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How to Connect Third-Party Apps to Slack

Tap through the steps to see how to connect an app.

  1. Open the App Directory

    Click 'Apps' at the bottom of Slack's left sidebar, or visit slack.com/apps, to browse thousands of apps available to connect.

  2. Search for and add an app

    Type an app's name into the search bar, find the one you want, and click 'Add to Slack' to go to its permissions approval screen. Some apps require workspace admin approval, so installation may be restricted depending on permissions.

  3. Connect Google Drive

    Adding the Google Drive app makes file titles and previews appear automatically whenever a Google Docs or Sheets link is pasted into Slack, though each individual user needs to authenticate their Google account the first time they use it.

  4. Connect Trello

    Connecting Trello lets you create Trello cards directly from a channel using a slash command, or receive channel notifications whenever a card's status changes.

  5. Set per-channel notifications for each integration

    Each connected app can be configured to send notifications to a specific channel -- for example, routing Trello alerts to a project channel while Google Drive alerts go to a document-sharing channel.

  6. Remove apps you no longer use

    An admin can check the 'Manage Apps' section in workspace settings to find and remove apps that are no longer in use, cutting down on unnecessary notifications and security risk.

If you want to bring several tools into one place

Instead of switching between separate apps to check files, task cards, and schedules, connecting outside apps to Slack lets you see notifications and updates from all of them in a single screen.

Review integrations the same way you'd review any other software

Since a connected app often gets access to messages, files, or user profile data inside your workspace, it's worth treating each integration request the same way you'd evaluate any new software -- checking what permissions it asks for before approving it, especially for apps that aren't widely known.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone install any app into a workspace?

Not necessarily -- depending on the workspace's settings, regular members may be blocked from installing apps directly and have to wait for an admin's approval instead.

If I remove a connected app later, does its old notification history disappear too?

No, messages and notifications the app already posted to a channel stay right where they are; removing the app only stops new notifications from coming in going forward.