# How to connect Slackbot to OpenClaw (no API keys)

> Connect Slackbot to OpenClaw with ClawLink in one click — hosted OAuth, no API keys, no manual setup. Run real actions straight from chat.

Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/slackbot

The usual route to Slackbot access for OpenClaw is an MCP server you configure and keep running, plus your own OAuth app or API keys. ClawLink gives OpenClaw a more practical Slackbot setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect Slackbot in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real Slackbot actions from any chat surface with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself.

## Slackbot MCP for OpenClaw

Looking for a Slackbot MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects Slackbot to OpenClaw and exposes 0 Slackbot tools your agent can call over [MCP](https://claw-link.dev/learn/what-is-an-mcp-server), with [hosted auth](https://claw-link.dev/learn/oauth-for-ai-agents) and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using Hermes instead? The [Hermes Slackbot integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/slackbot) works the same way.

**Start here:** install the ClawLink plugin (`openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin`), pair it in the browser, then connect the app in the ClawLink dashboard. The interactive install prompt is on the web version of this page: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/slackbot

## Setup

It takes three steps to connect OpenClaw to Slackbot.

1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once.
2. **Connect Slackbot** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard.
3. **Use it from chat** — ask OpenClaw in plain English.

**Alternative for any agent (no plugin needed):** if the OpenClaw plugin route isn't available or doesn't work, any AI agent with shell access can use the ClawLink CLI instead:

```bash
npx -y @useclawlink/cli login          # sign in via browser — no API key to paste
npx -y @useclawlink/cli connect slackbot  # connect Slackbot (browser OAuth)
npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions slackbot  # list available actions
npx -y @useclawlink/cli run slackbot <action> --input '<json>'  # execute (add --confirm for writes)
```

## What the OpenClaw Slackbot integration can do

- **Communication** — tools appear after Slackbot is connected.

## Example prompts

No example prompts are available yet.

## ClawLink vs. building it yourself

The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual OAuth app setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Slackbot working from chat.

| | Manual | ClawLink |
|---|---|---|
| **Connection flow** | Register a Slackbot app, configure redirect URLs, manage consent details, and reconnect users when auth settings drift. | Users connect Slackbot through the hosted browser flow and ClawLink keeps the token lifecycle out of your app code. |
| **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for Slackbot. | ClawLink handles the repetitive integration plumbing so your team can focus on the workflow instead of the infrastructure. |
| **Agent usability** | You still need to expose the right Slackbot actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 0 tools for Slackbot are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. |

## ClawLink vs. Composio

Composio also exposes Slackbot to AI agents. It is developer infrastructure: Python and TypeScript SDKs, an MCP server, and a catalog past 1,000 apps, aimed at teams shipping agent products. ClawLink is built for OpenClaw users instead. You install the plugin once, connect Slackbot in the browser, and the connected Slackbot account works from chat. There is no SDK, no config file, and no API key handling. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison.

### OpenClaw installed the Slackbot skill but can't call the tools
The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Slackbot, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Slackbot is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register.

### Connection succeeds but no tools appear
Reconnect Slackbot from the dashboard, then start a fresh chat if the runtime still has the old tool catalog loaded.

### "Tool schema not loaded yet" error when calling Slackbot tools
Slackbot tool schemas load on demand the first time a tool runs and are cached after that, so this error usually clears on its own: wait a few seconds and retry the same request. If every Slackbot call keeps failing with it in a fresh chat, reconnect from the dashboard, and contact support if it still persists — that pattern points to a configuration problem on our side, not something you can fix by reconnecting again.

### Slackbot returns 403 or "permission denied" on one action while others work
Two usual causes. The connected account may not have access to the specific workspace, inbox, store, or project in the request — check that first. If access looks right, the agent may have sent a placeholder value (like "YOUR_ID" or an example id from documentation) instead of a real one: ask it to run a list or search tool first, then retry the action with a real id from those results. Most failures at this stage are one of these two, not ClawLink bugs.

### OAuth finished in the browser but the account is still missing
Try reconnecting Slackbot and complete the consent flow in the same browser session. Partial OAuth approvals or switching accounts mid-flow can leave the connection incomplete.

### Is there a OpenClaw Slackbot integration?
Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to Slackbot: link your Slackbot account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the Slackbot API through ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling.

### How do I add Slackbot to OpenClaw with ClawLink?
Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink Slackbot skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize Slackbot. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files or API keys.

### How long does it take to connect Slackbot to OpenClaw?
About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Slackbot in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message.

### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Slackbot up myself?
The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual OAuth app setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Slackbot working from chat.

### OpenClaw installed the Slackbot skill but can't call the tools
The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Slackbot, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Slackbot is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register.

## Related

- [OpenClaw Slack integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/slack) — Post messages and browse Slack channels
- [Connect Postmark](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/postmark) — Transactional email delivery and analytics
- [Resend](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/resend) — Send transactional and marketing emails
