Slack Integration
AI Support Meets Your Slack Workspace
When your AI agent can't resolve a customer issue, it escalates the conversation directly to your Slack channel — with full context, conversation history, and a thread your team can reply in. Customers get a seamless handoff; your team never leaves Slack.
See It In Action
How SupportUnicorn Works in Slack
Watch how AI escalations, threaded replies, and broadcast messages work inside your Slack workspace.
AI escalation with full context
When your AI agent can't resolve a question, it posts an escalation to your Slack channel with the customer's details, escalation reason, message counts, and the last 10 messages of conversation history — all in one thread.
Reply in-thread, reach the customer
Your team replies directly in the Slack thread. The message is forwarded to the customer in real-time via their original channel — live chat widget, SMS, or WhatsApp.
Broadcast messages from Slack
Use the SupportUnicorn shortcut in Slack to send outbound SMS or WhatsApp messages to customers without leaving Slack.
What Triggers Slack Messages
Exactly what posts messages to your Slack channel
SupportUnicorn doesn't flood your Slack with every customer message. Messages are only posted to Slack in these specific scenarios:
AI escalation to human
When your AI agent determines it cannot resolve a customer query — for example, the customer asks for a human, the question is outside the knowledge base, or it involves a sensitive topic — the conversation is escalated to your configured Slack channel. The escalation message includes the channel type (live chat, SMS, or WhatsApp), customer identifier, escalation reason, agent name, message counts, and the last 10 messages of conversation history as threaded replies.
Customer replies on escalated conversations
Once a conversation is escalated to Slack, any new messages from the customer (via live chat, SMS, or WhatsApp) are automatically forwarded as threaded replies in the existing Slack thread, so your team sees the full conversation in one place.
Broadcast messages initiated from Slack
Your team can use the "Send Broadcast Message" Slack shortcut to send outbound SMS or WhatsApp messages to customers directly from Slack. A new thread is created in your channel showing the message details and a "Close Conversation" button.
Bot home tab dashboard
When a team member opens the SupportUnicorn bot's Home tab in Slack, they see a live dashboard with conversation counts (unanswered, waiting on agent, waiting on customer), escalation path status, widget and integration configurations, and quick-action buttons.
Features
Your support team's new home in Slack
Handle live chat, SMS, and WhatsApp conversations without leaving Slack.
AI Escalation with Context
When your AI agent can't resolve an issue, it posts to your Slack channel with the escalation reason, customer details, message counts, and the last 10 messages of conversation history — all in a single thread.
Reply in Slack, Reach the Customer
Reply directly in the Slack thread and your message is forwarded to the customer in real-time via their original channel — live chat widget, SMS, or WhatsApp.
Escalation Paths
Configure multiple escalation paths, each linked to a specific Slack channel. Different AI agents can escalate to different channels, so the right team always gets the right conversations.
Broadcast Messages
Use the SupportUnicorn Slack shortcut to send outbound SMS or WhatsApp messages to customers. Select recipients, compose a message, and send — all from within Slack.
Home Tab Dashboard
Open the SupportUnicorn bot's Home tab for a live overview: unanswered conversations, waiting on agent, waiting on customer, escalation path status, and widget configurations.
Manage Widgets & Integrations from Slack
Create chat widgets, configure SMS/WhatsApp integrations, map widgets to channels, and set up AI settings — all through interactive Slack modals without leaving your workspace.
Configuration Guide
Follow these steps to set up and configure the SupportUnicorn Slack integration.
Step 1: Install the Slack App
Click "Add to Slack" from this page or from your SupportUnicorn dashboard (Settings > Integrations > Slack). You'll be redirected to Slack to authorize the app. If you're already logged in to SupportUnicorn, your workspace is linked automatically. If not, you'll receive a 6-character claim code in the bot's Home tab — enter it in your SupportUnicorn dashboard to link your workspace.
Step 2: Create an AI Agent & Escalation Path
In your SupportUnicorn dashboard, create an AI agent and upload your knowledge base (FAQs, docs, or files). Then create an escalation path and select the Slack channel where escalated conversations should appear. The bot must be invited to private channels; public channels are joined automatically.
Step 3: Add a Chat Widget or SMS/WhatsApp Integration
Create a chat widget and embed the code snippet on your website, or set up an SMS/WhatsApp integration via Twilio. You can also do this directly from the bot's Home tab in Slack using the interactive buttons.
Step 4: Respond to Escalations in Slack
When the AI agent escalates a conversation, it posts a message to your configured Slack channel with the customer's details and conversation history in a thread. Reply in the thread to respond to the customer — your message is forwarded in real-time via the customer's original channel (live chat, SMS, or WhatsApp). Click "Close Conversation" when resolved.
Step 5: Send Broadcast Messages (Optional)
Use the "Send Broadcast Message" shortcut in Slack to send outbound SMS or WhatsApp messages. A multi-step modal guides you through selecting a configuration, adding recipients, and composing the message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about configuring and using the Slack integration.
How do I install the Slack app?
Click "Add to Slack" from this page or from your SupportUnicorn dashboard. You'll be redirected to Slack to authorize the app. If you're logged in to SupportUnicorn, your workspace is linked automatically. If not, you'll receive a 6-character claim code in the bot's Home tab — enter it in your SupportUnicorn dashboard (Settings > Integrations > Slack) to link your workspace. Claim codes expire after 48 hours but can be regenerated from the Home tab.
What exactly triggers a message in my Slack channel?
Three things post messages to your Slack channel: (1) AI escalations — when your AI agent can't resolve a customer question, it posts the conversation with full context and history to your configured escalation channel. (2) Customer replies — when a customer replies on an already-escalated conversation, their message appears as a threaded reply in the existing Slack thread. (3) Broadcast messages — when a team member uses the "Send Broadcast Message" shortcut to send outbound SMS or WhatsApp messages.
How does my team reply to customers from Slack?
Reply directly in the Slack thread of an escalated conversation. Your message is forwarded to the customer in real-time via their original channel — live chat widget, SMS, or WhatsApp. For SMS and WhatsApp, messages are delivered via Twilio. The customer sees the reply wherever they started the conversation.
When does the AI bot respond vs. escalate to my team?
The AI agent responds automatically to questions it can answer using your uploaded knowledge base (FAQs, docs, files). It escalates to your Slack channel when it doesn't have enough information to answer, when the customer explicitly asks for a human, or when the conversation meets your configured escalation conditions.
Which Slack channels can I use?
You can use any public or private channel. The bot automatically joins public channels when selected. For private channels, you must manually invite the SupportUnicorn bot first. Each escalation path can be configured to use a different channel, so different AI agents can escalate to different teams.
What does the bot's Home tab show?
The Home tab displays a live dashboard with your connection status, conversation counts (unanswered, waiting on agent, waiting on customer), escalation path configurations, chat widget status, SMS/WhatsApp integrations, and quick-action buttons for managing everything. For unclaimed installations, it shows the claim code and expiration.
Can I manage widgets and integrations from Slack?
Yes. From the bot's Home tab, you can create and edit chat widgets, map widgets to Slack channels, configure SMS/WhatsApp integrations through a multi-step setup wizard, configure AI settings for each widget or integration, and view setup instructions — all through interactive Slack modals.
What happens when I uninstall the app from Slack?
When the SupportUnicorn app is removed from your Slack workspace, the associated Slack installation record is deleted. Existing conversations are preserved in SupportUnicorn but will no longer receive updates in Slack.
Is there a free plan?
Yes, the Slack integration is available on all plans, including the free tier. Get started with no credit card required.
Stop missing escalations
Install in minutes. When your AI agent can't resolve a question, the full conversation lands in your Slack channel — ready for your team to reply. Free plan available.