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The Slack agent template is a runnable TypeScript starter for building custom Slack bots that call external APIs through Agent Vault. Use it when you want the Slack runtime, Agent Vault wiring, and tool-registration pattern in place before adding your own service-specific tools.

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What’s included

  • Slack Socket Mode bot for app mentions and DMs
  • Thread transcript context
  • Claude Agent SDK runtime
  • Local MCP-style tool registration
  • Optional Slack email allowlist
  • Dockerfile that starts the agent through agent-vault run
  • Two starter tools: echo and a constrained read-only HTTP API example
  • Mocked tests for the included tools
The template intentionally does not ship GitHub, Linear, Notion, or write-action tools. Different agents need different access. Add only the tools your agent needs.

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Copy the template

Clone Agent Vault, then copy the example into a new project: 
git clone https://github.com/Infisical/agent-vault.git
cd agent-vault
cp -R examples/slack-agent-template ../my-slack-agent
cd ../my-slack-agent
npm install
cp .env.example .env

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Configure the agent

Edit .env: 
AGENT_NAME="Support Triage Agent"
AGENT_MISSION="Help the support team summarize Slack requests and draft next steps."
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=__anthropic_api_key__
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=__slack_bot_token__
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=__slack_app_token__
EXAMPLE_API_BASE_URL=https://api.example.com
For local development without Agent Vault, you can use throwaway development credentials. For shared, hosted, or production environments, use placeholders and store the real values in Agent Vault.

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Create the Slack app

  1. Create a Slack app from slack-app-manifest.json.
  2. Enable Socket Mode.
  3. Create an app-level token with connections:write.
  4. Install the app to your workspace.
  5. Set SLACK_BOT_TOKEN and SLACK_APP_TOKEN.
The manifest enables the App Home messages tab so people can DM the agent directly.

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Run locally

Try the CLI harness: 
npm start "Hello, what tools do you have?"
Run the Slack bot: 
npm run start:slack

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Run through Agent Vault

For hosted deployments, store real credentials in Agent Vault and pass placeholders to the agent process: 
AGENT_VAULT_ADDR=http://<agent-vault-host>:14321
AGENT_VAULT_TOKEN=<agent-token>
AGENT_VAULT_VAULT=<vault-name>
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=__anthropic_api_key__
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=__slack_bot_token__
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=__slack_app_token__
The included Dockerfile copies the Agent Vault CLI into the image and starts: 
agent-vault run -- node dist/slack.js
agent-vault run configures proxy and CA environment variables for the child process. Your tools should call normal upstream URLs and let Agent Vault inject credentials at the proxy boundary.

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Add your own tools

Start from src/tools/example-api.ts, then replace it with service-specific tools. Good tools are narrow:
  • define structured inputs with Zod
  • validate IDs, paths, and enum values before making requests
  • call real upstream URLs with normal HTTP clients
  • never accept raw credentials as tool input
  • return compact Slack-readable text
  • include mocked tests
For larger integrations, group files by service: 
src/
  linear/
    client.ts
    tools/
      list-issues.ts
      draft-comment.ts
      index.ts
Register new tools in src/agent.ts.

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Build with a coding agent

The template is designed to be extended agentically. Give a coding agent a concrete service, access level, and test expectation: 
Add read-only tools for <service>. Use Agent Vault for credentials.
Keep tools narrow and typed. Add mocked tests.
Update .env.example and docs/agent-vault.md.
Do not add write actions unless explicitly requested.
For write workflows, require drafts or explicit confirmation: 
Add a tool that drafts a <service> update but does not submit it.
Return the draft and required confirmation phrase.
Do not call mutation endpoints until a user explicitly says "<confirmation phrase>".

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Verify changes

npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run build