VS Code

How to use Slack with VS Code

You want Slack inside VS Code so it can triage a busy Slack workspace, coordinate people in the right channels, summarize a decision thread, and publish an approved team update — without you copy-pasting between tabs. Here is the whole setup, once.

Create your Slack gateway

The gateway is the thing VS Code connects to, and it is where you decide which Slack tools an agent may use. You create it once and every client reuses it.

Create an Arcade account

Sign up and open the dashboard. The free tier is enough to follow this through.
Create an MCP Gateway and select your Slack tools

In the dashboard, create a gateway and pick the Slack tools you want to expose. The gateway is what your client connects to, and it is where tool access is decided.
Copy your gateway URL

Every client below needs it.
https://api.arcade.dev/mcp/<YOUR-GATEWAY-SLUG>

Connect the gateway to VS Code

Add the server

VS Code 1.107.0 or higher. Command Palette → MCP: Add Server… → choose HTTP, paste your gateway URL, and name it something like mcp-arcade.
Start it and sign in to Arcade

Click Start next to the server in mcp.json or under Extensions → MCP Servers - Installed, then approve the Arcade sign-in and consent screens.
Try it out

Open the chat pane, switch to Agent mode, and ask it to use one of your Slack tools. The first time it calls a Slack tool, Arcade replies with an authorization link. Open it, sign in to Slack and approve access, then ask again. You do this once per account.

Get started with these Slack prompts

VS Code can now act on your Slack account. Copy a prompt and paste it in.

triage a busy Slack workspace

Search my accessible Slack messages from the last three days for customer questions, incidents, and requests that need follow-up. Group the results by topic, include links and authors, and list anything that still needs a reply; do not send messages.

coordinate people in the right channels

Find the Slack profiles for the people named in this request, identify the relevant channel, and invite anyone who is not already a member. Before inviting or sending anything, show me the proposed members, channel, and message for approval.

summarize a decision thread

Find the Slack thread about the project decision I describe, read the parent and replies, and return the decision, unresolved questions, named owners, and links to the relevant messages. Do not edit or reply to the thread.

publish an approved team update

Draft a concise Slack update from the facts I provide, targeting the channel or thread I name. Show me the exact draft and destination for approval, then send it only after I approve; return the posted message link.

A mistaken invite or message can reach the wrong people. Pair Slack with Contextual Access policies to require approval before invites or messages, and limit the conversations an agent can access.

How to use Slack with VS Code

Create your Slack gateway

Create an Arcade account

Create an MCP Gateway and select your Slack tools

Copy your gateway URL

Connect the gateway to VS Code

Add the server

Start it and sign in to Arcade

Try it out

Get started with these Slack prompts

Ready to actually ship your agent?