Understand app permissions

Apps are third-party services that you can connect with your Slack workspace. Each app has a unique set of permission scopes that tell you what information the app can access in Slack and how it can use that information. Use this guide to better understand app permissions and how to evaluate them.

App permissions overview 

An app’s scopes depend on the kinds of things it was built to do. Generally, apps can do three things in Slack: 

• View information
• Post information 
• Perform actions 

Note: We recommend only choosing tools and services you trust when installing apps to Slack. Before adding an app, you can review its privacy policy from the app page in the Slack Marketplace. 

Evaluate app permissions 

There are two things you should consider when evaluating an app's permissions: 

• What information the app will have access to in Slack, such as member profiles, channel names, messages, or files.  
• What the app can do with the information it can access, like post messages, modify content, or create channels.

Installed apps

If an app is already installed to your workspace, search for it from the Installed apps tab on your workspace's Apps page in the Slack Marketplace to see who installed it and what information the app can access.

New apps

Before you install an app or approve an app installation request, you'll see a full list of permissions the app is requesting, including what information it can view and what actions it can take in your workspace.

Apps can take actions on behalf of a user or on behalf of the app. For example, an app may request permission to access messages in channels a user belongs to or post messages on their behalf. Apps can also take actions independently of users, like adding slash commands or posting messages as the app. 

 

Bots

Some apps create bot users in Slack. Bots can access the same information as workspace members, and may be able to take the same actions that members can.

If an app you're installing requests the bot scope, that means it's an older app that may have access to a wide range of actions and information in Slack. Newer apps will request a narrower set of scopes that allow bots access to specific actions and information, regardless of whether an app has updated its bot user or not.

 

View access types 

Access types help you understand the kind of information an app can view in Slack. Workspace Owners and Admins can filter apps by access type from the Approved apps, Restricted apps, or Installed apps tabs on the Apps page in the Slack Marketplace: 

1. Click your workspace name in the sidebar.
   
2. Hover over Tools & settings.
3. Select Settings & administration from the menu, then click Manage apps to open the Slack Marketplace. 
4. Click Installed Apps at the top of the left sidebar.  
5. Click the drop-down menu below Access types to view apps with different access types.