[Extension] How to integrate Slack with Blip

1. Introduction

2. Features

3. Prerequisites

4. Installation and configuration

5. Usage examples

6. Support

Brief description: Connect a Blip chatbot to a Slack workspace and turn Slack into a service channel, with messages processed by the flow published in Builder.

Introduction

The Slack extension connects a Blip chatbot to a Slack workspace. Employees chat with the bot through direct messages (DMs) in Slack: what the person sends reaches the flow published in Builder, and the bot's response returns to the same conversation in Slack.

For example, an employee sends a question about the vacation process through Slack. The bot flow identifies the intent and responds with the instructions in the same conversation, without the person needing to leave Slack.

Features

• Receives text messages and files (images and documents) sent in Slack and forwards them to the bot flow in Builder.

• Sends the bot's responses in Slack as formatted text, images, and other files.

• Converts option menus in the flow into clickable buttons in Slack; the selected option is sent back to the flow.

• Creates the contact in Blip from the Slack user, including their name, email address, and profile picture.

• Allows you to connect using Wiv's default app or your own Slack app by entering the Client ID, Client Secret, and Signing Secret.

Supported on the Slack channel through direct messages (DMs) between the user and the Slack app.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A bot published in Blip with the service flow configured in Builder.

• Permission to install extensions in the contract.

• Access to a Slack workspace with administrator permission to authorize the app.

• A browser with pop-ups and cookies enabled, since authorization opens a pop-up window.

Installation and configuration

1. Open the Slack extension in Blip Store and click Start free trial.

2. Select the contract, choose the service bot that runs the flow, and confirm the installation. The extension will then appear among the bot's installed extensions.

Attention: install the extension on the same bot that contains the flow that will respond to the messages. Each Slack workspace connects to a single bot; when connecting to another bot, the previous configuration is replaced.

3. On the bot platform, open the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and open the Slack extension page.

4. Click Connect to Slack. A Slack authorization pop-up window opens.

5. Log in to the Slack workspace if prompted, and confirm that the displayed workspace is the environment where the bot will be used. The same user may have access to multiple workspaces.

6. Review the app name and requested permissions, and click Allow.

7. After authorizing, you return to the extension page in Blip, which displays "Extension connected to workspace [name]." The connection is complete.

Attention: the Slack extension is paid, developed by Wiv, and offers a free trial period.

Use your own Slack app

To connect using a Slack app created by your company, select Use custom Slack app and enter the app's Client ID, Client Secret, and Signing Secret before clicking Connect to Slack. Without this option, the connection uses Wiv's default app.

Usage examples

Exchange text messages

Once the connection is established, the bot responds to messages received in Slack according to the flow published in Builder. The user sends the message in Slack, the bot processes the intent or flow rule, and responds in the same conversation.

Send images and files

The bot also sends images and files related to the conversation content. Configure the media content in Builder with a public, accessible URL, publish the flow, and test it in Slack.

Note: as with WhatsApp, larger files may take longer to appear in Slack. This additional time does not always indicate a sending failure.

Contact management

Each Slack user becomes a contact in Blip identified by the user's Slack ID, not by their phone number. The contact stores the Slack user's name, email address, and profile picture, and the variables collected during the conversation are associated with them. Look up this contact in Blip using the Slack identifier, and consider this same identifier when performing analyses. Changing the display name in Slack does not change the user's internal ID.

Support

If you have questions or problems with the extension, contact us by email at support@wiv.com.br.

Need more help? Explore our content on Blip Academy or Blip Community, watch tutorials on our YouTube channel or get your questions answered through our support channel 😃