Slack and Tray

Slack is the enterprise messaging platform where teams coordinate work across channels, DMs, reactions, and modals. On its own, Slack doesn’t run cross-system workflows, enforce structured approvals, or take action in Jira, Okta, Salesforce, and the rest of your stack. Tray connects Slack to that stack so messages trigger automations and Slack-native agents that raise tickets, provision access, update records, and capture approvals in real time.

With Tray, you can
Build agents
 that can take action, build powerful Slack
Automations
, and set up
Integrations
.

Build

Build agents that take action with Tray and Slack

With Slack as your front door, the right knock unlocks the agents within. Messages and events give live context, Tray turns them into triggers, and Merlin Agent Builder grounds the agent in what your teams discuss and share. The agent answers in-channel, takes action across tools such as Jira, Okta, ServiceNow, Salesforce, and closes the loop back in Slack with a clear audit trail.

Ground agents with relevant Slack knowledge

  • Channel ingestion: Index selected channels and threads into Tray vector storage
  • File context: Index shared files you authorize
  • Scoped access: Limit ingestion to approved channels and workspaces via OAuth scopes
  • Freshness controls: Schedule re-ingestion and set retention windows

Automations

Automations with Tray and Slack

Use Slack as the front door for routine work. Route requests from channels and DMs to the right system, collect structured input with Block Kit modals, and complete approvals in Slack so work moves without tickets sitting in queues. Automations post updates back to the right channel, escalate when thresholds are met, and keep an audit trail for IT and security.

Templates

Get started with pre-built Slack templates.

Slack app agent deployment

Use this project to get started with Slack app agents.

Notify Slack when Salesforce Opportunity is "Closed Won"

Sends a celebratory Slack notification to a chosen channel when an opportunity is successfully closed in Salesforce.

The employee Slack notices project

Useful tool for notifying employees of important updates using Slack.

Integrations

Integrations with Tray and Slack

Slack isn’t a dead end. It should open up new ways of working. One request in Slack should update Salesforce, open a Jira ticket, or provision access in Okta without context switching. Tray translates Slack events and inputs into API calls across your stack so work moves in the right system and status flows back to the channel. The same integrations power your event-driven automations and the tools your Slack agents use to take action.

Slack integration capabilities

Integrate Slack with 700+ applications plus any system with an API using our HTTP connector. Everything you need to build sophisticated Slack automations and integrations comes out of the box.

Create and manage conversations at scale.

  • Post and update: Send channel, DM, and thread messages; edit or schedule posts
  • Threaded replies: Reply in threads and fetch context for linked actions
  • Reactions: Add or remove emoji reactions for lightweight status and approvals
  • Message management: Pin or unpin messages; delete where permissions allow

Tray vs. Agentforce

Agentforce is Salesforce’s native agent platform and the agent option for Slack inside the Salesforce ecosystem. If most of your processes and data live in Salesforce, Agentforce may fit. If you need a Slack agent that operates across the rest of your stack, Tray is the better choice.

Merlin Agent Builder

Runs in Slack without Salesforce dependency

Acts across entire stack with 700+ connectors

Bring your own LLM or choose Tray-hosted models

Cross-system guardrails, RBAC, and end-to-end logging

Agentforce

Requires connected Salesforce org

Optimized for Salesforce objects, flows, and approvals surfaced in Slack

Uses Einstein model options

Governance and visibility centered in the Salesforce platform

For a deeper comparison and Salesforce-specific patterns, see the Salesforce connector page.

FAQs

Create a Slack app with approved OAuth scopes, install it in selected workspaces, and invite it to the channels you choose. RBAC in Tray limits who can build and run tools, and each tool is scoped to specific connections and actions. Approvals add human checks for sensitive steps.