Slack MCP Server: Connect Slack to Claude, Cursor and Codex

• Searches messages in public and private channels you can see

  Looks for messages across public channels and the private channels and DMs you belong to. It only returns what your own Slack account can reach.

  Try: “Find messages about the vendor contract renewal”

  Read · slack_search_public_and_private

• Searches messages in public channels only

  Looks for messages in public channels only. Use it when you do not want private conversations searched.

  Try: “Search public channels for posts about the product launch”

  Read · slack_search_public

• Finds channels by name or topic

  Looks up channels by name or description, so the assistant can get the right channel before it reads or posts.

  Try: “Find the channel for the design team”

  Read · slack_search_channels

• Finds people in your workspace

  Looks up people in your workspace by name or other details.

  Try: “Find Priya Shah on Slack”

  Read · slack_search_users

• Reads recent messages in a channel

  Reads the message history of a channel you have access to, so it can be summarized or searched.

  Try: “Summarize the last day of activity in #engineering”

  Read · slack_read_channel

• Reads all replies in a thread

  Reads a message thread and all its replies, so the assistant can follow a whole discussion.

  Try: “Read the thread about the vendor contract and summarize it”

  Read · slack_read_thread

• Shows a person's profile details

  Reads a person's Slack profile, such as their title and contact details, as far as your account can see them.

  Try: “What is Priya's role and time zone?”

  Read · slack_read_user_profile

• Lists who is in a channel

  Shows the people who are members of a channel, so you can see who is involved.

  Try: “Who is in #product-planning?”

  Read · slack_list_channel_members

• Reads the contents of a Slack file

  Reads the contents of a file that came up in a search, so the assistant can use what is inside it.

  Try: “Open the Q3 roadmap file from that search and summarize it”

  Read · slack_read_file

• Shows the emoji reactions on a message

  Reads the emoji reactions on a message, so you can see who responded and how.

  Try: “Who reacted to the launch announcement?”

  Read · slack_get_reactions

• Reads a canvas document

  Reads the content of a Slack canvas, which is a shared document inside Slack.

  Try: “Read the onboarding canvas and list the open steps”

  Read · slack_read_canvas

• Sends a message as you

  Posts a message to a channel, thread or DM under your name. The assistant sends it right away, so check the wording first.

  Try: “Send a message to #general saying the deployment is complete”

  Write · slack_send_message

• Saves a message as a draft in Slack

  Creates a draft in Slack that you can review and send yourself. It is a safer way to prepare announcements.

  Try: “Draft an announcement for #general about Friday's release”

  Write · slack_send_message_draft

• Schedules a message to send later

  Sets a message to post at a later time, from 2 minutes to 120 days ahead, under your name.

  Try: “Schedule a reminder in #team for Monday at 9am”

  Write · slack_schedule_message

• Adds an emoji reaction to a message

  Adds an emoji reaction to a message as you. It is handy for quick acknowledgments instead of a full reply.

  Try: “React with a thumbs up to the last message in #releases”

  Write · slack_add_reaction

• Creates a new canvas document

  Creates a new Slack canvas, a shared document, with the content you ask for.

  Try: “Create a canvas with the meeting notes from today's standup”

  Write · slack_create_canvas

• Edits an existing canvas

  Changes the content of a canvas that already exists, so it can add to or revise a shared document.

  Try: “Add the action items to the project kickoff canvas”

  Write · slack_update_canvas

• Starts a file upload to Slack

  Gets a secure upload link and file ID, which is the first of two steps to upload a file. The file is not visible until the second step is done.

  Try: “Upload this report to Slack”

  Write · slack_get_file_upload_url

• Finishes a file upload and can share it

  Finishes the upload so the file becomes visible, and can share it to a channel with a message.

  Try: “Share the uploaded report in #finance with a short note”

  Write · slack_complete_file_upload

Watch out for

• It posts and creates things as you

  Messages, canvases, reactions and new channels appear under your name, in any conversation you can reach. Review drafts before the AI sends them. docs.slack.dev

• Read-only setup may not hold

  One user set up an internal app with read-only scopes and Slack still granted all 31 requested scopes, including writes. Do not rely on scopes alone to keep it read-only. github.com

• Private channels and DMs are in reach

  Search covers private channels, DMs and group DMs with your consent, so the AI can read what you can. Keep sensitive chats in mind when you ask broad questions. docs.slack.dev

• Admin approval and audit logs

  Admins approve each AI app and can audit MCP activity in audit logs. IP allowlists on the app also apply. docs.slack.dev

• Mixing servers mixes risks

  Slack warns that connecting several MCP servers together can mix their security and stability traits. docs.slack.dev

Security advisories

In their words