Slack

Connect Slack for HITL escalations and Send External Message notifications

Slack can be used as a channel for human-in-the-loop (HITL) escalations and Send External Message notifications in Cevro. When the AI agent needs human specialist input, or when an AI Procedure triggers a notification, Cevro sends a message to a Slack channel or direct message.

Slack is a notification and escalation channel, not a primary support desk. Players don’t contact support through Slack — instead, your internal team receives HITL requests and external message notifications there.

Two Ways Slack Is Used

Feature	Trigger in AIP	Purpose
HITL (Human-in-the-Loop)	# mention in AIP instructions	AI asks a specialist for input, waits for response, then continues the conversation
Send External Message	@ → Actions → Send External Message	AI sends a one-way notification to a Slack channel or user — no response expected

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Prerequisites

Before connecting Slack, ensure:

• You have admin access to your Slack workspace (or can approve app installations)
• You have at least one Slack channel where HITL notifications should be sent

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Connecting Slack

1. Open Integrations

   In Cevro, go to Settings > Integrations and find the Slack card.

2. Click Connect

   Click Connect. You’ll be redirected to Slack’s authorization page.

3. Authorize Cevro

   Review the permissions Cevro requests and click Allow. Cevro requests permission to:

   • Read and send messages in channels
   • Read channel and user information
   • Upload files
4. Verify connection

   After being redirected back to Cevro, you should see a success message confirming the Slack workspace is connected.

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Private Channels

Private channels require manual setup. Cevro’s Slack bot can only see and send messages to private channels it has been explicitly added to. Public channels are available automatically.

If you want to use a private channel for HITL escalations or notifications, you must first invite the Cevro bot to that channel in Slack.

Adding the Bot to a Private Channel

1. Open the private channel in Slack

   Navigate to the private channel where you want HITL notifications to appear.

2. Add the Cevro app

   Click the channel name at the top to open channel details. Go to the Integrations tab, then click Add an App and search for the Cevro app. Alternatively, type /invite @Cevro in the channel.

3. Refresh in Cevro

   Return to the Cevro AIP editor. When you open the HITL configuration (# mention) and select Slack, refresh the channel list — the private channel should now appear.

Why this limitation exists: Slack’s API only returns private channels that the bot is a member of. This is a Slack platform restriction, not a Cevro limitation. Public channels are always visible because Slack bots have read access to all public channels by default.

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Setting Up HITL in an AI Procedure

Once Slack is connected, you can configure AI Procedures (AIPs) to send HITL requests to Slack.

1. Open the AIP editor

   Navigate to Workspaces > AI Procedures and open the AIP you want to configure.

2. Add a HITL mention

   In the instruction editor, type # to open the HITL configuration popup.

3. Select Slack as the channel

   Choose Slack Channel or Slack DM from the channel dropdown.

4. Choose the destination

   • Slack Channel: Select the channel where HITL notifications should appear.
   • Slack DM: Select a specific user to receive the notification as a direct message.
5. Write the message template

   Describe what information the AI should include when requesting help.

6. Save and publish

   Save and publish the AIP. The AI will now send HITL requests to Slack when this procedure triggers.

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Setting Up Send External Message

You can also use Slack as a target for Send External Message — a one-way notification the AI sends during a conversation without waiting for a response.

1. Open the AIP editor

   Navigate to Workspaces > AI Procedures and open the AIP you want to configure.

2. Add a Send External Message action

   In the instruction editor, type @ to open the actions dropdown, then select Send External Message from the Actions tab.

3. Select Slack as the target

   Choose Slack as the integration, then select the target channel or user.

4. Configure the message

   Write the notification message template. The AI will fill in context from the conversation at runtime.

5. Save and publish

   Save and publish the AIP. The AI will send the notification to Slack when this step is reached in the procedure.

HITL vs Send External Message: HITL pauses the conversation and waits for a specialist’s response. Send External Message fires a notification and the AI continues — no response expected. Use HITL when you need input; use Send External Message for alerts, audit trails, or informing a team without blocking the conversation.

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
Private channel not showing in HITL dropdown	Bot hasn’t been added to the channel	Invite the Cevro bot to the private channel in Slack, then refresh the channel list in Cevro
Messages not appearing	Bot was removed from the channel, or channel was archived	Re-add the bot to the channel, or select a different channel
Connection expired	OAuth tokens revoked or expired	Disconnect Slack in Settings > Integrations (Slack card), then reconnect
”Channel not found” error	Channel was deleted or renamed	Update the HITL configuration in the AIP to point to the correct channel