If your organization has a rate-limiting exception that allows you to continue using Slack Native for indexing, this documentation does not apply to your deployment.
Available Slack connectors
Glean provides the following Slack connectors in the Admin Console.
| Connector | Description | Slack app type | What it reads | Typical use |
|---|
| Slack Real Time Search (RTS) | Fetches Slack messages live at query time. | Slack Marketplace app managed by Glean | Slack messages and threads returned by the RTS API in real time | Primary Slack connector for all customers. Required for Search and Assistant, and for Glean in Slack alongside the Slack connector. |
| Slack | Collects engagement signals and powers proactive experiences. | Per‑customer custom Slack app | Signals and identity metadata; message bodies (exception only) | Recommended for Glean in Slack, actions, or richer ranking signals. Required for proactive experiences like Glean in Slack and future digests. |
Older Slack connectors that use the Discovery API or a legacy central Slack app must be updated before March 3, 2026.
Which connectors should you use?
Use the table below to choose the right configuration.
| Scenario | Action |
|---|
| Connecting Slack to Glean for the first time | Set up Slack Real Time Search (RTS) as your primary connector. Also set up Slack for Glean in Slack or richer ranking signals. |
| Existing connector indexes messages (custom app) | Keep your existing connector for now, but setup Slack Real Time Search (RTS) as soon as possible. Work with your Glean representative to decide whether the Slack connector should continue indexing messages after March 3, 2026, based on any Slack rate limit exceptions you have in place. |
| Using Slack Enterprise Grid Connector or Slack connector with a central slack app | Setup Slack Real Time Search (RTS) and migrate their existing Slack connectors. |
| Possess a Slack‑approved rate‑limit exception for indexing | Set up Slack Real Time Search (RTS) and migrate their old Slack instance. Share exception details with Glean Support to maintain indexing alongside RTS. |
| Unsure which connector is active | Contact Glean Support or your representative before making changes. |
Slack Real Time Search (RTS) data flow
This section describes how data flows between Slack and Glean when you enable RTS.
- A user issues a query in Glean or via Glean in Slack.
- The Glean query engine detects Slack‑related intent. It passes the query and filters to the Slack RTS connector.
- The connector retrieves the user’s Slack OAuth token from a secure token store.
- The connector uses that token to call the Slack RTS endpoint (assistant.search.context) over HTTPS.
- Slack returns matching messages and optional thread context. Results include only what the user is allowed to see in Slack.
- Glean enriches these results in memory with user and channel metadata.
- Glean renders the results in Search, Assistant, or Glean in Slack.
Glean does not write Slack message bodies into the long‑term Slack index in RTS‑only mode.
Figure 1: High‑level architecture for Glean’s Slack RTS connector, showing query flow, secure token lookup, the Slack RTS API call, and rendering back into Glean.
