n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent

A custom n8n community node that streams AI agent responses to Slack in real time using the native Slack AI Apps streaming API. Supports the same sub-node connections (Model / Tools / Memory) as n8n's built-in AI Agent node.

Demo

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/78b9b67e-76cb-427a-805f-f34c83b4b932

Features

• Real-time streaming — Tokens appear in Slack as they are generated, just like ChatGPT or Claude
• No "edited" label — Uses Slack's native streaming API, not message editing
• Sub-node connections — Connect any n8n LangChain model, tool, or memory node
• Tool step display — Tool execution steps shown as task_update chunks in the Slack UI
• Automatic fallback — Falls back to chat.postMessage if streaming fails
• Feedback buttons — Optional thumbs up/down buttons on responses

Prerequisites

• n8n v1.0+ (self-hosted)
• Slack App with Agents & AI Apps feature enabled
• Node.js 18+

Installation

Option 1: npm (recommended)

Install via the n8n GUI:

1. Settings > Community Nodes > Install a community node
2. Enter n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent
3. Click Install

Or via CLI:

cd ~/.n8n/custom
npm install n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent

Option 2: Build from source

git clone <repository-url> n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent
cd n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent
npm install
npm run build

Then link to n8n:

npm link
cd ~/.n8n/custom
npm link n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent

Option 3: Docker (volume mount)

Add to your docker-compose.yml:

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    volumes:
      - ./n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent/dist:/home/node/.n8n/custom/node_modules/n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent/dist
      - ./n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent/package.json:/home/node/.n8n/custom/node_modules/n8n-nodes-slack-ai-streaming-agent/package.json

Note: Restart n8n after installation.

Slack App Setup

1. Create and configure the app

1. Create a new app at Slack API
2. Enable Agents & AI Apps under Features
3. Add the following scopes under OAuth & Permissions:

Scope	Purpose
chat:write	Send messages and stream
assistant:write	AI Apps features (status, prompts, title)
im:history	Read DM thread history
channels:history	Read channel thread history
app_mentions:read	Receive @mention events in channels

2. Subscribe to events

Enable Event Subscriptions and set the Request URL to your n8n webhook:

https://your-n8n-domain.example.com/webhook/slack-events

Subscribe to these Bot Events:

• assistant_thread_started
• assistant_thread_context_changed
• message.im
• message.channels
• app_mention

3. App Manifest

Use the template examples/slack-app-manifest.json:

1. Replace request_url with your actual n8n webhook URL
2. Paste into Slack API > App Manifests

4. Get the Bot Token

OAuth & Permissions > Install to Workspace > Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (xoxb-...).

Usage in n8n

1. Set up credentials

Uses n8n's built-in Slack credential:

1. Credentials > New Credential > Slack API
2. Enter the xoxb-... token in the Access Token field
3. Save > Test

You can reuse an existing Slack credential if you have one.

2. Build the workflow

Import the template examples/slack-ai-agent-workflow.json into n8n:

How to import: Click ... (top right) > Import from File > Select the JSON file

Workflow structure

[Webhook]
  |
  +- Respond 200 (immediate response to Slack)
  |
  +- Route by Event (Switch)
       |
       +- (assistant_thread_started)
       |   -> [Set Suggested Prompts]
       |
       +- (app_mention / message.im)
           -> [Extract Event Data]
               -> [Slack AI Streaming Agent]
                    +-- Model: OpenAI Chat Model
                    +-- Tools: (optional)
                    +-- Memory: Window Buffer Memory

Webhook settings

Setting	Value
HTTP Method	POST
Path	/slack-events
Response Mode	Using 'Respond to Webhook' Node

Important: Slack Events API requires a 200 response within 3 seconds. The Respond 200 node handles this immediately, allowing the workflow to continue processing asynchronously.

Slack AI Streaming Agent parameters

Parameter	Example	Description
Channel ID	{{ $json.channel }}	Channel from the Slack event
Thread TS	{{ $json.thread_ts }}	Thread timestamp
Recipient User ID	{{ $json.user_id }}	User who sent the message
Recipient Team ID	{{ $json.team_id }}	Workspace ID
Prompt Source	Take from Previous Node	Auto-detects chatInput from input
System Prompt	(optional)	Instructions for the AI model

Options

Option	Default	Description
Max Iterations	10	Maximum tool call iterations
Stream Buffer Size	64	Characters to buffer before sending to Slack (smaller = more frequent updates)
Feedback Buttons	false	Show thumbs up/down buttons after the response
Set Thread Title	false	Auto-set thread title from the user's message

3. Connect sub-nodes

Model (required)

Connect any n8n LLM model node:

• OpenAI Chat Model
• Anthropic Chat Model
• Google Gemini Chat Model

Tools (optional)

• HTTP Request Tool
• Code Tool
• Calculator
• Any custom tool

Memory (optional)

• Window Buffer Memory (in-memory, lost on restart)
• Postgres Chat Memory (persistent, recommended for production)
• Redis Chat Memory (persistent)

4. Output data

The node outputs:

{
  "channel": "D324567865",
  "thread_ts": "1724264400.000000",
  "response_text": "The full AI response text",
  "intermediate_steps": [
    {
      "toolName": "http_request",
      "toolCallId": "call_abc123",
      "args": { "url": "https://api.example.com/data" },
      "result": "..."
    }
  ],
  "token_count": 342,
  "duration_ms": 4520
}

Development

npm install       # Install dependencies
npm run build     # Build
npm run lint      # Type check
npm test          # Run tests
npm run dev       # Watch mode

Limitations

• Streaming only works within threads (DMs are always threaded)
• Block Kit cannot be used during streaming (only on stopStream)
• Unfurls are disabled during streaming
• Workspace guests cannot access the Agents & AI Apps feature
• Slack AI Apps requires a paid plan (Developer Program offers a free sandbox)

License

MIT