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Initial configuration checklist

After installing Glean in Slack, use this checklist to configure the integration for your organization. Each item links to the relevant documentation for detailed instructions.

Essential configuration​

Complete these steps to get Glean in Slack working for your team.

  • Configure bot response behavior: Decide when and how Glean responds in channels: automatically on question detection, only when mentioned with @Glean, or both. See Configure bot responses.
  • Add Glean to channels: Add the Glean app to each Slack channel where you want the bot to respond. Start with a few test channels before a broader rollout. See the installation guide.
  • Set channel scope: In the Glean admin console, specify whether Glean should respond in all public channels and when added to others, only when added to channels, not at all, or only in a specific set of channels. See Enable Gleanbot to respond in Slack channels.
  • Configure emoji reactions: Customize the emoji reactions Glean uses to show status and feedback on messages that trigger a response, including Glean is working on a response, Response posted, Response upvoted, and Response downvoted. See Enable Gleanbot to respond in Slack channels.
  • Verify user access: Confirm that users who will interact with Glean in Slack have Glean accounts, have logged into Glean at least once, and have Assistant access.

Feature-specific configuration​

Enable these optional features based on your organization's needs.

Slack sidebar​

  • Authorize the Glean Slack App: Verify or authorize the Glean Slack App in the Slack API Apps console.
  • Enable the Agent or Assistant feature: In your Slack app's features section, enable Agent or Assistant and configure the required scopes (assistant:write) and event subscriptions (assistant_thread_started, assistant_thread_context_changed).
  • Enable for end users: In the Glean admin console, enable the sidebar entry point for your organization via the Slack data source settings.

See Integrate Glean sidebar in Slack for detailed steps.

Daily digest​

RTS limitation

Daily digest is not supported for Slack RTS-powered deployments. It is only available with the standard Slack connector.

  • Enable daily digest: In the Glean admin console, go to Platform > Data sources > Slack > Glean in Slack tab and enable daily digest for all users or a subset.
  • (Optional) Set up Slack Canvas: Add canvases:read and canvases:write scopes to deliver digests in Slack Canvas format for a better reading experience.
  • Notify users: Let users know they can configure their digest preferences (channels, topics, and delivery time) in the Glean app Home tab in Slack.

See Configure daily digest in Glean in Slack for detailed steps.

Code Writer​

  • Verify GitHub connector: Confirm the GitHub connector is configured and connected to the target repositories.
  • Set up Code Writer action pack: In the Glean admin console, go to Platform > Actions and configure the Code Writer action pack with a GitHub data source and the Glean GitHub App installed.
  • Grant user access: Add engineering users or groups to the Code Writer action's access list in the Enable Actions section.
  • Add Glean to engineering channels: Add the Glean app to relevant channels such as #prod-escalations or #eng-support.

See Use Code Writer with Glean in Slack for detailed steps.

Public Mode​

  • Enable public replies: In the Glean admin console under Platform > Data sources > Slack > Glean in Slack tab, toggle on Allow public replies in channels.
  • Configure rollout scope: Choose whether to enable Public Mode in all active channels or restrict to specific channels. Enabling public replies also enables “Reply to questions without being @mentioned.”
  • Review content visibility: Understand which data sources contribute to public replies (only broadly shared content) and which are excluded for privacy.

See Enable Public Mode for detailed steps.

Monitoring and optimization​

After the initial setup, review these areas to optimize the integration.

  • Monitor usage: Track how often Glean responds in channels and how users interact with responses. Use feedback signals, such as response upvotes and downvotes, to gauge response quality.
  • Tune question detection: If Glean responds too often or not enough, adjust channel-level settings using /glean configure in Slack to control response frequency. See Customize question detection for Agents in Slack for agent-specific tuning.
  • Review cost: If you use your own Azure OpenAI key, monitor usage as you add more channels. Work with Glean sales or customer success for cost estimates based on channel volume.
  • Review best practices: Encourage users to ask clear, complete questions in channels and use @Glean when they want to explicitly prompt a response.

See also​

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