Slack MCP Server Give Claude the same Slack access you have. DMs, threads, history—no admin approval. I built this because I was working with someone to help me manage a complex workload, and we kept hitting walls. They needed context from my messages—"what did X say about Y?"—but Slack's API blocks access to DMs without admin approval. Screenshotting messages is not a workflow. This server bridge
Add this skill
npx mdskills install jtalk22/slack-mcp-serverFeature-rich Slack integration with 9 well-documented tools covering messages, threads, search, reactions, and user management
Slack MCP Server
Give Claude the same Slack access you have.
DMs, threads, history—no admin approval.
I built this because I was working with someone to help me manage a complex workload, and we kept hitting walls. They needed context from my messages—"what did X say about Y?"—but Slack's API blocks access to DMs without admin approval.
Screenshotting messages is not a workflow.
This server bridges the gap. It creates a secure, local bridge between Claude and your Slack web session. It gives your AI the same access you already have in the browser—search history, summarize threads, find that thing someone sent you three weeks ago—without fighting the platform.
Instead of authenticating as a bot, this server leverages your existing Chrome session credentials (macOS) or manual token injection (Linux/Windows). It mirrors your user access exactly—if you can see it in Slack, Claude can see it too.
Trade-off: Session tokens expire every 1-2 weeks. Auto-refresh (macOS) or manual update keeps things running.
unref() for clean process exit| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
slack_health_check | Verify token validity and workspace info |
slack_token_status | New: Detailed token age, health, and cache stats |
slack_refresh_tokens | Auto-extract fresh tokens from Chrome |
slack_list_conversations | List DMs/channels (with lazy discovery cache) |
slack_conversations_history | Get messages from a channel or DM |
slack_get_full_conversation | Export full history with threads |
slack_search_messages | Search across workspace |
slack_send_message | Send a message to any conversation |
slack_get_thread | Get thread replies |
slack_users_info | Get user details |
slack_list_users | List workspace users (paginated, 500+ supported) |
Runtime: Node.js 20+
npm install -g @jtalk22/slack-mcp
git clone https://github.com/jtalk22/slack-mcp-server.git
cd slack-mcp-server
npm install
docker pull ghcr.io/jtalk22/slack-mcp-server:latest
The interactive setup wizard handles token extraction and validation automatically:
npx @jtalk22/slack-mcp --setup
~/.slack-mcp-tokens.jsonnpx @jtalk22/slack-mcp --status
# macOS auto-extraction
npm run tokens:auto
# Manual entry (all platforms)
npm run tokens:refresh
# Check health
npm run tokens:status
Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@jtalk22/slack-mcp"]
}
}
}
Edit %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@jtalk22/slack-mcp"],
"env": {
"SLACK_TOKEN": "xoxc-your-token",
"SLACK_COOKIE": "xoxd-your-cookie"
}
}
}
}
Note: Windows/Linux users must provide tokens via
envsince auto-refresh is macOS-only.
Add to ~/.claude.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@jtalk22/slack-mcp"]
}
}
}
Claude Code reads tokens from ~/.slack-mcp-tokens.json automatically.
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["run", "-i", "--rm",
"-v", "~/.slack-mcp-tokens.json:/root/.slack-mcp-tokens.json",
"ghcr.io/jtalk22/slack-mcp-server"]
}
}
}
Fully quit and reopen Claude. The Slack tools will appear.
Priority 1: Environment Variables (SLACK_TOKEN, SLACK_COOKIE)
↓ fallback
Priority 2: Token File (~/.slack-mcp-tokens.json)
↓ fallback
Priority 3: macOS Keychain (encrypted)
↓ fallback
Priority 4: Chrome Auto-Extraction (macOS only)
All file operations (tokens, DM cache) use atomic writes:
Write to temp file → chmod 600 → rename to target
This prevents JSON corruption if the process is killed mid-write.
Background refresh timers use unref():
const timer = setInterval(refreshTokens, 4 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
timer.unref(); // Process can exit even if timer is pending
When Claude closes the MCP connection, the server exits cleanly.
A mutex lock prevents concurrent Chrome extractions:
if (refreshInProgress) return null; // Skip if already refreshing
refreshInProgress = true;
try { return extractFromChromeInternal(); }
finally { refreshInProgress = false; }
If you're using claude.ai in a browser (which doesn't support MCP), you can use the REST server instead:
npm run web
# Or: npx @jtalk22/slack-mcp web
Magic Link: The console prints a one-click URL with the API key embedded:
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Slack Web API Server v1.2.1
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Dashboard: http://localhost:3000/?key=smcp_xxxxxxxxxxxx
Just click the link - no copy-paste needed. The key is saved to your browser and stripped from the URL for security.
Screenshots
| DMs View | Channels View |
|---|---|
|
# macOS: Auto-refresh from Chrome
slack_refresh_tokens # In Claude
# Or: npm run tokens:auto
# Linux/Windows: Manual update
# Edit ~/.slack-mcp-tokens.json with fresh values
Use discover_dms: true to force discovery:
slack_list_conversations with discover_dms=true
This caches DM channel IDs for 24 hours.
app.slack.com~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.logslack-mcp-server/
├── src/
│ ├── server.js # MCP server (stdio transport)
│ └── web-server.js # REST API + Web UI
├── lib/
│ ├── token-store.js # 4-layer persistence + atomic writes
│ ├── slack-client.js # API client, LRU cache, retry logic
│ ├── tools.js # MCP tool definitions
│ └── handlers.js # Tool implementations
├── public/
│ ├── index.html # Web UI
│ └── demo.html # Interactive demo
└── scripts/
└── token-cli.js # Token management CLI
chmod 600 (owner-only)crypto.randomBytes)| Feature | macOS | Linux | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCP Server | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Token File | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-Refresh from Chrome | Yes | No | No |
| Keychain Storage | Yes | No | No |
| Web UI | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PRs welcome. Run node --check on modified files before submitting.
If you find this project useful, consider sponsoring or starring the repo.
MIT - See LICENSE
This project uses unofficial Slack APIs. Use at your own risk. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Slack Technologies.
Install via CLI
npx mdskills install jtalk22/slack-mcp-serverSlack MCP Server is a free, open-source AI agent skill. Slack MCP Server Give Claude the same Slack access you have. DMs, threads, history—no admin approval. I built this because I was working with someone to help me manage a complex workload, and we kept hitting walls. They needed context from my messages—"what did X say about Y?"—but Slack's API blocks access to DMs without admin approval. Screenshotting messages is not a workflow. This server bridge
Install Slack MCP Server with a single command:
npx mdskills install jtalk22/slack-mcp-serverThis downloads the skill files into your project and your AI agent picks them up automatically.
Slack MCP Server works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Vscode Copilot, Windsurf, Continue Dev, Gemini Cli, Amp, Roo Code, Goose. Skills use the open SKILL.md format which is compatible with any AI coding agent that reads markdown instructions.