Using Writer for Slack

Who can use this feature

Supported on Team and Enterprise plans
Users on Team plans will need to configure a payment method
Requires a Slack Pro, Slack Business+, or Slack Enterprise Grid plan

Access your company’s AI Studio apps in Slack! Submit queries or retrieve data from your organization’s chat app or Knowledge Graphs. Use powerful AI tools right where you work everyday.

NOTE: The Writer for Slack integration is a premium feature that charges for access. Whether you’re using the integration to query a custom app, an AI Studio app, or our own Palmyra X 004 training data, make sure your organization has approved your usage before installing.

Installing the integration

To install the integration, go to your Extensions page:

Locate Writer for Slack and select Install.

Writer will request permission to access your company’s Slack workspace. Select Allow.

Slack will request permission to access your Writer workspace. Select Allow access.

Once you’ve granted access, you’ll be taken to your Slack workspace.

You can now access the Writer app in Slack by selecting the Writer icon in the top right corner (which opens a sidebar) or by selecting Writer from your Apps channels (which opens a conversation).

How do I access the Writer for Slack app in Slack?

There are two ways to access Writer for Slack:

Select the Writer icon in the top right corner to open a sidebar view.

Select Writer from your Apps channels to open a conversation view.

Go to Slack > Settings to open up the Slack app settings menu.

Under Navigation, scroll to the bottom of the screen until you reach the section App agents & assistants. Select Show app agents and select Writer.

Configuring a new chat session

Select New chat in the top right corner to begin a new conversation with Writer. Each time you start a new conversation, you’ll be able to select which app you’re chatting with.

Working with Writer training data

When you start a new chat with Writer for Slack, you’ll be connected to PalmyraX 004 by default. PalmyraX 004 is the model that powers Ask Writer. You can ask the same questions there that you can ask in General mode or Knowledge Graph mode.

NOTE: If you use the Writer for Slack integration to chat with our Palmyra model training data, you’ll still incur usage fees. These additional charges only apply to activity that takes place within the Writer for Slack integration. Using Ask Writer to query Palmyra training data within the online web app, or any of our other extensions or plugins, is included in your Writer plan.

Working with custom AI chat apps

In the screenshot above, the user has selected the Sales Q&A chat app.

Depending on how many custom chat apps your organization has created, you might be asked to select which chat app you’d like to use.

Depending on how your organization has built the chat app you’ve selected, you might see one or two chat mode options:

General chat: brainstorm, generate text, or ask questions of our Writer-built LLMs
Knowledge Graph: ask questions and generate content based on your company data

If you’ve selected Knowledge Graph mode, you may be prompted to select which graphs you want to query. You can select multiple graphs if they’re available to you.

Once you’ve finished configuring your chat app settings, you’re ready to begin using the Slack integration in your day-to-day work.

What can I do in general chat mode?

General chat mode works the same as our General mode within Ask Writer. However, your team may have included specific instructions to change the way the app works.

You will see any custom instructions within the Slack conversation.

For example, this chatbot only provides outputs in Spanish:

What can I do in Knowledge Graph mode?

Knowledge Graph mode works the same way as our Knowledge Graph mode in Ask Writer. However, your team may have included specific instructions to change the way the app works.

You’ll see any custom instructions within the Slack conversation.

For example, this chatbot only provides outputs in Spanish:

What kinds of commands can I perform within the app?

NOTE: You cannot perform commands in threads. Conversations with the Writer for Slack app are considered threads. To perform commands, switch to any Slack channel.

Navigate to any Slack channel. To see a list of possible commands, enter:

/writer command

These are the three possible commands:

/writer help: Show this help information
/writer logout:  Log out of the Writer Slack app
/writer change-org:  Change the active Writer organization for user

Frequently asked questions

What apps can I connect to my Slack account?

You can connect any chat apps that your organization has deployed to Slack. This includes chat apps built in AI Studio and custom apps built by the Writer team.

Does it cost money to use the Writer for Slack integration?

The Writer for Slack integration is a premium feature that charges for access. Whether you’re using the integration to query a custom app, an AI Studio app, or our own Palmyra training data, make sure your organization has approved your usage before installing.

What about if I’m just using the Slack integration to chat with Palmyra?

Yes, using the Writer for Slack integration to chat with our Palmyra training data will still incur usage fees. These fees apply only to activity that takes place within the Writer for Slack integration. Using Ask Writer to query Palmyra training data within the online web app, or any of our other extensions or plugins, is included in your Writer plan.

I'm on a Team plan. How can I set up a payment method to use the Writer for Slack extension?

If you're an admin, log into your AI Studio environment. Go to Admin > Billing to set up a payment method.