AI chatbots work alongside your Slack team to handle visitor conversations. The chatbot responds instantly to common questions, and when a visitor needs human help, the conversation escalates to your Slack channel. Below we cover how to configure AI chatbots on a Slack-connected widget and how the AI-to-human handoff works.
How AI + Slack Works
- Visitor opens the chat widget and sends a message
- The AI chatbot (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini) responds immediately
- If the AI can resolve the question, the conversation continues without involving a human
- If the visitor asks for a person or the AI cannot help, the chat escalates to your Slack channel
- An agent in Slack joins and takes over
The AI reduces the number of chats your team needs to handle directly while ensuring visitors get instant responses.
Setup
Confirm Slack Connection
Make sure your widget is connected to Slack. See Connect Social Intents to Slack if needed.
Open Chatbot Settings
Go to My Widgets, select your widget, and click the Chatbot tab.
Choose an AI Engine and Add Your API Key
Select ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and enter the API key for your chosen provider. See Connecting AI Engines for API key instructions.
Write the System Prompt
Tell the AI who it is and how to behave. Example:
"You are a helpful assistant for [Company]. Answer questions about our product. If you cannot answer or the visitor wants a person, let them know you will connect them with a team member."
Add Training Content
Upload documents, paste URLs, or enter text to train the AI on your specific products and policies. See Training Your Chatbot.
Save and Test
Save, then test the widget on your website. Ask questions the AI should handle, then ask for a human to verify escalation works.
Escalation to Slack
When the visitor requests human help, Social Intents routes the conversation to your Slack channel. The chat notification in Slack includes the full AI conversation history, so the agent knows what the visitor already discussed.
For department-based routing, set up Escalation Routing to direct chats to specific channels.
What the Agent Sees
The Slack notification includes:
- Visitor name (if provided)
- Page URL where the chat started
- Full AI conversation transcript
- A join button to enter the conversation
Once the agent joins, the AI stops responding and the agent handles the conversation.
The /ai Slash Command
Agents can invoke the AI chatbot from within Slack using the /ai or /chatbot slash command. This sends the AI's suggested response to the visitor, which is useful when an agent wants AI assistance composing a reply.
Common Configurations
AI-First with Human Backup
The AI handles all initial conversations. Agents only get involved when escalation is triggered. Best for reducing chat volume.
After-Hours AI
During business hours, chats go directly to Slack. After hours, the AI chatbot takes over and collects visitor contact information for follow-up.
AI Triage + Department Routing
The AI identifies the visitor's need and routes to the correct Slack channel using multiple escalation actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the AI learn from Slack conversations?
No. The AI is trained on content you provide (documents, URLs, custom text). It does not read your Slack message history.
Can I use different AI engines for different widgets?
Yes. Each widget has its own chatbot configuration. You can use ChatGPT on one widget and Claude on another.
Does the AI continue responding after an agent joins?
No. Once an agent joins, the AI stops and the agent takes over.