> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://hc.starbridge.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Slack (Ask Starbridge)

> Set up Ask Starbridge in Slack and understand its permissions and data access policies.

<Note>
  If you're looking for how to push data from Starbridge to Slack, check out our article on [Zapier Integration](/integrations/zapier-integration).
</Note>

## Overview

The [**Ask Starbridge**](/consumers/ask-starbridge-chat)'s integration for Slack brings real time buyer intelligence directly into Slack, so your team can research accounts, prepare for outreach, and get product guidance without leaving the conversation.

Instead of switching between tabs, help center articles, and research tools, you can ask a question in Slack directly and receive structured, context-aware responses in seconds.

This document provides technical details about the installation process, the Slack integration's permissions, scope, and data access policies.

Use Ask Starbridge in Slack to:

* Research any buyer (ex: district, university, or government agency)
* Identify key stakeholders and contacts
* Understand organization priorities and initiatives
* Get account background before a meeting or outreach
* Ask product questions
* Learn workflows and best practices in the product

How to use Ask Starbridge in Slack:

1. Direct message the Ask Starbridge Slack integration (<kbd>@Starbridge</kbd>) to research an account or ask a product question.
2. Mention <kbd>@Starbridge</kbd> in a channel to bring shared buyer context into team discussions.

## Install Ask Starbridge in Slack (Admins only)

<Tip>
  The Slack integration must be installed from the Integrations section within the Starbridge app. A user with both Slack admin and workspace admin permissions is required to complete installation.
</Tip>

To add Starbridge to your Slack workspace:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Slack installation flow">
    Go to **Settings → Integrations** **→ Create  → Slack**

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/starbridge/ZGPvWytbCD0spbBC/images/Screenshot-2026-06-13-at-4.52.52-PM.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZGPvWytbCD0spbBC&q=85&s=58e648fb6e41bbf00a7dfd4008bdb24d" alt="Screenshot 2026 06 13 At 4 52 52 PM" width="782" height="436" data-path="images/Screenshot-2026-06-13-at-4.52.52-PM.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve Slack permissions">
    Click **Allow** to review app permissions and enable Starbridge in Slack.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/starbridge/1t8d0_HYQbsJW6Ac/images/image-14.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=1t8d0_HYQbsJW6Ac&q=85&s=993450ba872f6594020559d465bf594b" alt="Image" title="Image" style={{ width:"66%" }} width="1716" height="1280" data-path="images/image-14.png" />

    <Note>
      This only needs to be completed once per Slack workspace. Note that the Slack integration can only be installed in one Slack workplace per organization - please choose to install it in the Workspace it will be used in.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Starbridge to a channel">
    Add Starbridge to a channel your team uses so it's easy to <kbd>@mention</kbd>: open the channel → **Integrations** → **Add an app** → select **Starbridge**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Privacy & data access philosophy

The Ask Starbridge integration for Slack is scoped to the bare minimum needed for the chatbot to:

* Send messages in response to user requests
* Listen for user invocations so it can respond
* Utilize earlier conversation exchanges to respond intelligently
* Identify the Slack user to ensure they have a Starbridge account

<Note>
  **The Slack integration does not store direct message conversation history, and cannot access Slack messages outside of channels or private messages it's been added to.**
</Note>

## Bot token scopes

The Ask Starbridge integration for Slack requests the following OAuth bot token scopes. Each scope is limited to its specific purpose.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Send messages">
    <p>
      <code>
        chat:write
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Allows the bot to send messages in channels, threads, and direct messages
      </li>

      <li>
        Used to deliver responses to user queries
      </li>
    </ul>

    <p>
      <code>
        assistant:write
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Enables the bot to send messages using Slack AI Assistant capabilities
      </li>

      <li>
        Provides enhanced formatting and interaction patterns
      </li>
    </ul>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Listen for user interactions">
    <p>
      <code>
        app\_mentions:read
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Used to detect when users explicitly @mention the bot in channels so it can respond
      </li>

      <li>
        The bot only sees messages where it's directly mentioned
      </li>
    </ul>

    <p>
      <code>
        im:read
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Used to detect when a user sends a direct message to the bot
      </li>

      <li>
        Enables 1:1 conversations between users and the bot
      </li>
    </ul>

    <p>
      <code>
        mpim:read
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Used to detect activity in group DMs the bot is part of
      </li>

      <li>
        Often used to know when the bot is added to a conversation and send an introduction message
      </li>
    </ul>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Read conversation context">
    <p>
      <code>
        im:history
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Used only to subscribe to direct message events sent to the bot
      </li>

      <li>
        <strong>Important:</strong>
        The bot does not read or store messages in DMs beyond what's needed for real-time response
      </li>

      <li>
        This permission is required by Slack's API architecture but is not used to access historical conversations
      </li>
    </ul>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Identify the user">
    <p>
      <code>
        users:read
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Used to identify the Slack user interacting with the bot and associate them with a Starbridge account
      </li>
    </ul>

    <p>
      <code>
        users:read.email
      </code>
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        Used to verify the Slackbot installer's identity
      </li>

      <li>
        Determines whether the user has an active Starbridge seat
      </li>

      <li>
        Required for account authentication and authorization
      </li>
    </ul>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## What the bot cannot do

* **Cannot access channels it hasn't been invited to** - The bot only sees messages in channels or conversations where it's explicitly added
* **Cannot read message history** - The bot does not store or access historical conversations
* **Cannot monitor workspace activity** - The bot only responds to direct invocations via @mentions or direct messages
* **Cannot access private information** - The bot has no access to private channels, DMs between other users, or workspace metadata beyond what's necessary for user identification

## Security & compliance

* **Minimal Scope** - We request only the permissions necessary for core functionality
* **No Data Storage** - Direct message conversation history is not stored by Starbridge
* **User Authentication** - We identify whether a user is connected to a Starbridge account in order to deliver personalized functionality and enforce feature-level access controls

## Best practice

After you've set up the Slack integration for your Slack workspace, share out a message to your team so they know how to use Ask Starbridge in Slack!

Example below:

> **How to add the app**\
> Click **"+ Add apps"** in Slack
>
> 1. Search for **Starbridge**
> 2. Install the app
>
> **How to use it**\
> The Starbridge Slack app works the same way as the **"Ask Starbridge"** functionality in the Starbridge portal. You can use it to:
>
> * Ask questions about any SLED account
> * Prep for meetings quickly
> * Surface key account insights while you're on a call
> * Research accounts without leaving Slack
>
> When available, Starbridge will also include a **Sources** link at the bottom of its response so you can easily reference where the information is coming from.

<Note>
  Ask Starbridge for Slack generates answers using AI. The information provided is intended to assist research and workflows, but may contain inaccuracies and should be verified when appropriate.
</Note>

## FAQ

<Accordion title="What is your privacy policy & data retention policy for the Ask Starbridge Slack integration?">
  We retain customer data to support core application functionality, analytics, and operational monitoring. Persistently stored data may include Slack user IDs, workspace and organization IDs, message content and metadata (such as timestamps, channel IDs, and thread IDs), files or file metadata, OAuth tokens, and email addresses. Customer data is retained indefinitely while the workspace remains connected to the application, unless deletion is requested by the customer. Our app is committed to giving users control over their data and complies with Slack's requirements for user data deletion. Users may request deletion of their personal data by contacting us directly at [support@starbridge.ai](mailto:support@starbridge.ai). You can read more at our [Privacy Policy](https://starbridge.ai/privacy-policy).
</Accordion>

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
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