep Slack connected, open the Playground for Slack, turn off Agent replies on the Overview tab, save, and publish.

To remove the Slack workspace from Hourzero:

1. In Channels, select the trash icon next to your Slack workspace.
2. Read the warning and select Disconnect.

All agents stop replying in that Slack workspace. Your past conversations stay saved in Hourzero. If Slack shows "To remove the app from Slack too, open its settings in Slack", remove the app from your Slack workspace settings as well.

Troubleshooting

The agent doesn't answer a mention

• Is the app in that channel? Type /invite @Hourzero in the channel.
• Does the channel have an agent? Either a workspace default, or the channel ticked in someone's Reply settings.
• Did you publish Slack after changing anything?
• Does your workspace have credits left? Check the Usage page.

My channel isn't in the Reply settings list

Invite the app to the channel in Slack, then select Refresh in Reply settings.

"This Slack workspace is already assigned to another agent"

Another agent is the workspace default. Open that agent's Reply settings to turn the default off, or tick specific channels for this agent instead.

"That Slack workspace is already connected to another Hourzero workspace"

A Slack workspace can only belong to one Hourzero workspace. Disconnect it in the other Hourzero workspace first.

"Enterprise Grid organization-wide installs are not supported yet"

Install the app into a single Slack workspace instead of your whole organization.

The button says "Slack is not available yet"

Slack isn't ready to connect in Hourzero yet. Contact your workspace administrator.

Next steps