Slack Search
This skill provides guidance for effectively searching Slack to find messages, files, and information.
When to Use
Apply this skill whenever you need to find information in Slack — including when a user asks you to locate messages, conversations, files, or people, or when you need to gather context before answering a question about what's happening in Slack.
Search Tools Overview
| Tool | Use When |
|---|---|
slack_search_public | Searching public channels only. Does not require user consent. |
slack_search_public_and_private | Searching all channels including private, DMs, and group DMs. Requires user consent. |
slack_search_channels | Finding channels by name or description. |
slack_search_users | Finding people by name, email, or role. |
Search Strategy
Start Broad, Then Narrow
- Begin with a simple keyword or natural language question.
- If too many results, add filters (
in:,from:, date ranges). - If too few results, remove filters and try synonyms or related terms.
Choose the Right Search Mode
- Natural language questions (e.g., "What is the deadline for project X?") — Best for fuzzy, conceptual searches where you don't know exact keywords.
- Keyword search (e.g.,
project X deadline) — Best for finding specific, exact content.
Use Multiple Searches
Don't rely on a single search. Break complex questions into smaller searches:
- Search for the topic first
- Then search for specific people's contributions
- Then search in specific channels
Search Modifiers Reference
Location Filters
in:channel-name— Search within a specific channelin:<#C123456>— Search in channel by ID-in:channel-name— Exclude a channelin:<@U123456>— Search in DMs with a user
User Filters
from:<@U123456>— Messages from a specific user (by ID)from:username— Messages from a user (by Slack username)to:me— Messages sent directly to you
Content Filters
is:thread— Only threaded messageshas:pin— Pinned messageshas:link— Messages containing linkshas:file— Messages with file attachmentshas::emoji:— Messages with a specific reaction
Date Filters
before:YYYY-MM-DD— Messages before a dateafter:YYYY-MM-DD— Messages after a dateon:YYYY-MM-DD— Messages on a specific dateduring:month— Messages during a specific month (e.g.,during:january)
Text Matching
"exact phrase"— Match an exact phrase-word— Exclude messages containing a wordwild*— Wildcard matching (minimum 3 characters before*)
File Search
To search for files, use the content_types="files" parameter with type filters:
type:images— Image filestype:documents— Document filestype:pdfs— PDF filestype:spreadsheets— Spreadsheet filestype:canvases— Slack Canvases
Example: content_types="files" type:pdfs budget after:2025-01-01
Following Up on Results
After finding relevant messages:
- Use
slack_read_threadto get the full thread context for any threaded message. - Use
slack_read_channelwitholdest/latesttimestamps to read surrounding messages for context. - Use
slack_read_user_profileto identify who a user is when their ID appears in results.
Common Pitfalls
- Boolean operators don't work.
AND,OR,NOTare not supported. Use spaces (implicit AND) and-for exclusion. - Parentheses don't work. Don't try to group search terms with
(). - Search is not real-time. Very recent messages (last few seconds) may not appear in search results. Use
slack_read_channelfor the most recent messages. - Private channel access. Use
slack_search_public_and_privatewhen you need to include private channels, but note this requires user consent.