Slack and Tray

Slack is the enterprise messaging platform where teams coordinate work across channels, DMs, reactions, and modals. On its own, Slack doesn’t run cross-system workflows, enforce structured approvals, or take action in Jira, Okta, Salesforce, and the rest of your stack. Tray connects Slack to that stack so messages trigger automations and Slack-native agents that raise tickets, provision access, update records, and capture approvals in real time.

With Tray, you build
Agents
Integrations
 and
Automations
 that connect Slack across your business systems and teams.

Agents

Build agents with Slack and Tray

With Slack as your front door, the right knock unlocks the agents within. Messages and events give live context, Tray turns them into triggers, and Merlin Agent Builder grounds the agent in what your teams discuss and share. The agent answers in-channel, takes action across tools such as Jira, Okta, ServiceNow, Salesforce, and closes the loop back in Slack with a clear audit trail.

Ground agents with relevant Slack knowledge

  • Channel ingestion: Index selected channels and threads into Tray vector storage
  • File context: Index shared files you authorize
  • Scoped access: Limit ingestion to approved channels and workspaces via OAuth scopes
  • Freshness controls: Schedule re-ingestion and set retention windows

Tray vs. Agentforce

Agentforce is Salesforce’s native agent platform and the agent option for Slack inside the Salesforce ecosystem. If most of your processes and data live in Salesforce, Agentforce may fit. If you need a Slack agent that operates across the rest of your stack, Tray is the better choice.

Merlin Agent Builder

Runs in Slack without any Salesforce dependency

Acts across your entire stack using 700+ connectors and APIs

Supports your own LLMs or Tray-hosted models for flexible deployment

Enforces cross-system guardrails, RBAC, and end-to-end logging for visibility and control

Agentforce

Requires a connected Salesforce organization to operate

Optimizes for Salesforce objects, flows, and approvals surfaced directly in Slack

Uses Einstein model options managed within Salesforce

Centers governance and visibility inside the Salesforce platform

For a deeper comparison and Salesforce-specific patterns, see the Salesforce connector page.

Integrations

Integrations with Slack and Tray

Slack isn’t a dead end. It should open up new ways of working. One request in Slack should update Salesforce, open a Jira ticket, or provision access in Okta without context switching. Tray translates Slack events and inputs into API calls across your stack so work moves in the right system and status flows back to the channel. The same integrations power your event-driven automations and the tools your Slack agents use to take action.

Slack integration capabilities

Integrate Slack with 700+ applications plus any system with an API using our HTTP connector. These domains mirror Slack’s Web API and how teams actually work in Slack.

Create and manage conversations at scale

  • Post and update: Send channel, DM, and thread messages, edit or schedule posts
  • Threaded replies: Reply in threads and fetch context for linked actions
  • Reactions: Add or remove emoji reactions for lightweight status and approvals
  • Message management: Pin or unpin messages, delete where permissions allow

Automations

Automations with Slack and Tray

Use Slack as the front door for routine work. Route requests from channels and DMs to the right system, collect structured input with Block Kit modals, and complete approvals in Slack so work moves without tickets sitting in queues. Automations post updates back to the right channel, escalate when thresholds are met, and keep an audit trail for IT and security.

Explore Slack-ready templates from Tray’s library

Tap into Tray’s Template Library to deploy proven workflows to your Tray account and run them with Slack for requests, updates, and notifications.

Slack app agent deployment

Use this project to get started with Slack app agents.

Notify Slack when Salesforce Opportunity is "Closed Won"

Sends a celebratory Slack notification to a chosen channel when an opportunity is successfully closed in Salesforce.

The employee Slack notices project

Useful tool for notifying employees of important updates using Slack.

FAQs

Create a Slack app with approved OAuth scopes, install it in selected workspaces, and invite it to the channels you choose. RBAC in Tray limits who can build and run tools, and each tool is scoped to specific connections and actions. Approvals add human checks for sensitive steps.

What comes standard with Tray

Whether your systems, data, or models run in the cloud or on-premises, Tray connects them in one secure platform. Every connection, workflow, and agent operates under IT governance with encryption, audit logging, and access controls built in. Security teams can trust that all integrations comply with enterprise network and authentication policies.

Universal connectivity

  • Prebuilt connectors: 700+ connectors plus a universal HTTP connector for any REST API
  • Custom connectors: Build custom connectors that behave like native ones
  • Connect anywhere: Cloud or on-prem systems supported

Learn more about our connectivity options

On-premises connectivity

  • Connect securely: Access on-premises systems, whether first-party or third-party
  • Meet network requirements: Connect through approved configurations that align with enterprise security policies
  • Enterprise protocols: Support multiple on-premises security standards for safe integration

Learn more about on-premises connectivity

Authentication management

  • Secure credentials: Collect and store authentications with full encryption
  • Encrypted data: Protect all data at rest and in transit

Role-based control: Partition credentials by workspace and access level

Learn more about authentication management

Security and governance

  • Certified compliance: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA
  • End-to-end protection: Encryption, detailed audit logs, scoped connections, and OAuth scopes

Learn more about security and governance