Slack Integration Engineering

Current Versions (Verify Before Use)

# Check Slack API changelog for breaking changes
curl -s https://api.slack.com/changelog | grep -i "breaking"

The Slack API changelog tracks all changes. The Slack Bolt SDK is the recommended framework for bots.

Core Principles

1. Never trust incoming webhooks. Verify Slack request signatures on every request.
2. OAuth over tokens. Use OAuth 2.0 for workspace installs. Bot tokens are for development only.
3. Block Kit for rich UI. Use structured blocks instead of raw markdown for interactive experiences.
4. Async acknowledgment. Acknowledge Slack events within 3 seconds, process asynchronously.
5. Rate limits are real. The Slack API has tiered rate limits. Handle 429 responses with exponential backoff.