Integration for Slack

Connect Codegen to your Slack workspace to enable seamless communication between agents and your team.

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Installation

To use this integration, follow the installation and configuration steps below.

After installation, proceed to the Configuration Instructions below to finish setup and begin using Codegen in your Slack workspace.

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Capabilities & Functions

Codegen functions as a full-fledged software engineer that you can interact with directly through Slack. When responding to messages in Slack, Codegen can:

• Perform Research: Search the web for information, documentation, or solutions to problems.
• Manage Issues: Triage and update issues in Linear or GitHub based on your requests.
• Develop Code: Make code changes, improvements, or implement new features across your repositories.
• Create Pull Requests: Draft, review, and submit PRs with detailed descriptions and context.
• Provide Updates: Keep you informed about progress, blockers, or completion of tasks.
• Request Clarification: Ask for additional context or guidance when needed to complete a task effectively.
• Share Results: Deliver summaries, documentation, links to PRs, or explanations of changes made.

All of these capabilities are accessible through natural language interactions in your Slack workspace, allowing your team to leverage Codegen’s assistance without context switching between different platforms.

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Configuration Instructions

After installing the integration from the Slack Marketplace, configure the bot by inviting it to relevant channels and setting up triggers so Codegen knows when and how to respond.

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Channel Setup

• Invite the Codegen bot: Type /invite @codegen in any channel where you want Codegen to participate.
• (Optional) Create a dedicated channel: Some Codegen users find creating a channel like #codegen helpful for general agent interactions and to encourage experimentation.

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What Triggers Slack Messages from Codegen

These triggers kick off new Codegen requests:

• Direct mentions: Type @codegen followed by your request in any channel where the bot is present.
• Thread replies: Tag @codegen in threads to continue the conversation.
• Direct messages: Send a DM to the Codegen bot for private conversations.

In addition, Codegen will send messages to Slack when:

• It starts work on a request you made
• It receives an additional message while working on a request
• It completes a task, code change, or research request

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How Codegen Responds to Slack Messages

Codegen only responds when tagged or messaged directly. Use these approaches to ensure your request reaches it:

• Direct Messages:

  • Responds to any DM sent to the Codegen integration for Slack
  • Has visibility into previous messages in the conversation (not just threaded replies)
  • This provides a more natural conversation experience as many users don’t thread messages in DMs

• Channel Messages:

  • Responds to any message that @mentions Codegen in channels where the integration for Slack is installed
  • Only has visibility into the local context of the thread/conversation
  • Sending subsequent messages within a thread routes to the same agent (tag @codegen to trigger)
  • New messages to @codegen in an active thread will interrupt the agent if it’s currently working

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Data Privacy and Security

Message Content Handling:

• Third-Party LLM APIs: To provide its core functionality, Codegen shares message content with third-party Large Language Model (LLM) APIs, specifically OpenAI and Anthropic.
• Data Retention: Outside of the LLM API interactions, message content is retained by Codegen solely for the purpose of displaying it within the Codegen user interface.
• Metadata from Private Channels: When messages from private Slack channels are processed, Codegen does not expose private metadata, such as the original author’s name or username, in the Codegen web app.

User Permissions and Access Control:

Codegen’s actions on connected repositories are governed by the permissions of the user who initiated the interaction via Slack. The bot itself does not have independent permissions to repositories. Access to repositories and the ability to trigger actions are determined by the Codegen user’s authenticated account and their associated repository permissions. We recommend configuring channel access carefully during installation to ensure the Codegen integration for Slack is only present in channels where its use is appropriate.

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Tips for Effective Use

• Use direct language when asking Codegen for help (e.g., “Add pagination to the results view”).
• Mention Codegen early in the message so it is triggered promptly.
• Use threads for ongoing conversations with Codegen so it has access to previous context.