Slack

Slack Automation

Interact with Slack workspaces to check messages, extract data, and automate common tasks.

Quick Start

Connect to an existing Slack browser session or open Slack:

# Connect to existing session on port 9222 (typical for already-open Slack)
agent-browser connect 9222

# Or open Slack if not already running
agent-browser open https://app.slack.com

Then take a snapshot to see what's available:

agent-browser snapshot -i

Core Workflow

1. Connect/Navigate: Open or connect to Slack 2. Snapshot: Get interactive elements with refs (@e1, @e2, etc.) 3. Navigate: Click tabs, expand sections, or navigate to specific channels 4. Extract/Interact: Read data or perform actions 5. Screenshot: Capture evidence of findings

# Example: Check unread channels
agent-browser connect 9222
agent-browser snapshot -i
# Look for "More unreads" button
agent-browser click @e21  # Ref for "More unreads" button
agent-browser screenshot slack-unreads.png

Common Tasks

Checking Unread Messages

# Connect to Slack
agent-browser connect 9222

# Take snapshot to locate unreads button
agent-browser snapshot -i

# Look for:
# - "More unreads" button (usually near top of sidebar)
# - "Unreads" toggle in Activity tab (shows unread count)
# - Channel names with badges/bold text indicating unreads

# Navigate to Activity tab to see all unreads in one view
agent-browser click @e14  # Activity tab (ref may vary)
agent-browser wait 1000
agent-browser screenshot activity-unreads.png

# Or check DMs tab
agent-browser click @e13  # DMs tab
agent-browser screenshot dms.png

# Or expand "More unreads" in sidebar
agent-browser click @e21  # More unreads button
agent-browser wait 500
agent-browser screenshot expanded-unreads.png

Navigating to a Channel

# Search for channel in sidebar or by name
agent-browser snapshot -i

# Look for channel name in the list (e.g., "engineering", "product-design")
# Click on the channel treeitem ref
agent-browser click @e94  # Example: engineering channel ref
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser screenshot channel.png

Finding Messages/Threads

# Use Slack search
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser click @e5  # Search button (typical ref)
agent-browser fill @e_search "keyword"
agent-browser press Enter
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser screenshot search-results.png

Extracting Channel Information

# Get list of all visible channels
agent-browser snapshot --json > slack-snapshot.json

# Parse for channel names and metadata
# Look for treeitem elements with level=2 (sub-channels under sections)

Checking Channel Details

# Open a channel
agent-browser click @e_channel_ref
agent-browser wait 1000

# Get channel info (members, description, etc.)
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser screenshot channel-details.png

# Scroll through messages
agent-browser scroll down 500
agent-browser screenshot channel-messages.png

Taking Notes/Capturing State

When you need to document findings from Slack:

# Take annotated screenshot (shows element numbers)
agent-browser screenshot --annotate slack-state.png

# Take full-page screenshot
agent-browser screenshot --full slack-full.png

# Get current URL for reference
agent-browser get url

# Get page title
agent-browser get title

Sidebar Structure

Understanding Slack's sidebar helps you navigate efficiently:

- Threads
- Huddles
- Drafts & sent
- Directories
- [Section Headers - External connections, Starred, Channels, etc.]
  - [Channels listed as treeitems]
- Direct Messages
  - [DMs listed]
- Apps
  - [App shortcuts]
- [More unreads] button (toggles unread channels list)

Key refs to look for:

• @e12 - Home tab (usually)
• @e13 - DMs tab
• @e14 - Activity tab
• @e5 - Search button
• @e21 - More unreads button (varies by session)

Tabs in Slack

After clicking on a channel, you'll see tabs:

• Messages - Channel conversation
• Files - Shared files
• Pins - Pinned messages
• Add canvas - Collaborative canvas
• Other tabs depending on workspace setup

Click tab refs to switch views and get different information.

Extracting Data from Slack

Get Text Content

# Get a message or element's text
agent-browser get text @e_message_ref

Parse Accessibility Tree

# Full snapshot as JSON for programmatic parsing
agent-browser snapshot --json > output.json

# Look for:
# - Channel names (name field in treeitem)
# - Message content (in listitem/document elements)
# - User names (button elements with user info)
# - Timestamps (link elements with time info)

Count Unreads

# After expanding unreads section:
agent-browser snapshot -i | grep -c "treeitem"
# Each treeitem with a channel name in the unreads section is one unread

Best Practices

• Connect to existing sessions: Use agent-browser connect 9222 if Slack is already open. This is faster than opening a new browser.
• Take snapshots before clicking: Always snapshot -i to identify refs before clicking buttons.
• Re-snapshot after navigation: After navigating to a new channel or section, take a fresh snapshot to find new refs.
• Use JSON snapshots for parsing: When you need to extract structured data, use snapshot --json for machine-readable output.
• Pace interactions: Add sleep 1 between rapid interactions to let the UI update.
• Check accessibility tree: The accessibility tree shows what screen readers (and your automation) can see. If an element isn't in the snapshot, it may be hidden or require scrolling.
• Scroll in sidebar: Use agent-browser scroll down 300 --selector ".p-sidebar" to scroll within the Slack sidebar if channel list is long.

Limitations

• Cannot access Slack API: This uses browser automation, not the Slack API. No OAuth, webhooks, or bot tokens needed.
• Session-specific: Screenshots and snapshots are tied to the current browser session.
• Rate limiting: Slack may rate-limit rapid interactions. Add delays between commands if needed.
• Workspace-specific: You interact with your own workspace -- no cross-workspace automation.

Debugging

Check console for errors

agent-browser console
agent-browser errors

View raw HTML of an element

# Snapshot shows the accessibility tree. If an element isn't there,
# it may not be interactive (e.g., div instead of button)
# Use snapshot -i -C to include cursor-interactive divs
agent-browser snapshot -i -C

Get current page state

agent-browser get url
agent-browser get title
agent-browser screenshot page-state.png

Example: Full Unread Check

#!/bin/bash

# Connect to Slack
agent-browser connect 9222

# Take initial snapshot
echo "=== Checking Slack unreads ==="
agent-browser snapshot -i > snapshot.txt

# Check Activity tab for unreads
agent-browser click @e14  # Activity tab
agent-browser wait 1000
agent-browser screenshot activity.png
ACTIVITY_RESULT=$(agent-browser get text @e_main_area)
echo "Activity: $ACTIVITY_RESULT"

# Check DMs
agent-browser click @e13  # DMs tab
agent-browser wait 1000
agent-browser screenshot dms.png

# Check unread channels in sidebar
agent-browser click @e21  # More unreads button
agent-browser wait 500
agent-browser snapshot -i > unreads-expanded.txt
agent-browser screenshot unreads.png

# Summary
echo "=== Summary ==="
echo "See activity.png, dms.png, and unreads.png for full details"

References

• Slack docs: https://slack.com/help
• Web experience: https://app.slack.com
• Keyboard shortcuts: Type ? in Slack for shortcut list

Common Slack Tasks & Patterns

Reference guide for common automations and data extraction patterns when interacting with Slack.

Task: Check All Unread Messages

Goal

Determine which channels and DMs have unread messages.

Steps

1. Connect to Slack

   agent-browser connect 9222

2. Check Activity Tab

• Take snapshot: agent-browser snapshot -i
• Look for Activity tab ref (usually @e14)
• Click: agent-browser click @e14
• Wait: agent-browser wait 1000
• If you see "You've read all the unreads", you have no unread messages
• Screenshot: agent-browser screenshot activity.png

3. Check DMs

• Click DMs tab ref (usually @e13)
• Look for "Unreads" toggle/badge
• Count visible conversations with indicators

4. Check Channels

• Look for "More unreads" button (usually in sidebar)
• Click it to expand list of channels with unreads
• Screenshot the expanded view
• Parse channel names from snapshot

5. Summary

• Activity + DMs + Channels = complete unread picture

Evidence Capture

• Screenshot of Activity tab
• Screenshot of DMs
• Screenshot of expanded unreads sidebar

---

Task: Find All Channels in Workspace

Goal

Get a complete list of all channels you have access to.

Steps

1. Navigate to Channels section

   agent-browser connect 9222
   agent-browser snapshot -i

2. Look for "Channels" treeitem

• This is usually a collapsed section header
• Click to expand if collapsed
• Screenshot: agent-browser screenshot all-channels.png

3. Scroll through sidebar

   # If the list is long, scroll within the sidebar
   agent-browser scroll down 500 --selector ".p-sidebar"
   agent-browser screenshot channels-page-2.png

4. Parse snapshot for channel list

   agent-browser snapshot --json > channels.json
   # Search JSON for treeitem elements with level=2 under "Channels" section

Evidence

• JSON snapshot with all channel refs
• Screenshots of channel list
• Count of total channels

---

Task: Search for Messages Containing Keywords

Goal

Find all messages/threads mentioning specific terms.

Steps

1. Open search

   agent-browser snapshot -i
   # Find Search button ref (usually @e5)
   agent-browser click @e5
   agent-browser wait 500

2. Enter search term

   # Identify search input ref from snapshot
   agent-browser fill @e_search_input "your keyword"
   agent-browser press Enter
   agent-browser wait --load networkidle

3. Capture results

   agent-browser screenshot search-results.png
   agent-browser snapshot -i > search-snapshot.txt

4. Parse results

• Look for result items in snapshot
• Extract message content, sender, channel, timestamp
• Follow links to view full context

Filters

Slack search supports filters:

• in:channel-name - Search in specific channel
• from:@user - Messages from specific user
• before:2026-02-25 - Messages before date
• after:2026-02-20 - Messages after date
• has:file - Messages with files
• has:emoji - Messages with reactions

Example search: "bug report" in:engineering from:@alice after:2026-02-20

---

Task: Monitor a Specific Channel for Activity

Goal

Watch a channel and capture new messages/engagement.

Steps

1. Navigate to channel

   agent-browser connect 9222
   agent-browser snapshot -i
   # Find channel ref from sidebar
   agent-browser click @e_channel_ref
   agent-browser wait --load networkidle

2. Check channel info

• Screenshot channel details: agent-browser screenshot channel-header.png
• Look for member count, description, topic

3. View messages

   # Jump to recent/unread
   agent-browser press j  # Jump to unread in Slack
   agent-browser wait 500
   agent-browser screenshot recent-messages.png

4. Scroll to see more

   agent-browser scroll down 500
   agent-browser screenshot more-messages.png

5. Check threads

• Click on messages with thread indicators
• View replies in thread view
• Screenshot: agent-browser screenshot thread.png

Evidence

• Channel info screenshot
• Message history screenshots
• Thread examples

---

Task: Extract User Information from a Conversation

Goal

Find who said what, when, and in what context.

Steps

1. Navigate to relevant channel or DM

   agent-browser click @e_conversation_ref
   agent-browser wait 1000

2. Take snapshot with context

   agent-browser snapshot --json > conversation.json

3. Find message blocks

• In JSON, look for document/listitem elements
• These contain: user name (button), timestamp (link), message text, reactions

4. Extract structured data

• User: Found in button element with username
• Time: Found in link with timestamp
• Content: Text content of message
• Reactions: Buttons showing emoji counts

5. Screenshot key messages

   agent-browser screenshot important-message.png
   agent-browser screenshot --annotate annotated-message.png

---

Task: Track Reactions to a Message

Goal

See who reacted to a message and with what emoji.

Steps

1. Find message with reactions

   agent-browser snapshot -i
   # Look for "N reaction(s)" buttons in messages

2. Click reaction button to expand

   agent-browser click @e_reaction_button
   agent-browser wait 500

3. Capture reaction details

   agent-browser screenshot reactions.png
   # You'll see emoji, count, and list of users who reacted

4. Extract data

• Emoji used
• Number of people who reacted
• User names (if visible in popup)

---

Task: Find and Review Pinned Messages

Goal

See messages that have been pinned in a channel.

Steps

1. Open a channel

   agent-browser click @e_channel_ref
   agent-browser wait 1000
   agent-browser snapshot -i

2. Click Pins tab

• In channel view, look for "Pins" tab ref (usually near Messages, Files tabs)
• Click it: agent-browser click @e_pins_tab
• Wait: agent-browser wait 500

3. View pinned messages

   agent-browser screenshot pins.png
   agent-browser snapshot -i > pins-snapshot.txt

4. Review each pin

• Click pin to see context
• Note who pinned it, when, and why
• Screenshot: agent-browser screenshot pin-detail.png

---

Pattern: Extract Timestamp from Link

In Slack snapshot, message timestamps appear as links. Example:

- link "Feb 25th at 10:26:22 AM" [ref=e151]
  - /url: https://vercel.slack.com/archives/C0A5RTN0856/p1772036782543189

The URL contains the timestamp in the fragment (p1772036782543189). This is a Slack message ID that uniquely identifies the message.

---

Pattern: Understanding Channel/Thread Structure

- treeitem "channel-name" [ref=e94] [level=2]
  - group: (contains channel metadata or sub-items)

• level=1: Section headers (External connections, Starred, Channels, etc.)
• level=2: Individual channels/items within sections
• level=3+: Nested sub-items (rare in sidebar)

---

Common Ref Patterns (Session-Dependent)

These refs vary per session, but follow patterns:

Always take a fresh snapshot to find current refs for the current session.

---

Debugging: Element Not Found

If you can't find an element:

1. Check it's visible

   # Is the element on screen or off-screen?
   agent-browser screenshot current-state.png
   # Compare screenshot to what you expected

2. Try expanding/scrolling

   # Sidebar might need scrolling
   agent-browser scroll down 300 --selector ".p-sidebar"
   agent-browser snapshot -i

3. Try snapshot with extended range

   # Include cursor-interactive elements (divs with onclick handlers)
   agent-browser snapshot -i -C

4. Check current URL

   agent-browser get url
   # Verify you're in the right section

5. Wait for page to load

   agent-browser wait --load networkidle
   agent-browser wait 1000
   agent-browser snapshot -i

Slack Analysis Report

Date: [DATE] Workspace: [WORKSPACE_NAME] Analyst: [YOUR_NAME] Scope: [WHAT_YOU_ANALYZED]

Summary

Unread Counts

• Activity: [NUMBER] unreads
• Direct Messages: [NUMBER] unreads
• Channels: [NUMBER] channels with unreads

Key Findings

• [FINDING 1]
• [FINDING 2]
• [FINDING 3]

---

Unread Channels

List of channels with unread messages:

---

Unread Direct Messages

---

Channel Snapshot

Total Channels Accessible

• Public Channels: [NUMBER]
• Private Channels: [NUMBER]
• Group DMs: [NUMBER]

Channel Categories

• External Connections: [COUNT] channels
• Starred: [COUNT] channels
• Main Channels: [COUNT] channels

---

Most Active Channels (by recent activity)

---

Key Conversations

[TOPIC 1]: Channel #engineering

• Status: Ongoing discussion
• Participants: @alice, @bob, @charlie
• Latest Update: [TIME]
• Thread Count: 5 threads
• Files Shared: 2 documents
• Screenshots: See engineering-thread.png

Notes: [Additional context about the conversation]

[TOPIC 2]: DM with @alice

• Unread Messages: 2
• Last Message: [TIME]
• Summary: [Brief summary of conversation]
• Action Items: [Any TODOs mentioned]

---

Search Results

Query: "[SEARCH_TERM]"

• Results: [NUMBER] messages
• Date Range: [FROM] to [TO]
• Top Channels: [LIST]
• Key Themes: [PATTERNS OBSERVED]

Sample Results

1. [Date/Time] in #[channel]: [Message snippet] 2. [Date/Time] in #[channel]: [Message snippet] 3. [Date/Time] in #[channel]: [Message snippet]

---

Reactions & Engagement

Most Reacted-To Messages

---

Team Insights

Most Active Users (by message volume)

1. @alice - [COUNT] messages 2. @bob - [COUNT] messages 3. @charlie - [COUNT] messages

Most Active Times

• Peak hour: [TIME]
• Peak day: [DAY]
• Average messages per hour: [NUMBER]

---

Issues / Observations

[ISSUE 1]: [Title]

Severity: [Critical/High/Medium/Low] Description: [What was observed] Evidence: See issue-1-screenshot.png Recommendation: [Suggested action]

---

Screenshots

---

Appendix: Raw Data

Snapshot Output

[Paste snapshot -i output here]

JSON Snapshot (for parsing)

[Paste snapshot --json output here]

---

Report Generated: [DATE/TIME] Analysis Duration: [TIME] Next Steps: [TODO]