Slack Toolkit

slack-toolkit

Zero-dependency CLI for the Slack Web API. 306 API methods in the catalog, 33 Claude Code skills bundled, no external packages required.

Built for AI agents, automation scripts, and developers who need a scriptable Slack client without managing OAuth flows in a browser or wiring up MCP servers.

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Quick Start

**1. Install**

pip install slack-toolkit
# or with uv (recommended for isolated install)
uv tool install slack-toolkit

**2. Create a Slack app and generate tokens**

Go to [api.slack.com/apps](https://api.slack.com/apps), create an app, add OAuth scopes, and install it to your workspace. You need at minimum `chat:write` for the bot token.

**3. Configure your profile**

slack-cli config set-profile default \
  --bot-token xoxb-your-bot-token \
  --workspace-name "My Workspace"

Or set an environment variable for quick use:

export SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token

**4. Verify the connection**

slack-cli api auth.test

**5. Post your first message**

slack-cli chat post C0YOURCHANNEL "Hello from slack-cli"

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Why Not Just Use the Slack MCP?

The `@modelcontextprotocol/server-slack` MCP works for basic operations. But it has three limitations:

1. **Identity.** The MCP server posts as whatever OAuth identity it's configured with. If your Claude session has a remote Slack MCP connection, messages go out as your personal account, not as a named bot. `slack-cli` always uses your bot token, so every message is from your app.

2. **Coverage.** The Slack MCP exposes ~15 tools. The Slack API has 306 methods. `slack-cli` ships the full catalog and a raw passthrough, so nothing is out of reach.

3. **Distribution.** MCP servers require a running process and per-client config on every machine. `slack-cli` is a single binary. Install once, set a token, done.

If the MCP covers your needs and identity doesn't matter, keep using it. If you need a specific bot identity, full API acc