Easy Tech TutsHow to Build a Slack App, Create & Develop Easily 2026
By Impran M N
Building custom bots and automations directly into your team's Slack workspace starts in the developer dashboard. This guide covers creating an app from scratch, assigning permission scopes, and generating a bot token to test your first integration.
01Create a new app
Go to the Slack API developer dashboard and click 'Create New App' to begin the setup process.
02Build from scratch
Select 'From Scratch', give your app a name, and choose which development workspace to install it in.
03Add OAuth scopes
Navigate to OAuth & Permissions, scroll to Bot Token Scopes, and add permissions like chat:write and channels:read.
04Install the app to your workspace
Scroll to the top and click 'Install to Workspace', then review and approve the permission prompt.
05Copy your bot token
Copy the generated Bot User OAuth Token and store it securely in your local environment configuration.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between building from scratch and using a manifest?
A manifest lets you define app configuration in a file for faster setup, while building from scratch means configuring each setting manually through the UI.
Do I need to know how to code to build a Slack app?
Basic apps with slash commands can be configured without much code, but full functionality typically requires a backend using the Slack SDK.
How do I add my bot to a channel?
Use the /invite command inside the target channel to add your newly installed bot.
Can I test my app before making it public?
Yes, apps can be tested privately in a development workspace before requesting distribution approval.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
