Slack MCP server

This MCP server provides tools for Claude to interact with Slack workspaces, enabling operations like listing channels, posting messages, getting message history, and more.

Installation

Setting Up Your Slack App

1. Create a Slack App:

   • Visit the Slack Apps page
   • Click "Create New App"
   • Choose "From scratch"
   • Name your app and select your workspace

2. Configure Bot Token Scopes: Navigate to "OAuth & Permissions" and add these scopes:

   • channels:history - View messages and other content in public channels
   • channels:read - View basic channel information
   • chat:write - Send messages as the app
   • reactions:write - Add emoji reactions to messages
   • users:read - View users and their basic information

3. Install App to Workspace:

   • Click "Install to Workspace" and authorize the app
   • Save the "Bot User OAuth Token" that starts with xoxb-

4. Get your Team ID (starts with a T) by following this guidance

Configuring the MCP Server

Add the MCP server to your claude_desktop_config.json using one of the following methods:

Using npx

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-slack"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-bot-token",
        "SLACK_TEAM_ID": "T01234567"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN",
        "-e",
        "SLACK_TEAM_ID",
        "mcp/slack"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-bot-token",
        "SLACK_TEAM_ID": "T01234567"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Working with Channels

List Channels

The slack_list_channels tool allows you to list public channels in the workspace:

• Optional inputs:
  • limit (number, default: 100, max: 200): Maximum number of channels to return
  • cursor (string): Pagination cursor for next page
• Returns: List of channels with their IDs and information

Get Channel History

The slack_get_channel_history tool retrieves recent messages from a channel:

• Required inputs:
  • channel_id (string): The channel ID
• Optional inputs:
  • limit (number, default: 10): Number of messages to retrieve
• Returns: List of messages with their content and metadata

Sending Messages

Post New Message

The slack_post_message tool posts a new message to a Slack channel:

• Required inputs:
  • channel_id (string): The ID of the channel to post to
  • text (string): The message text to post
• Returns: Message posting confirmation and timestamp

Reply to Thread

The slack_reply_to_thread tool lets you reply to a specific message thread:

• Required inputs:
  • channel_id (string): The channel containing the thread
  • thread_ts (string): Timestamp of the parent message
  • text (string): The reply text
• Returns: Reply confirmation and timestamp

Add Reaction

The slack_add_reaction tool adds an emoji reaction to a message:

• Required inputs:
  • channel_id (string): The channel containing the message
  • timestamp (string): Message timestamp to react to
  • reaction (string): Emoji name without colons
• Returns: Reaction confirmation

Thread Management

Get Thread Replies

The slack_get_thread_replies tool retrieves all replies in a message thread:

• Required inputs:
  • channel_id (string): The channel containing the thread
  • thread_ts (string): Timestamp of the parent message
• Returns: List of replies with their content and metadata

User Information

List Users

The slack_get_users tool gets a list of workspace users with basic profile information:

• Optional inputs:
  • cursor (string): Pagination cursor for next page
  • limit (number, default: 100, max: 200): Maximum users to return
• Returns: List of users with their basic profiles

Get User Profile

The slack_get_user_profile tool retrieves detailed profile information for a specific user:

• Required inputs:
  • user_id (string): The user's ID
• Returns: Detailed user profile information

Troubleshooting

If you encounter permission errors, verify that:

• All required scopes are added to your Slack app
• The app is properly installed to your workspace
• The tokens and workspace ID are correctly copied to your configuration
• The app has been added to the channels it needs to access

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.