Channels and access
Manage invitations, automatic joining, reply permissions and private or shared-channel context.
Joining channels
Invite OpenTag with /invite @OpenTag. You can also ask it to join an internal public channel. Private channels and Slack Connect channels need an invitation.
During setup, you choose initial channels. OpenTag can read available history in channels it has joined, including messages from before it arrived. A manual invitation can trigger a catch-up and introduction; automatic joins do not post the same greeting.
Automatic joining
After setup, OpenTag joins newly created internal public channels by default. An admin can change this in Slack settings:
- Turn automatic joining on or off.
- Exclude names containing specified text, such as
client-orext-.
Exclusions match anywhere in the name, without regard to case. These settings affect future channels; they do not remove OpenTag from channels it already joined. Exclude your external-channel naming pattern if you create a public channel before inviting outside guests.
Reading and replying are separate
Slack settings also control where OpenTag may reply. A read-only channel can remain available as context while OpenTag stays silent there. Members can review settings; admins change reply permissions and automatic joining.
An admin can ask in chat too: “Stop posting in #general.” To stop reading a channel, remove OpenTag from it.
Where channel context can be used
| Where you ask | Slack context available |
|---|---|
| Internal public channel | Accessible public channels |
| Internal private channel | That private channel and accessible public channels |
| Your DM | Accessible public channels, plus private channels where your membership can be verified |
| Slack Connect channel | That shared room's context; internal company knowledge is not opened to the room |
OpenTag must have access to the source channel. A DM does not grant access to a private channel you do not belong to. Public Slack Connect conversations may inform internal answers; private shared rooms stay restricted.
Removing a channel
Run /remove @OpenTag or remove it from the channel's member list. It stops receiving new messages there.
Removal is not a data deletion request
Removing OpenTag does not itself erase prior conversations, results or knowledge. See Deleting your data if you need retained information removed too.
Checking access
Review joined channels and reply permissions in Slack settings. Check the sources on wiki answers when you need to understand where information came from. How connections work covers access to apps outside Slack.