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Slack

Slack is the primary and most feature-rich platform for using Chat Aid. With deep Slack integration, Chat Aid becomes a natural part of your team's workflow.

Why Use Chat Aid on Slack?​

Chat Aid's Slack integration offers the most comprehensive feature set:

  • ✅ Direct Messages - Ask questions privately in DMs
  • ✅ Channel Mentions - Get answers in any channel by mentioning @Chat Aid
  • ✅ Auto-Answer - Automatically respond to questions without being mentioned
  • ✅ Message Shortcuts - Use shortcuts to get answers or summarize threads
  • ✅ Thread Summaries - Summarize long Slack threads with one click
  • ✅ Private Channels - Works in private channels with proper permissions
  • ✅ Emoji Reactions - Quick feedback with thumbs up/down reactions
  • ✅ Actions - Create tickets, update CRM, schedule meetings from Slack

Key Features​

Direct Messaging​

The simplest way to use Chat Aid is through direct messages:

  1. Find Chat Aid in your Slack Apps list
  2. Open a DM with Chat Aid
  3. Ask any question
  4. Get an instant answer with source citations

Example:

You: What's our PTO policy?
Chat Aid: According to your HR handbook, full-time employees receive...
📄 Sources: HR Handbook (Page 12), Employee Benefits Guide

Channel Mentions​

Add Chat Aid to any channel and mention it to get answers visible to everyone:

  1. Add Chat Aid to a channel: /invite @Chat Aid
  2. Ask a question by mentioning Chat Aid: @Chat Aid what's the release date?
  3. Chat Aid responds in the thread

This is perfect for:

  • Team discussions where someone needs information
  • Onboarding channels for new employees
  • Support channels for customer-facing teams

Auto-Answer​

Auto-answer allows Chat Aid to proactively listen for questions and respond automatically without being mentioned.

How it works:

  1. Admin enables auto-answer for specific channels
  2. Chat Aid monitors messages in those channels
  3. When it detects a question it can answer, it responds automatically
  4. Configurable thresholds ensure high-quality responses

Learn more: Auto-Answer Configuration →

Message Shortcuts​

Slack message shortcuts let you interact with Chat Aid quickly:

Available Shortcuts:

  • Answer this question - Get Chat Aid to answer a message
  • Summarize this thread - Generate a summary of a Slack thread
  • Create a ticket - Turn a message into a help desk ticket (with Actions)

How to use:

  1. Hover over any message
  2. Click the three dots (⋯) menu
  3. Select the Chat Aid shortcut you want

Learn more: Message Shortcuts →

Private Channels​

Chat Aid works in private channels, respecting your team's privacy:

  • Data from private channels is only accessible to channel members
  • Private channel data is isolated from the general knowledge base
  • Perfect for sensitive team or department-specific information

Learn more: Using Chat Aid in Private Channels →

Getting Started​

Installation​

To install Chat Aid in your Slack workspace:

  1. Log in to the Chat Aid dashboard
  2. Click your profile icon > Connect to Slack
  3. Select your workspace and authorize the app
  4. Chat Aid will appear in your Slack workspace

Review the installation steps above.

Adding Chat Aid to Channels​

Once installed, add Chat Aid to channels where your team needs it:

/invite @Chat Aid

You can add Chat Aid to multiple channels. Common choices:

  • #general - Company-wide questions
  • #engineering - Technical documentation
  • #support - Customer support queries
  • #onboarding - New employee questions

Your First Question​

Try asking Chat Aid a question:

@Chat Aid what's our company's mission statement?

or in a DM:

How do I submit an expense report?

Review the question formats above.

Tips for Using Chat Aid in Slack​

1. Be Specific​

The more specific your question, the better the answer:

  • ❌ "What about pricing?"
  • ✅ "What's the price for the Pro plan?"

2. Use Natural Language​

Ask questions as you would to a colleague:

  • "How do I reset my password?"
  • "What's our Q4 roadmap?"
  • "Who should I contact about benefits?"

3. Provide Context​

If needed, add context to your question:

  • "For enterprise customers, what's our refund policy?"
  • "In the mobile app, how do users export their data?"

4. Use Threads​

When Chat Aid responds, continue the conversation in the thread:

You: What's our refund policy?
Chat Aid: [Provides answer about 30-day refunds]
You (in thread): Does this apply to annual plans too?
Chat Aid: [Provides additional context]

5. React with Feedback​

Help Chat Aid improve by reacting to answers:

  • 👍 Good answer
  • 👎 Incorrect or unhelpful answer

Training on Slack Data​

You can train Chat Aid on your Slack channels:

  1. Go to Integrations > Slack in the dashboard
  2. Select which channels to train on
  3. Chat Aid will index messages and threads

Benefits:

  • Find answers from past conversations
  • Leverage institutional knowledge
  • Reduce repeated questions
tip

Only train on channels with valuable, accurate information. Avoid training on casual chat channels.

Permissions and Privacy​

What Can Chat Aid Access?​

With your permission, Chat Aid can:

  • Read messages in channels where it's added
  • Send messages and replies
  • Access your Slack profile information
  • Read your workspace's channel list

What Chat Aid Cannot Do​

Chat Aid cannot:

  • Access channels it hasn't been added to
  • Read private DMs between users
  • Modify your workspace settings
  • Access data without explicit authorization

Data Privacy​

  • Chat Aid only processes data you explicitly share
  • Data from private channels stays private to those channels
  • All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
  • Your Slack data is never used to train any AI models

Learn more: Security & Privacy →

Troubleshooting​

Chat Aid Isn't Responding​

  1. Make sure Chat Aid is added to the channel: /invite @Chat Aid
  2. Check that you mentioned Chat Aid correctly: @Chat Aid
  3. Verify your training is complete in the dashboard

"I Don't Know" Responses​

If Chat Aid says it doesn't know:

  • The answer might not be in your trained data
  • Try connecting more data sources
  • Consider enabling AI fallback for general questions

Advanced Features​

Actions in Slack​

Execute tasks directly from Slack:

  • Create Jira tickets
  • Create Asana tasks
  • Schedule Google Calendar meetings
  • Update Trello cards
  • And more!

Learn more: Chat Aid Actions →

Auto-Answer Configuration​

Set up automatic responses in channels:

  • Choose which channels enable auto-answer
  • Configure confidence thresholds
  • Customize behavior (post in channel vs. DM)

Learn more: Auto-Answer Setup →

Custom Personas​

Customize how Chat Aid responds in Slack:

  • Choose a personality (casual, professional, powerful)
  • Set custom system prompts
  • Configure emoji reactions

Learn more: Personas →

Best Practices​

For Admins​

  1. Start with a few key channels - Add Chat Aid to high-value channels first
  2. Train on relevant data - Connect the data sources your team needs most
  3. Enable auto-answer gradually - Start with one channel, then expand
  4. Monitor the Questions page - Check what's being asked and improve coverage
  5. Invite the team gradually - Start with power users, then expand

For Users​

  1. Ask in threads - Keep conversations organized
  2. Provide feedback - React with 👍/👎 to help Chat Aid improve
  3. Check sources - Click through to verify information
  4. Use in channels - Share knowledge with the team by asking publicly
  5. Follow up - Ask clarifying questions to get better answers

What's Next?​

Need Help?

Our support team is here to help you get the most out of Chat Aid.