Slack

Slack Desktop App Control

Connects to the Slack app via CDP (relaunch if not running with CDP). The workspace is auto-detected. Only one command can use this skill at a time. Always use --json. Read the raw JSON output directly. Never pipe through formatters or truncate fields (MUST). Always pass hrefs as-is. Never strip or reconstruct them — query parameters are required for Slack to work.

Reference formats

Channel names must start with #, DM names with @.

Common workflows

• Search → browse results: search.py "query" --json returns 20 truncated results per page. Check pages in the output, then --page 2, etc. Reuses existing results when the query matches. Pass --click N + the same flags to open a thread, which returns complete message and replies. Parse the JSON — the data is complete, no need to re-search.
• Read a message by ref: get.py HREF --json reads the full message. Use --with-replies to include thread replies.
• Check unreads: unreads.py --json lists unread channels with message previews. Use get.py with the href to read full content.
• Browse a channel by date: collect.py "#channel" YYYY-MM-DD --json returns message IDs for that date (includes bot messages). Use --with-replies for reply IDs. Compose with get.py to read or emoji.py to react.
• Send a message: reply.py REF "text" --send. Channel ref → new message, message ref → thread reply. Default is dry-run.
• Saved items: later.py --json reads your Later list.

scripts/search.py — Search messages

Returns up to 20 truncated results per page with channel_id, message_id, thread_id. Use --click N to read the full thread of the Nth result.

python3 <skill-path>/scripts/search.py "query" --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/search.py "in:#channel query" --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/search.py "query" --click 3 --json     # click 3rd result, read full thread
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/search.py "query" --page 2 --json

--click JSON output: {"clicked": N, "href": "...", "thread": [{"message_id": "...", "message": "..."}]}. The thread array contains complete untruncated messages (parent first, then replies in order).

Pagination: --page N fetches a specific result page. Check the pages count before requesting further pages. Repeated calls with the same query reuse the existing results. Slack loads pages dynamically — navigating to the last visible page may reveal more pages. Sometimes a more specific search term is better than paging. But when thoroughness matters, paging through results is important to collect more data.

Slack search syntax: in:#channel, from:@user, after:YYYY-MM-DD, before:YYYY-MM-DD, has:reaction, has:file

scripts/get.py — Get message content

python3 <skill-path>/scripts/get.py C0123456789/1234567890.123456 --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/get.py "https://…/archives/C…/p…" --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/get.py C0123456789/1234567890.123456 --with-replies --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/get.py C0123456789/111.1 C0123456789/222.2 --json

scripts/reply.py — Send a message

Pass a channel/DM ref to post a new message, or a message ref to reply in its thread.

python3 <skill-path>/scripts/reply.py "#general" "hey" --send          # channel message
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/reply.py "@Inanc Gumus" "hello" --send    # DM
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/reply.py C042WNMBYQM/1773432901.662159 "reply" --send  # thread reply

Default is dry-run — add --send to actually send.

scripts/emoji.py — React to a message

python3 <skill-path>/scripts/emoji.py C0123456789/1234567890.123456 thumbsup
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/emoji.py "https://…/archives/C…/p…" fire

scripts/unreads.py — Fetch unread messages

python3 <skill-path>/scripts/unreads.py --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/unreads.py --channel NAME --json

scripts/later.py — Fetch "Later" (saved) items

python3 <skill-path>/scripts/later.py --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/later.py --tab archived --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/later.py --tab completed --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/later.py --limit 10 --json

scripts/collect.py — Collect message IDs for a date

Navigates the channel directly (not search), so bot and integration messages are included. Returns top-level messages only (not thread replies).

python3 <skill-path>/scripts/collect.py "#general" 2026-03-09 --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/collect.py "#general" 2026-03-09 --with-replies --json
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/collect.py "#general" 2026-03-09 --limit 10 --json

Manual commands

For anything the scripts don't cover, use agent-browser --cdp 9222 directly. Navigate within the app using DOM clicks — do not use agent-browser open URL as it disrupts the Electron app's state.

agent-browser --cdp 9222 snapshot -i                              # list interactive elements (@e1, @e2, ...)
agent-browser --cdp 9222 click @eN                                # click a button, link, or tab
agent-browser --cdp 9222 hover @eN                                # hover to reveal toolbars
agent-browser --cdp 9222 fill @eN "text"                          # type into an input
agent-browser --cdp 9222 press Enter                              # press a key
agent-browser --cdp 9222 scroll up 500                            # scroll up (older messages)
agent-browser --cdp 9222 scroll down 500                          # scroll down (newer messages)

To read message text (snapshots only show interactive elements):

agent-browser --cdp 9222 eval --stdin <<'EVALEOF'
(() => {
    const panel = document.querySelector('.p-flexpane') ||
                  document.querySelector('[data-qa="message_pane"]') ||
                  document.querySelector('.c-virtual_list__scroll_container');
    return panel ? panel.innerText : 'No message content found';
})()
EVALEOF

.p-flexpane is the thread side-panel. The other selectors are the main channel view.