> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unstructured.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Slack

Connect Slack to your preprocessing pipeline, and use the Unstructured Ingest CLI or the Unstructured Ingest Python library to batch process all your documents and store structured outputs locally on your filesystem.

The requirements are as follows.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0F1MXMgk3kY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen />

* A Slack app. Create a Slack app by following [Step 1: Creating an app](https://api.slack.com/quickstart#creating).

* The app must have the following OAuth scopes:

  * To read messages from public channels, add the scopes `channels:join` and `channels:history`.
  * To read messages from private channels, add the scope `groups:history`.

  Add these scopes to the app by following [Step 2: Requesting scopes](https://api.slack.com/quickstart#scopes).

* The app must be installed and authorized for the target Slack workspace. Install and authorize the app by following [Step 3: Installing and authorizing the app](https://api.slack.com/quickstart#installing).

* The app's access token. Get this token by following [Step 3: Installing and authorizing the app](https://api.slack.com/quickstart#installing).

* Add the app to the target channels in the Slack workspace. To do this from the channel, open the channel's details page, click the **Integrations** tab, click **Add apps**, and follow the on-screen directions to install the app.

* The channel ID for each target channel. To get this ID, open the channel's details page, and look for the **Channel ID** field on the **About** tab.

* The starting and ending date and time range for the channels to be processed. Supported formats include:

  * `YYYY-MM-DD`
  * `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS`
  * `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ`
  * `YYYY-MM-DD+HH:MM:SS`
  * `YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM:SS`

<Info>
  Slack has established API rate limits that could restrict the number and frequency of messages that can be read. To
  explore possible workarounds for these cases, see your Slack representative.
</Info>

The Slack connector dependencies:

```bash theme={null}
pip install "unstructured-ingest[slack]"
```

You might also need to install additional dependencies, depending on your needs. [Learn more](/open-source/ingestion/ingest-dependencies).

These environment variables:

* `SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN` - The OAuth token for the Slack app, represented by `--token` (CLI) or `token` (Python).

To specify the starting and ending date and time range for the channels to be processed:

* For the CLI, use one of the following supported formats:

  * `YYYY-MM-DD`
  * `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS`
  * `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ`
  * `YYYY-MM-DD+HH:MM:SS`
  * `YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM:SS`

* For Python, use the `datetime.datetime` function.

Now call the Unstructured Ingest CLI or the Unstructured Ingest Python library. The destination connector can be any of the ones supported. This example uses the local destination connector.

This example sends data to Unstructured for processing by default. To process data locally instead, see the instructions at the end of this page.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash CLI theme={null}
  #!/usr/bin/env bash

  # Chunking and embedding are optional.

  unstructured-ingest \
    slack \
      --token $SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN \
      --channels C03FVNHR70A,C03FVNRG43D \
      --start-date 2024-10-22 \
      --end-date 2024-10-23 \
      --download-dir $LOCAL_FILE_DOWNLOAD_DIR \
      --chunking-strategy by_title \
      --embedding-provider huggingface \
      --output-dir $LOCAL_FILE_OUTPUT_DIR \
      --partition-by-api \
      --api-key $UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY \
      --partition-endpoint $UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL
  ```

  ```python Python Ingest theme={null}
  import os
  from datetime import datetime

  from unstructured_ingest.pipeline.pipeline import Pipeline
  from unstructured_ingest.interfaces import ProcessorConfig

  from unstructured_ingest.processes.connectors.slack import (
      SlackIndexerConfig,
      SlackDownloaderConfig,
      SlackConnectionConfig,
      SlackAccessConfig
  )

  from unstructured_ingest.processes.partitioner import PartitionerConfig
  from unstructured_ingest.processes.chunker import ChunkerConfig
  from unstructured_ingest.processes.embedder import EmbedderConfig
  from unstructured_ingest.processes.connectors.local import LocalUploaderConfig

  # Chunking and embedding are optional.

  if __name__ == "__main__":
      Pipeline.from_configs(
          context=ProcessorConfig(),
          indexer_config=SlackIndexerConfig(
              channels=["C03FVNHR70A", "C03FVNRG43D"],
              start_date=datetime(year=2024, month=10, day=22),
              end_date=datetime(year=2024, month=10, day=23)
          ),
          downloader_config=SlackDownloaderConfig(download_dir=os.getenv("LOCAL_FILE_DOWNLOAD_DIR")),
          source_connection_config=SlackConnectionConfig(
              access_config=SlackAccessConfig(token=os.getenv("SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN"))
          ),
          partitioner_config=PartitionerConfig(
              partition_by_api=True,
              api_key=os.getenv("UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY"),
              partition_endpoint=os.getenv("UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL"),
              additional_partition_args={
                  "split_pdf_page": True,
                  "split_pdf_allow_failed": True,
                  "split_pdf_concurrency_level": 15
              }
          ),
          chunker_config=ChunkerConfig(chunking_strategy="by_title"),
          embedder_config=EmbedderConfig(embedding_provider="huggingface"),
          uploader_config=LocalUploaderConfig(output_dir=os.getenv("LOCAL_FILE_OUTPUT_DIR"))
      ).run()
  ```
</CodeGroup>

For the Unstructured Ingest CLI and the Unstructured Ingest Python library, you can use the `--partition-by-api` option (CLI) or `partition_by_api` (Python) parameter to specify where files are processed:

* To do local file processing, omit `--partition-by-api` (CLI) or `partition_by_api` (Python), or explicitly specify `partition_by_api=False` (Python).

  Local file processing does not use an Unstructured API key or API URL, so you can also omit the following, if they appear:

  * `--api-key $UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY` (CLI) or `api_key=os.getenv("UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY")` (Python)
  * `--partition-endpoint $UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL` (CLI) or `partition_endpoint=os.getenv("UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL")` (Python)
  * The environment variables `UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY` and `UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL`

* To send files to the legacy [Unstructured Partition Endpoint](/api-reference/legacy-api/partition/overview) for processing, specify `--partition-by-api` (CLI) or `partition_by_api=True` (Python).

  Unstructured also requires an Unstructured API key and API URL, by adding the following:

  * `--api-key $UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY` (CLI) or `api_key=os.getenv("UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY")` (Python)
  * `--partition-endpoint $UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL` (CLI) or `partition_endpoint=os.getenv("UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL")` (Python)
  * The environment variables `UNSTRUCTURED_API_KEY` and `UNSTRUCTURED_API_URL`, representing your API key and API URL, respectively.

  <Note>
    You must specify the API URL only if you are not using the default API URL for Unstructured Ingest, which applies to **Let's Go**, **Pay-As-You-Go**, and **Business SaaS** accounts.

    The default API URL for Unstructured Ingest is `https://api.unstructuredapp.io/general/v0/general`, which is the API URL for the legacy[Unstructured Partition Endpoint](/api-reference/legacy-api/partition/overview). However, you should always use the URL that was provided to you when your Unstructured account was created. If you do not have this URL, email Unstructured Support at [support@unstructured.io](mailto:support@unstructured.io).

    If you do not have an API key, [get one now](/api-reference/legacy-api/partition/overview).

    If you are using a **Business** account, the process
    for generating Unstructured API keys, and the Unstructured API URL that you use, are different.
    For instructions, see your Unstructured account administrator, or email Unstructured Support at [support@unstructured.io](mailto:support@unstructured.io).
  </Note>
