--- title: Getting Started with Chat SDK product: vercel url: /docs/chat-sdk/quickstart canonical_url: "https://vercel.com/docs/chat-sdk/quickstart" last_updated: 2018-10-20 type: tutorial prerequisites: - /docs/chat-sdk related: - /docs/connect - /docs/cli - /docs/environment-variables - /docs/cli/connect - /docs/connect/concepts/installations summary: Create a Slack bot with the Chat SDK CLI, connect it to Slack through Vercel Connect, and deploy it on Vercel. install_vercel_plugin: npx plugins add vercel/vercel-plugin --- # Getting Started with Chat SDK Use the [Chat SDK CLI](https://chat-sdk.dev/docs/create-chat-sdk) to create a Slack bot with Redis state and [Vercel Connect](/docs/connect). The generated bot responds to mentions and echoes replies in a thread. Vercel Connect creates the Slack app for you, manages its credentials, and forwards events to your deployment. ## Prerequisites - Node.js and pnpm installed - A Vercel account and the latest [Vercel CLI](/docs/cli) installed - Permission to authorize and install an app in your Slack workspace - ### Create your bot Run `create-chat-sdk` with the Slack and Redis adapters and Connect authentication: ```bash filename="Terminal" pnpm create chat-sdk@latest my-bot --adapter slack redis --connect --pm pnpm -y cd my-bot ``` The CLI installs the dependencies and generates a Next.js project with these files: | File | Purpose | | --- | --- | | `src/lib/bot.ts` | Configures the Slack adapter with `connectSlackAdapter`, connects Redis, and registers handlers for mentions and thread replies. | | `src/app/api/webhooks/[platform]/route.ts` | Receives platform events at `/api/webhooks/slack` and uses Next.js `after` to finish processing after acknowledging them. | | `.env.example` | Lists the connector UID and Redis connection URL your bot needs. | The project serves webhooks and doesn't include a web UI. You can use the generated handlers for this tutorial without changing the code. - ### Link your project and connect Redis Link the generated app to a Vercel project, then add an Upstash Redis database from the [Marketplace](/marketplace/category/storage): ```bash filename="Terminal" vercel link vercel integration add upstash/upstash-kv ``` Follow the prompts to create or select a project and connect a database. Ensure the integration supplies `REDIS_URL` in the project's **Production** and **Development** environments. If you already have a Redis database, add its connection URL as `REDIS_URL` in your project's [environment variables](/docs/environment-variables). Redis keeps thread subscriptions available across function instances. Use separate databases for development and production to keep their state isolated. - ### Connect Slack with Vercel Connect Create a Slack connector with event forwarding enabled: ```bash filename="Terminal" vercel connect create slack --name my-bot --triggers ``` Complete the guided setup, authorize Vercel to create the app in your Slack workspace, and finish the workspace installation. Connect handles the app registration and credentials. See [Slack connector](/connect/slack) for the supported events and setup details. Attach the connector to the linked project and set its trigger path to the generated webhook route: ```bash filename="Terminal" vercel connect attach slack/my-bot --triggers --trigger-path /api/webhooks/slack ``` Replace `slack/my-bot` with the connector UID returned by the create command if it differs. This attaches the connector for Production, Preview, and Development token access, and sends incoming events to the **Production** deployment at `/api/webhooks/slack`. Connect verifies incoming Slack events and forwards them with a Vercel OIDC token. The generated adapter verifies that token, so you don't need to configure a Slack signing secret or bot token. - ### Set the connector environment variable Add the connector UID to your project's Production and Development environments: ```bash filename="Terminal" vercel env add SLACK_CONNECTOR production vercel env add SLACK_CONNECTOR development ``` Enter `slack/my-bot` when each command prompts for a value, using your connector's UID. Confirm that `REDIS_URL` is also configured, then pull the Development variables: ```bash filename="Terminal" vercel env pull .env.local ``` The generated bot reads `SLACK_CONNECTOR` and `REDIS_URL` automatically. Vercel supplies `VERCEL_OIDC_TOKEN` to deployments, and `vercel env pull` provides a development token for local use. Keep `.env.local` out of version control. - ### Deploy and test in Slack Deploy your bot to Production: ```bash filename="Terminal" vercel --prod ``` Once the deployment is ready, invite the app you installed through Connect to a Slack channel and mention it. The bot should greet you and subscribe to the thread. Reply in the same thread without mentioning it again; it should respond with `You said:` followed by your message. Connect resolves the Production deployment for your project and forwards events to the trigger path you configured. It forwards events to deployed URLs, so test Slack delivery against the deployment rather than a local tunnel. ## Customize your bot Edit the handlers in `src/lib/bot.ts` to change how your bot responds, then redeploy. The generated `onNewMention` handler calls `thread.subscribe()`, which routes subsequent thread replies to `onSubscribedMessage`. To test changes on a Preview branch, add `SLACK_CONNECTOR` and a Redis database to the Preview environment, then configure a [Preview trigger destination](/docs/cli/connect#vercel-connect-attach). Use a separate connector and Slack app for development to keep test events separate from production conversations. ## Troubleshooting | Symptom | What to check | | --- | --- | | The deployment reports a missing environment variable | Confirm that `SLACK_CONNECTOR` and `REDIS_URL` are set in Production, then redeploy. | | Connect reports that an installation is required | Complete the Slack workspace installation for the connector. See [connector installations](/docs/connect/concepts/installations). | | The bot doesn't respond to a mention | Invite the app to the channel, confirm that the connector has triggers enabled and targets `/api/webhooks/slack` on your Production deployment, and inspect [runtime logs](/docs/logs/runtime). | | Mentions work, but thread replies don't | Confirm that Redis is reachable, the bot calls `thread.subscribe()`, and the connector receives `message.channels` events for public channel replies. | | The webhook returns an authorization error | Keep the generated Connect adapter configuration and send events through Connect. See [Chat SDK with Vercel Connect](/docs/connect/frameworks/chat-sdk) for OIDC verification and [delivery limitations](/docs/connect/frameworks/chat-sdk#account-for-delivery-limitations). | ## Next steps - [Choose more platform and state adapters](/docs/chat-sdk/adapters) - [Route messages to an eve agent](/docs/chat-sdk/eve) - [Build AI agents with AI Gateway and AI SDK](/kb/guide/ai-gateway-and-ai-sdk) - [Wait for human approval with Chat SDK and Workflows](/kb/guide/human-in-the-loop-with-chat-sdk-and-workflow-sdk) - [Configure Chat SDK with Vercel Connect](/docs/connect/frameworks/chat-sdk) - [Explore Chat SDK CLI options](https://chat-sdk.dev/docs/create-chat-sdk) --- [View full sitemap](/docs/sitemap) If you find anything wrong or missing or can't find something, submit feedback by reading https://vercel.com/feedback.md to improve Vercel.