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Channels make a deployed agent available from an external interface such as Slack. The agent’s behavior remains defined by its source repository; the channel supplies messages to sessions and returns the streamed result.

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Channel declarations

Channel support is part of the agent repository. Adding Slack creates the channel declaration and Slack application manifest:
These files describe events and application behavior and are safe to commit. Slack installation credentials are managed separately from source code. Deploy the channel declaration before connecting the remote channel:
The channel targets a deployed agent alias, so new deployments can advance that alias without reinstalling the Slack application.

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Sessions from channels

Each supported Slack conversation creates or resumes a managed agent session. Messages in the same user thread continue the same multi-turn session, while other users and threads remain isolated. Channel sessions use the same deployed source and runtime behavior as sessions started from the CLI or dashboard. They appear in the agent’s session history so you can inspect their status and activity.

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Linking a channel identity

A Slack identity is not automatically treated as the person who installed the Slack application. Before an agent can access personal connections, each Slack user links their own OpenComputer identity.
1

Message the agent

If the Slack user is not linked, the agent replies with a short-lived OpenComputer dashboard link.
2

Sign in to OpenComputer

Opening the link associates that Slack user with the authenticated OpenComputer user.
3

Connect required services

If the agent requires Gmail or another service, OpenComputer shows the connection instructions for that user.
4

Message the agent again

The channel session can now use only the connections owned by the linked user.
This prevents a shared Slack channel from inheriting the installer’s Gmail or another teammate’s connected accounts.

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Connections and channels are different

A channel does not grant service access by itself. It identifies who sent the message, and the managed session resolves only that user’s connections.

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Disconnect a channel

List remote channel installations and disconnect the one you no longer want:
Disconnecting a channel stops new messages from reaching the agent. It does not delete the agent, its deployments, or users’ personal service connections.

Connections

Authorize multiple user-scoped accounts with recognizable aliases.

Agents architecture

See how source, deployments, sessions, connections, and channels fit together.