Building a Slack app

Our range of SDKs, frameworks, and construction tools can give you a hand up when transforming your Slack app plans into reality.

Bolt: a foundational framework for Slack apps

Bolt is a framework that lets you build Slack apps in a flash—available in JavaScript, Python, and Java.

Bolt handles much of the foundational setup so you can focus on your app's functionality. Out of the box, Bolt includes:

• A basic web server to run your app on
• Authentication and installation handling for all the ins and outs of OAuth
• Simplified interfaces for all Slack APIs and app features
• Automatic token validation, retry, and rate-limiting logic

Bolt also has built-in type support, so you can get more work done right from your code editor.

Follow our guides on getting started with Bolt for JavaScript, Bolt for Python, or Bolt for Java. Or dig deeper by exploring our resources and sample code.

Workflow Builder

You can harness the power of apps without code.

Use Workflow Builder to automate tasks in Slack. Check out our intro to Workflow Builder, or read our step-by-step guide for further details on creating a workflow.

You can even initiate a workflow from an external service by using a webhook.

Slack SDKs

If you prefer to build the foundations of your app yourself, you can still avail of an SDK to cut down on boilerplate code.

Our official Python, Node, and Java SDKs provide in-language wrappers for the most commonly used parts of the Slack platform.

Instead of building your own authentication handling or generating HTTP requests for Web API calls, just use built-in SDK classes and methods.

In addition to our official SDKs, we have a list of community-developed libraries that provide similar assistance for languages like C#, Go, .NET, and more.

Other development tools

No matter how you're building your app, there are a range of other development tools available to help you out. You can see a full list on our Tools page but here are some highlights:

Block Kit Builder

A visual prototyping tool for surfaces. Stack blocks to preview blocks in all surfaces and get a feel for interactive elements.

Steno

Your sidekick for developing tests for your Slack app. Record and replay your HTTP requests to generate fixtures for your tests.

Slack Developer Tools

A Slack app that helps you build Slack apps. Quickly look up documentation from within Slack, investigate the structure of messages, and more.

OpenAPI specs

Schemas and specifications for Slack platform features, all lovingly documented in open formats.