Connecting Slack to AlphaSense

Search your Slack conversations, channels, and files directly from AlphaSense

• Before You Begin
• Step 1: Installation (Admin Only)
• Step 2: Individual User Connection
• What's Accessible
• How It Works
• Items to Note
• Modify or Revoke Access
• Troubleshoot & FAQs

The Slack integration lets you securely connect your organization's Slack messages, channels, and files to AlphaSense, so you can search, analyze, and reference internal conversations alongside external research. This is a real-time (MCP) connection: AlphaSense queries Slack live at request time and does not ingest or store a copy of your content. Setup is a one-time installation by a Slack admin, followed by individual user authentication. Because Slack scopes act as a filter on every request, AlphaSense only surfaces conversations and files a user is already permitted to see in Slack.

Note: Slack-specific facts below (auth model, scopes, permission filtering, limits) are drawn from Slack's developer documentation. Items marked [CONFIRM] are AlphaSense product behaviors that should be verified against the live connector before publishing.

Before You Begin

• You must have an active Slack account on Business+ or Enterprise+ tier plans. Free, Pro, and Standard workspaces can install the app, but the search-based retrieval will return zero results, rendering the connector unusable.
• For org-wide deployment, a Slack Org Admin or Owner of an Enterprise Grid organization must complete the initial installation. The app must be installed on the entire org, not a single workspace, for admin-level access to apply. (Slack: admin scopes)
• The installing admin needs the Channel Management role with access to both Public channels and Private channels, or the install returns a not_allowed error. (Slack: admin install requirements)
• Users will only see channels, messages, and files they have permission to access in Slack. For private channels, DMs, and group DMs, both the admin and the individual user must grant the relevant private scopes. (Slack: Real-time Search / Data Access API)

Step 1: Installation (Admin Only)

A Slack Org Admin or Owner initiates the integration from AlphaSense and approves the access AlphaSense requests.

Important: While our app is still in beta, use the OAuth url to install it. The installation screen will display a warning about the app not listed in Slack marketplace which is expected.

During setup:

• The administrator reviews and approves the OAuth scopes AlphaSense requests across the Slack Web API (scope reference). Typical read scopes include:
  • channels:read, channels:history — public channel info and messages
  • groups:read, groups:history — private channel info and messages
  • im:history, mpim:history — direct and group direct messages
  • files:read — files shared in connected conversations
  • users:read — member directory for attribution
  • search:read.public — search across public content
  • search:read.private — private channels
  • search:read.im — direct messages
  • search:read.mpim — group DMs
  • search:read.files — files
• For Enterprise Grid, granting consent installs AlphaSense org-wide and can issue an admin token capable of admin.* methods (for example, admin.conversations.search).
• During the OAuth handshake, confirm in the upper-right dropdown that you are installing on the organization, not an individual workspace. (Slack: installing with OAuth)

Important: On Enterprise Grid, users cannot connect Slack from AlphaSense until an Org Admin or Owner has completed the org-wide installation and approved the app. Users attempting to connect first will be prompted to contact their administrator.

Step 2: Individual User Connection

Once the admin has installed the app:

• Individual users initiate their own OAuth authorization from AlphaSense.
• Each user receives a personal user token scoped to their own Slack access.
• Visibility is limited to the channels, DMs, group DMs, and files that user can view in Slack.

For private channels and direct messages, the user's own authorization is required in addition to the admin install. This opt-in step ensures private content is never surfaced for a user who has not personally connected. (Slack: Real-time Search / Data Access API)

What's Accessible

Slack content is queried live, not ingested. The following objects are reachable through the connection, scoped to each user's permissions:

How It Works

• Real-time access, no stored copy. AlphaSense queries Slack at request time through the Real-time Search / Data Access API. Content is not ingested or indexed into AlphaSense.
• Permissions evaluated at query time. Slack treats the token's scopes as a filter and returns only the conversations and files that token is allowed to see, so every result mirrors the user's live Slack access.
• Public channel content is available to permitted users; private channels, DMs, and group DMs require the individual user's own authorization.
• Search results and AI answers in AlphaSense are returned only to users permitted to view the underlying Slack content at the moment of the query.

Items to Note

• Supported content: channel messages, threads, DMs/MPDMs, and shared files. Slack messages are text-based; attached files retain their original format.
• Rate limits (Slack): because every request hits Slack live, the tiered Web API rate limits apply on each query. When exceeded, Slack returns HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header; the connection respects these limits, so very broad queries against large workspaces may be throttled.
• File availability (Slack): files retrievable via the connection are bounded by Slack's own limits. On Free workspaces, files beyond the 5 GB cap are tombstoned by Slack and won't be returned.
• Enterprise Grid requirement: admin-scoped, org-wide access requires Enterprise Grid. Non-Grid workspaces can still connect per workspace via standard OAuth.
• Cross-team asymmetry: on Enterprise Grid, search results span every team you belong to. The 'list my channels' view is limited to your primary team – channels in other teams won't appear in the listing but will surface in search results.

Review data security, architecture, and more at https://trust.alpha-sense.com/

Modify or Revoke Access

To change which users or workspaces have access (admin):

1. Manage the AlphaSense app from your Slack org/workspace app management settings, or programmatically via the admin.apps.approve / admin.apps.restrict methods on Enterprise Grid. (Slack: admin.apps.approve, admin.apps.restrict)
2. Approve or restrict the app at the workspace or organization level as needed.

To disconnect:

1. Click Disconnect on the Slack integration tile in AlphaSense, or remove the AlphaSense app from Slack.
2. AlphaSense revokes the token and stops querying Slack. Because nothing was ingested, there is no stored Slack content to remove.

Individual users can disconnect their own connection at any time, which immediately revokes AlphaSense's access to their private channels and DMs. Disconnecting one user does not affect the org-wide install or other users.

Troubleshoot & FAQs

I can't connect Slack in AlphaSense.

• On Enterprise Grid, confirm your Org Admin or Owner has completed the org-wide installation. If not, contact your Slack administrator.

The admin install failed with not_allowed.

• The installing Org Admin/Owner must have the Channel Management role with access to both Public and Private channels. Update the role and reinstall.

I don't see the private channels or DMs I expect.

• Private content requires your own user authorization in addition to the admin install. Re-run the individual connection (Step 2) and confirm you have access to those conversations in Slack.

A broad search against Slack is slow or returns partial results.

• Because Slack is queried live, tiered rate limits apply per request. Slack returns 429 with a Retry-After header when limits are hit; narrow the query or retry shortly.

What content can be accessed?

• Channel messages, threads, DMs/MPDMs, and shared files you're permitted to see in Slack. Files are bounded by Slack's own size and retention limits.

Are my Slack credentials shared with anyone?

• No. OAuth tokens are stored encrypted server-side and used only to query the content you've authorized, in real time. In addition to that, Slack now uses rotating user tokens (xoxe.x format, ~12-hour TTL) rather than legacy long-lived xoxp- tokens. AlphaSense refreshes via the OAuth refresh-token flow, so a leaked access token expires within hours rather than indefinitely.

What happens to my access when I disconnect?

• AlphaSense revokes the token immediately and stops querying Slack. Since content is never ingested, there is no stored copy to delete.

By following this guide, you can set up and manage your Slack integration in AlphaSense while keeping your conversations and files secure and accessible.