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

# Agent Slack apps tester guide

> Test agent Slack apps in alpha: what they do, the flag that turns them on, a step-by-step test run and known limitations.

**You're testing agent Slack apps, a new feature in alpha.** Each agent can run in Slack as its own app:

* **The agent's own identity:** the Slack app uses the agent's name, description, and image, and picks up a new name or image when you save it.
* **Direct messages:** people DM the agent's app, and the conversations land in a Ravenna channel made for the agent.
* **Channel takeover:** the agent's bot answers in the Slack channels connected to the Ravenna channels the agent is assigned to.
* **As many agents as you need:** deploy any number of agents, each as its own Slack app. One deploy installs an agent's app in every connected workspace, including workspaces that join later.

The [Deploy an agent as a Slack app](https://docs.ravenna.ai/documentation/automate/agents/slack-app.md) page describes agent Slack apps with their main flag on. No other flags change what you see.

| Flag | What it controls | Default |
| - | - | - |
| slackManagedApps | **Main flag.** The **Slack** section on the agent's **Connections** tab, deploying and removing agent apps, and the **App management** permission for privileged Slack access. If you can see the **Slack** section on an agent's **Connections** tab, it's on for you. | Off |

> [accordion] How to test
>
> **1. Prepare the agent**
>
> Open an agent. On **Identity**, give it a name and a PNG, JPG, or GIF image. On **Connections**, assign it to a Ravenna channel that has a connected Slack channel.
>
> **2. Connect app management**
>
> In the **Slack** section of **Connections**, click **Connect privileged access** on any Slack organization that shows **Needs Slack admin approval to deploy**, and grant **App management**. See [Connect privileged access](https://docs.ravenna.ai/documentation/automate/agents/slack-app.md#connect-privileged-access).
>
> **3. Deploy**
>
> Click **Deploy**. Check that each workspace turns Installed and that the toast says the agent is now live in Slack. Check the sidebar for a new channel named after the agent with the agent's image. See [Deploy the agent](https://docs.ravenna.ai/documentation/automate/agents/slack-app.md#deploy-the-agent).
>
> **4. DM the agent**
>
> In Slack, open a DM with the agent's app and ask for help. Check that the agent answers as itself and that the conversation shows up in the agent's channel in Ravenna. See [What changes in Slack](https://docs.ravenna.ai/documentation/automate/agents/slack-app.md#what-changes-in-slack).
>
> **5. Post in a connected channel**
>
> Post a request in the Slack channel connected to the agent's Ravenna channel. Check that the agent's bot replies, not the main app.
>
> **6. Rename the agent**
>
> Change the agent's name on **Identity**. Check that the Slack app shows the new name.
>
> **7. Remove from Slack**
>
> Click **Deprovision**, type the agent's name in **Remove from Slack**, and confirm. Check that the Slack channel goes back to the main app. See [Remove the agent from Slack](https://docs.ravenna.ai/documentation/automate/agents/slack-app.md#remove-the-agent-from-slack).

> [accordion] Known limitations
>
> These work as designed. Don't report them as bugs:
>
> * Each deployed agent has one app per Slack organization. On Enterprise Grid, that app is shared across the organization's workspaces rather than created per workspace.
> * Threads started before a takeover finish with the bot that started them, because Slack only lets an app edit its own messages.
> * A private channel the Ravenna app isn't in, or an archived channel, stays with the main app until someone adds the Ravenna app to it.
> * The agent's own channel stays in the sidebar while the agent exists, and its delete option is hidden. The agent stays assigned to it while its app is deployed.
> * Removing an agent's app ends its open DMs. Redeploying creates a new app.


## Related topics

- [Deploy an agent as a Slack app](https://docs.ravenna.ai/documentation/automate/agents/slack-app.md)
- [Agent apps](https://docs.ravenna.ai/integrations/slack/agent-apps.md)
- [Betas](https://docs.ravenna.ai/documentation/get-started/betas.md)
- [User handbook](https://docs.ravenna.ai/guides/user-onboarding/handbook/quirky-edition.md)
- [Custom Branded Service Desk App](https://docs.ravenna.ai/integrations/slack/branded-app.md)


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