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Slack

Sync channel messages and metadata from Slack into your data warehouse.

Feature Details
Auth Bot User OAuth Token (xoxb-)
Env Variable SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN
Incremental Yes
Date Range Yes (default: last 90 days)
dlt Package slack

Managing this source in the Web UI

After setup, manage this source from the Sources page in the Web UI (http://localhost:8800/sources). Trigger syncs, view history, and monitor status without using the CLI. See Web UI — Sources.

Prerequisites

  • A Slack workspace where you have admin (or app-install) permissions
  • A Slack Bot User OAuth Token (xoxb-...)

Create a Slack App and Bot Token

  1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and click Create New App
  2. Choose From scratch, name it (e.g., "Dango Data"), and select your workspace
  3. Go to OAuth & Permissions in the sidebar
  4. Under Bot Token Scopes, add these scopes:
    • channels:history — read messages in public channels
    • channels:read — list public channels
    • groups:history — read messages in private channels (optional)
    • groups:read — list private channels (optional)
    • users:read — read user profiles
  5. Click Install to Workspace at the top of the page
  6. Authorize the app
  7. Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-)

Invite the bot to channels

After creating the app, you must invite the bot to each channel you want to sync:

/invite @Dango Data

The bot can only read messages from channels it has been invited to.

Setup

dango source add

? Select a data source: Slack
? Source name: slack
? Environment variable for access token [SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN]: SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN
? Filter to specific channels? (leave empty for all): 
? Start date (default: 90 days ago):

Via Configuration File

Edit .dango/sources.yml:

version: '1.0'
sources:
  - name: slack
    type: slack
    enabled: true
    description: Slack workspace messages
    slack:
      access_token_env: SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN

Store the token in your project's .env file: 

# .env (gitignored)
SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token-here

Set the token on your remote server: 

dango remote env set SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN xoxb-your-bot-token-here

First Sync

dango sync slack

Configuration

Optional Parameters

Parameter Default Description
selected_channels All channels List of specific channel IDs to sync
start_date 90 days ago Earliest date to fetch messages from

Filter to Specific Channels

To sync only certain channels, provide their channel IDs:

slack:
  access_token_env: SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN
  selected_channels:
    - C01ABCDEF    # #general
    - C02GHIJKL    # #engineering
    - C03MNOPQR    # #sales
How to find a channel ID
  1. Open Slack in a web browser
  2. Navigate to the channel
  3. The URL looks like: https://app.slack.com/client/TXXXXXXX/C01ABCDEF
  4. The last segment (C01ABCDEF) is the channel ID

Or right-click the channel name > View channel details > scroll to the bottom to find the Channel ID.

Set a Custom Start Date

slack:
  access_token_env: SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN
  start_date: "2024-01-01"    # Sync messages from January 2024 onward

Full Configuration Example

version: '1.0'
sources:
  - name: slack
    type: slack
    enabled: true
    description: Engineering Slack channels
    slack:
      access_token_env: SLACK_ACCESS_TOKEN
      selected_channels:
        - C01ABCDEF
        - C02GHIJKL
      start_date: "2024-06-01"

Tables Loaded

Data loads into the raw_{source_name} schema. By default, each channel gets its own message table:

Table Description
raw_slack.channels Channel metadata (name, topic, purpose, member count)
raw_slack.users User profiles (display name, email, status)
raw_slack.{channel_name} Messages for each channel (one table per channel)

For example, if the bot is in #general and #engineering:

  • raw_slack.general — messages from #general
  • raw_slack.engineering — messages from #engineering

Query example:

SELECT user, text, ts
FROM raw_slack.general
ORDER BY ts DESC
LIMIT 20;

Sync Behavior

  • Incremental: After the first sync, subsequent syncs fetch only messages posted since the last sync.
  • Write disposition: append for messages (new messages are added, never deleted).
  • First sync: Loads messages within the date range from all invited channels. Large workspaces with extensive history may take 10-30 minutes.

Slack API rate limits

Slack enforces rate limits (typically 1 request per second for conversations.history). Dango handles rate limiting automatically. Very large channel histories may take longer to sync.

Common Issues

No Messages Returned

  • Bot not invited: The most common issue. Run /invite @YourBotName in each channel you want to sync.
  • Channel IDs wrong: If using selected_channels, verify the IDs. Channel IDs start with C (public) or G (private).
  • Start date too recent: Check your start_date setting.

"not_authed" or "invalid_auth"

  • Verify the bot token in .env starts with xoxb-
  • Check that the app is still installed in your workspace (not uninstalled by an admin)
  • Regenerate the token if needed: go to your app's OAuth & Permissions page and reinstall

"missing_scope" Errors

Your bot token lacks a required scope. Go to api.slack.com/apps > your app > OAuth & Permissions > add the missing scope > Reinstall to Workspace.

Private Channels Not Syncing

Private channels require the groups:history and groups:read scopes. Add these scopes and reinstall the app, then invite the bot to the private channel.

Next Steps