Slack Webhook Integration

Slack provides multiple webhook types for different use cases: Incoming Webhooks for posting messages, Event Subscriptions for receiving events, and Interactive Components for handling user interactions. Build powerful Slack integrations with real-time event handling.

Quick Start

Get your Unhook URL: https://unhook.sh/wh_YOUR_ID
Configure in Slack App Settings: api.slack.com/apps
Start receiving events locally: unhook listen

Webhook Types

1. Event Subscriptions (Recommended)

Real-time events from Slack workspace:

Message events
User activity
Channel changes
App mentions
File uploads

2. Interactive Components

User interactions with your app:

Button clicks
Menu selections
Dialog submissions
Shortcuts

3. Slash Commands

Custom commands triggered by users:

/command style triggers
Custom parameters
Direct responses

Configuration Steps

Setting Up Event Subscriptions

1. Create or Configure Slack App

Go to api.slack.com/apps
Create a new app or select existing
Navigate to Event Subscriptions

2. Enable Events

Toggle Enable Events to On
Enter Request URL:
```
https://unhook.sh/wh_YOUR_ID
```
Slack will send a verification challenge
Once verified, the URL will show as Verified ✓

Select workspace events: Message Events

message.channels - Messages in public channels
message.groups - Messages in private channels
message.im - Direct messages
message.mpim - Group direct messages
app_mention - When your app is @mentioned
message.reactions - Reactions added/removed

User & Team Events

team_join - New team member joined
user_change - User profile updated
user_status_changed - Status update
member_joined_channel - User joined channel
member_left_channel - User left channel

Channel Events

channel_created - New channel created
channel_deleted - Channel deleted
channel_rename - Channel renamed
channel_archive - Channel archived
channel_unarchive - Channel unarchived

File Events

file_created - File uploaded
file_shared - File shared
file_deleted - File deleted
file_comment_added - Comment on file

4. Save Changes

Click Save Changes to activate subscriptions

Setting Up Interactive Components

Navigate to Interactivity & Shortcuts
Toggle Interactivity to On
Enter Request URL:
```
https://unhook.sh/wh_YOUR_ID
```
Optionally configure:
- Select Menus Options Load URL
- Shortcuts

Setting Up Slash Commands

Navigate to Slash Commands
Click Create New Command
Configure:
- Command: /yourcommand
- Request URL: https://unhook.sh/wh_YOUR_ID
- Short Description
- Usage Hint
Click Save

Event Payload Examples

Message Event

{
  "token": "verification_token",
  "team_id": "T1234567890",
  "api_app_id": "A1234567890",
  "event": {
    "type": "message",
    "user": "U1234567890",
    "text": "Hello team!",
    "ts": "1234567890.123456",
    "channel": "C1234567890",
    "event_ts": "1234567890.123456"
  },
  "type": "event_callback",
  "event_id": "Ev1234567890",
  "event_time": 1234567890
}

App Mention Event

{
  "token": "verification_token",
  "team_id": "T1234567890",
  "api_app_id": "A1234567890",
  "event": {
    "type": "app_mention",
    "user": "U1234567890",
    "text": "<@U0LAN0Z89> can you help with this?",
    "ts": "1234567890.123456",
    "channel": "C1234567890",
    "event_ts": "1234567890.123456"
  },
  "type": "event_callback",
  "event_id": "Ev1234567890",
  "event_time": 1234567890
}

Interactive Component (Button Click)

{
  "type": "interactive_message",
  "actions": [
    {
      "name": "approve",
      "type": "button",
      "value": "approve_123"
    }
  ],
  "callback_id": "approval_workflow",
  "team": {
    "id": "T1234567890",
    "domain": "workspace"
  },
  "channel": {
    "id": "C1234567890",
    "name": "general"
  },
  "user": {
    "id": "U1234567890",
    "name": "john.doe"
  },
  "action_ts": "1234567890.123456",
  "message_ts": "1234567890.123456",
  "attachment_id": "1",
  "token": "verification_token",
  "response_url": "https://hooks.slack.com/actions/T123/456/xyz"
}

Slash Command

{
  "token": "verification_token",
  "team_id": "T1234567890",
  "team_domain": "workspace",
  "channel_id": "C1234567890",
  "channel_name": "general",
  "user_id": "U1234567890",
  "user_name": "john.doe",
  "command": "/weather",
  "text": "San Francisco",
  "response_url": "https://hooks.slack.com/commands/T123/456/xyz",
  "trigger_id": "1234567890.123456"
}

Webhook Verification

URL Verification Challenge

Slack sends this when first setting up:

app.post('/webhook', (req, res) => {
  // URL verification challenge
  if (req.body.type === 'url_verification') {
    return res.send(req.body.challenge);
  }

  // Process other events...
});

Request Signature Verification

Verify requests are from Slack:

const crypto = require('crypto');

function verifySlackRequest(req, signingSecret) {
  const signature = req.headers['x-slack-signature'];
  const timestamp = req.headers['x-slack-request-timestamp'];

  // Check timestamp to prevent replay attacks
  const time = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
  if (Math.abs(time - timestamp) > 300) {
    return false;
  }

  // Create signature base string
  const sigBasestring = `v0:${timestamp}:${req.rawBody}`;

  // Create signature
  const mySignature = 'v0=' + crypto
    .createHmac('sha256', signingSecret)
    .update(sigBasestring)
    .digest('hex');

  // Compare signatures
  return crypto.timingSafeEqual(
    Buffer.from(mySignature),
    Buffer.from(signature)
  );
}

// Express middleware
app.use(express.raw({ type: 'application/json' }));

app.post('/webhook', (req, res) => {
  if (!verifySlackRequest(req, process.env.SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET)) {
    return res.status(403).send('Forbidden');
  }

  const body = JSON.parse(req.body);
  // Process the webhook...
});

Response Formats

Event Acknowledgment

Always respond quickly (within 3 seconds):

app.post('/webhook', async (req, res) => {
  // Acknowledge immediately
  res.status(200).send();

  // Process asynchronously
  await processSlackEvent(req.body);
});

Interactive Response

For interactive components, you can update the message:

async function handleButtonClick(payload) {
  // Immediate response
  const immediateResponse = {
    text: "Processing your request...",
    replace_original: true
  };

  // Send to response_url within 30 minutes
  await fetch(payload.response_url, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      text: "✅ Request approved!",
      replace_original: true
    })
  });
}

Slash Command Response

app.post('/slash-command', (req, res) => {
  // Immediate response (visible only to user)
  res.json({
    response_type: "ephemeral",
    text: "Got it! Processing your request..."
  });

  // Or public response
  res.json({
    response_type: "in_channel",
    text: "Weather for San Francisco: ☀️ 72°F"
  });
});

Best Practices

1. Handle Rate Limits

Respect Slack’s rate limits:

const rateLimiter = new Map();

async function postToSlack(channel, message) {
  const key = `${channel}:${Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)}`;
  const count = rateLimiter.get(key) || 0;

  if (count >= 1) {
    // Slack allows ~1 message per second per channel
    await sleep(1000);
  }

  rateLimiter.set(key, count + 1);
  await slack.chat.postMessage({ channel, text: message });
}

2. Use Slack SDK

const { WebClient } = require('@slack/web-api');
const slack = new WebClient(process.env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN);

async function handleMention(event) {
  // React to the message
  await slack.reactions.add({
    channel: event.channel,
    timestamp: event.ts,
    name: 'eyes'
  });

  // Reply in thread
  await slack.chat.postMessage({
    channel: event.channel,
    thread_ts: event.ts,
    text: "I'm on it! 🚀"
  });
}

3. Handle Retries

Slack may retry failed webhooks:

const processedEvents = new Set();

function handleSlackEvent(event) {
  const eventId = event.event_id;

  if (processedEvents.has(eventId)) {
    console.log(`Duplicate event ${eventId} ignored`);
    return;
  }

  processedEvents.add(eventId);

  // Process event...

  // Clean up old events periodically
  setTimeout(() => processedEvents.delete(eventId), 3600000);
}

4. Error Handling

Implement robust error handling:

app.post('/webhook', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    // Acknowledge immediately
    res.status(200).send();

    const { event } = req.body;

    switch (event.type) {
      case 'message':
        await handleMessage(event);
        break;
      case 'app_mention':
        await handleMention(event);
        break;
      default:
        console.log(`Unhandled event type: ${event.type}`);
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Webhook processing error:', error);

    // Notify monitoring
    await notifyError({
      type: 'slack_webhook_error',
      event: req.body,
      error: error.message
    });
  }
});

Common Use Cases

Auto-respond to Keywords

async function handleMessage(event) {
  if (event.text?.toLowerCase().includes('help')) {
    await slack.chat.postMessage({
      channel: event.channel,
      text: "Need help? Try these commands:\n• `/status` - Check system status\n• `/docs` - View documentation"
    });
  }
}

Approval Workflows

async function requestApproval(request) {
  await slack.chat.postMessage({
    channel: '#approvals',
    blocks: [
      {
        type: 'section',
        text: {
          type: 'mrkdwn',
          text: `*Approval Request*\n${request.description}`
        }
      },
      {
        type: 'actions',
        elements: [
          {
            type: 'button',
            text: { type: 'plain_text', text: 'Approve' },
            style: 'primary',
            action_id: 'approve_request',
            value: request.id
          },
          {
            type: 'button',
            text: { type: 'plain_text', text: 'Deny' },
            style: 'danger',
            action_id: 'deny_request',
            value: request.id
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  });
}

Testing Webhooks

Using Slack’s Event Tester

Go to Event Subscriptions page
Find “Send Test Event” button
Select event type and send

Manual Testing

// Send test message
await slack.chat.postMessage({
  channel: '#test',
  text: 'Test message for webhook'
});

// Trigger app mention
await slack.chat.postMessage({
  channel: '#test',
  text: '<@U1234567890> test mention'
});

Environment Variables

# Slack App Credentials
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-1234567890-1234567890123-xxxxxxxxxxxx
SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
SLACK_CLIENT_ID=1234567890.1234567890
SLACK_CLIENT_SECRET=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

# Optional
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-1-xxxxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
SLACK_VERIFICATION_TOKEN=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (deprecated)

Common Issues

URL Verification Failing

Ensure webhook responds with challenge value
Check response is plain text, not JSON
Verify URL is publicly accessible

Missing Events

Check bot has required scopes
Ensure bot is in the channel
Verify event subscriptions are saved

Rate Limit Errors

Implement exponential backoff
Use batching where possible
Cache frequently accessed data

Useful Links

Slack API: api.slack.com
App Management: api.slack.com/apps
Event Types Reference: api.slack.com/events
Interactive Components: api.slack.com/interactivity
Block Kit Builder: app.slack.com/block-kit-builder
Slack SDK: slack.dev/node-slack-sdk

Support

Need help with Slack webhooks?

Get Started

Reference

Solutions

Development

​Slack Webhook Integration

​Quick Start

​Webhook Types

​1. Event Subscriptions (Recommended)

​2. Interactive Components

​3. Slash Commands

​Configuration Steps

​Setting Up Event Subscriptions

​1. Create or Configure Slack App

​2. Enable Events

​3. Subscribe to Events

​4. Save Changes

​Setting Up Interactive Components

​Setting Up Slash Commands

​Event Payload Examples

​Message Event

​App Mention Event

​Interactive Component (Button Click)

​Slash Command

​Webhook Verification

​URL Verification Challenge

​Request Signature Verification

​Response Formats

​Event Acknowledgment

​Interactive Response

​Slash Command Response

​Best Practices

​1. Handle Rate Limits

​2. Use Slack SDK

​3. Handle Retries

​4. Error Handling

​Common Use Cases

​Auto-respond to Keywords

​Approval Workflows

​Testing Webhooks

​Using Slack’s Event Tester

​Manual Testing

​Environment Variables

​Common Issues

​URL Verification Failing

​Missing Events

​Rate Limit Errors

​Useful Links

​Support