You can connect your Slack workspace to Intercom, enabling you to support customers where they’re already active — in Slack.
Whether you're managing a community workspace or using a private Slack Connect channel, new customer messages trigger Intercom conversations so Fin and your team can respond seamlessly, right from the Intercom Inbox.
Key features and use cases
The following functionality is available with Intercom's native Slack integration:
AI-powered support in Slack: Fin can respond directly in Slack conversations to resolve issues faster.
Teammate collaboration: Escalate or manage conversations using keywords, @mentions, or emojis.
Real-time sync: Messages, threads, and attachments stay perfectly mirrored between Intercom and Slack.
Notifications and broadcasts: Send alerts or outbound messages to Slack channels directly from Intercom.
Tickets in Slack: Create and manage Intercom tickets directly from Slack, with automatic status update posted back to the Slack thread.
Private and multi-workspace support: Connect multiple Slack workspaces and manage private channels.
Data privacy control: Configure Fin’s data connectors to manage access to sensitive information.
How it works
When a customer sends a message in a connected Slack channel, a new conversation is created in your Intercom Inbox. You’ll see a Slack icon indicating the source of the message.
Fin and your teammates can reply from Intercom as usual. Responses are posted back to Slack, displaying the teammate’s name and avatar, and appear as part of the same Slack thread to keep the conversation organized.
Set up Slack as a channel
Connect your workspace
In Intercom, go to Settings > Channels > Slack.
Authenticate your Slack workspace.
Important: The Intercom Slack app cannot be installed in the primary workspace of a Slack Enterprise Grid account. It must be installed in the secondary workspaces instead.
Tip: You can connect more than one Slack workspace to Intercom.
Once a Slack workspace is connected, it will appear along with the channels that have been added in Settings > Channels > Slack. Both workspace and channel settings can be accessed from here.
Configure workspace settings
When a conversation starts on Slack, you can customize your settings in Settings > Channels > Slack to either create a new lead or try to match the email address with an existing user in Intercom. If no match is found, a new lead will be created.
You can also configure when you want an Intercom conversation to be created. By default, every message into a connected channel will create an Intercom conversation.
To change this:
Go to Settings > Channels > Slack and click manage workspace.
From here, you can adjust:
Data connectors:
Enable Fin to access data connectors for more personalized replies. This is disabled by default to protect private data in public channels.
Conversation triggers:
Choose when to start a new Intercom conversation:
Start on every Slack message:
By default, every message posted in the connected channel will create an Intercom conversation.
Allow specific bots to trigger conversations: Toggle this on if you want automated messages from other Slack apps to open conversations in Intercom. Once toggled, click + Select bot to choose which specific bots are authorized to start conversations.
Start a conversation only on your chosen triggers:
When a specific user or bot is mentioned.
When a specific emoji reaction is added.
When a keyword is used (case-insensitive).
Note: Triggers work on both top-level messages and replies in threads. Intercom won’t create new conversations from older threads that pre-date the app connection.
Add channels
You can add or remove Slack channels at any time:
From the Intercom settings:
Go to Settings > Channels > Slack and select the Add channels option.
Search for the channel you'd like to connect, and select its checkbox.
Click Add channels to save.
In Slack, add Intercom to each channel you want to monitor.
Or, from Slack:
Open the Slack channel.
Click on Members > Integrations > Add an app.
Search for and select Intercom.
Note:
To add Intercom to private Slack channels, invite the Intercom app from within Slack. Go to the channel, click Member list > Integrations > Add an app, then select Intercom. Or, type
@INTERCOMAPPin the channel and pressEnter.Slack’s free plan allows only 10 apps. Make sure there’s room to add Intercom.
Manage channel types
You can define each connected Slack channel’s purpose:
Notification only: Use for alerts and updates. These channels do not create Intercom conversations.
Conversational: Use for customer interactions. Messages in these channels create synced Intercom conversations.
Deploy Fin over Slack
To set Fin live for Slack:
Go to Fin AI Agent > Deploy > Chat and select Slack in the channels dropdown, or
You can also use your usual Workflows for Fin and select Slack as a channel in the trigger settings.
Replying to customers
When a customer sends a message in Slack, a new conversation appears in your Intercom Inbox with a Slack icon.
Fin and teammates can reply from Intercom, and messages are posted back to Slack with the teammate’s name and avatar. Customers continue chatting in Slack as usual. They see replies from your team (sent via Intercom), as well as Fin, in the same Slack thread.
Threads in Intercom mirror those in Slack, including attachments and rich formatting, keeping context clear.
For a fully joined up experience, teammates can also authenticate their Slack workspace, allowing you to reply from your own Slack account, directly from Intercom.
Note: Non-image attachments sent by an unauthenticated teammate appear from the Slack bot (Intercom), rather than from the actual sender (teammate/Fin).
Using direct messages
Teammates can send direct messages (DMs) to Slack users privately, outside of public channels.
This is useful when a teammate wants to start/continue a conversation with a customer privately rather than in a public Slack channel.
Customers can't initiate DMs into Intercom.
Sending broadcasts
You can send one-time outbound messages to Slack channels directly from Intercom:
Messages can be sent to multiple channels from any teammate.
Support for scheduling messages for a future date.
Outbound message reporting tabs showing channels reached and replies received as well as charts for how this changed over time.
Note: Broadcasts currently support only text (no images or attachments yet). Reporting on reactions will be added soon. Learn more about sending broadcast messages on Slack.
Managing tickets in Slack
With Slack connected to your Intercom workspace, you can create and manage Intercom tickets directly from your connected channels. This allows customers to track their ticket's progress in real time, and saves your team from providing manual status updates.
A ticket can be created and tracked with the following steps:
A customer sends a message in a connected Slack channel.
A ticket can be created in three ways:
By a teammate: You can send the customer a ticket creation form from the Intercom inbox. Use the composer shortcut (⌘ K on Mac or Ctrl K on Windows) and select Send a ticket form.
The customer then clicks the Create Ticket button and fills out the form in a native Slack modal.
By a teammate: You can create a customer ticket from the Intercom inbox for the Slack conversation.
Automatically via a Workflow: You can also trigger a ticket creation form to be sent automatically using a Workflow. This is useful for situations where you want to collect structured information from a customer after a specific trigger, like a keyword mention. Simply add the "Send a ticket form" action to your Workflow and select Slack as the channel.
Once created, the ticket is automatically linked to the conversation, and a confirmation message appears in the Slack thread.
Whenever the ticket's status is changed in Intercom (either manually or via Workflows), an automatic update is posted to the Slack thread, keeping the customer informed.
Customers can click Show ticket details at any time to see the ticket's information, current status, and any attachments.
This gives customers full transparency and allows your team to focus on resolving issues instead of writing status updates.
Best practices
Use conversational triggers wisely: Avoid over-triggering by setting clear keywords and mentions.
Monitor data privacy: Enable Data connectors only when necessary for trusted or private workspaces.
Segment Slack channels: Use notification-only channels for alerts and conversational channels for customer engagement.
Important to note
You can't react to Slack messages from the Intercom Inbox.
Emoji reactions are visible in the Inbox but don’t trigger actions or store data.
Some Slack formatting (e.g., multi-level lists) isn’t supported in the Inbox.
AI Inbox translation and attribute collectors aren’t yet supported.
Each Slack workspace can connect to only one Intercom workspace.
Broadcast messages don't support attachments (text only for now).
Security and data considerations
Public Slack channels can expose customer data if not managed carefully.
Any CDAs or sensitive attributes shared in public Slack channels are visible to all channel members.
Office hours reply time simple automation will expose your support email address in public Slack channels, there’s currently no way to restrict targeting for those messages within Slack.
FAQs
Can customers DM teammates directly in Slack?
Can customers DM teammates directly in Slack?
No. Customers can’t initiate direct messages into Intercom. Teammates can start a private DM with a customer, but not the other way around.
What’s the difference between Notification and Conversational channels?
What’s the difference between Notification and Conversational channels?
Notification only channels are used for alerts or updates — they don’t create Intercom conversations. Conversational channels are for active communication with customers and sync messages both ways.
Can I use Data connectors safely in Slack?
Can I use Data connectors safely in Slack?
Yes, but data connectors will be disabled by default to prevent sharing private data in public Slack channels. You can enable them in workspace settings if your use case allows.
How many Slack workspaces can I connect?
How many Slack workspaces can I connect?
You can connect multiple Slack workspaces, but each Slack workspace can only be linked to one Intercom workspace.
Which Intercom plan do I need to connect Slack as a channel?
Which Intercom plan do I need to connect Slack as a channel?
This feature is available on all Intercom pricing plans.
Note: If you’re using Slack’s free plan, you can only install up to 10 apps. Make sure there’s room to add Intercom.
Which plans include Workflows and Workflow-based notifications?
Which plans include Workflows and Workflow-based notifications?
Workflows, which enable advanced automation like sending specific Slack notifications, are available on the Advanced and Expert plans.
Can I set up automatic Slack notifications for new conversations on the Essential Plan?
Can I set up automatic Slack notifications for new conversations on the Essential Plan?
Slack notifications for new conversations on the Essential Plan are not available. Full automation for new conversation notifications (using specific triggers or keywords) relies on the Workflows feature, which is not included on the Essential plan.
Does the Slack Channel integration send an email notification like the Messenger's 3-minute email push notification?
Does the Slack Channel integration send an email notification like the Messenger's 3-minute email push notification?
No. Intercom does not send email push notifications for messages received in Slack channel conversations. Additionally, Slack does not use "seen" receipts, which are a factor in the standard Messenger email push notifications.
Useful resources
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