Slack: Open Conversation
Controlled node
Overview
Opens a direct message (DM) or multi-person direct message conversation in Slack. This node creates or retrieves an existing conversation channel with specified users, returning the conversation metadata (including the channel ID) needed to send messages to that channel.
This node requires a Slack connection to be configured in your project settings. The connection must have appropriate permissions to open conversations with the specified users.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run | Event | Triggers the node to open the conversation | - |
| Users | Text | User IDs to open the conversation with. Can be provided as a comma-separated string (e.g., "U1234567890,U0987654321") or an array of user IDs | - |
| Return IM | Boolean | If true, returns IM (direct message) channel information. Useful when working with direct message channels specifically | false |
| Connections | Connection | Slack connection configuration for authentication | - |
Outputs
| Output | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Done | Event | Fires when the conversation has been successfully opened or retrieved |
| Conversation | Data | The conversation object containing channel ID and other metadata. Returns an error object if the operation fails |
Runtime Behavior and Defaults
When triggered, the node attempts to open or retrieve a conversation with the specified users using the Slack API. If a conversation already exists with those users, it returns the existing channel; otherwise, it creates a new one.
- Users Input: Accepts either a single user ID for a direct message, or multiple user IDs for a multi-person direct message (MPDM)
- Error Handling: If the connection is missing, project ID is unavailable, or users are not provided, the node returns an error object in the Conversation output
- Permissions: The Slack bot must have appropriate scopes (including
chat:writeandim:write) to open conversations
Example Usage
Scenario: Starting a direct message with a specific user when a button is clicked.
- Connect a Start node or Form Event node to the Run input
- Set the Users input to a Slack user ID (e.g., "U1234567890") or connect a variable containing the user ID
- Select your Slack Connection in the properties panel
- Connect the Conversation output to a Slack: Send Message node's Channel ID input
- Connect the Done event to trigger the message sending
Tip: To open a conversation with multiple users, provide a comma-separated list of user IDs like "U1234567890,U0987654321,U1122334455".