# slack-term — Slack Client for Your Terminal

> slack-term is a terminal-based Slack client written in Go that lets you browse channels, send messages, and manage conversations without leaving the command line.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# slack-term — Slack Client for Your Terminal

## Quick Use
```bash
go install github.com/jpbruinsslot/slack-term@latest
export SLACK_TOKEN=xoxp-your-token-here
slack-term
```

## Introduction
slack-term brings the Slack experience into the terminal for developers who prefer keyboard-driven workflows. It provides a text-based UI for reading and sending messages across Slack channels and direct messages without switching to a browser or desktop app.

## What slack-term Does
- Displays Slack channels and direct messages in a terminal UI
- Sends and receives messages in real time via the Slack API
- Supports switching between channels with keyboard shortcuts
- Shows message history with timestamps and usernames
- Handles message editing and thread navigation

## Architecture Overview
slack-term connects to the Slack Real Time Messaging API using a WebSocket connection for live updates. The TUI is built with the termui library, rendering a split-pane layout with a channel list on the left and message history on the right. Authentication uses a legacy Slack token or a bot token.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via `go install` or download a prebuilt binary
- Create a Slack app and obtain an OAuth token with required scopes
- Set the token in the `SLACK_TOKEN` environment variable
- Optionally configure a `~/.slack-term` JSON config file for defaults
- Set `sidebar_width` and `notify` options in the config file

## Key Features
- Lightweight terminal UI with minimal resource usage
- Real-time message delivery via Slack WebSocket API
- Keyboard-driven navigation between channels and threads
- Works over SSH for remote server workflows
- Single binary with no runtime dependencies

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Weechat + wee-slack** — More feature-rich with multi-protocol support; slack-term is simpler and purpose-built
- **Slack desktop app** — Full-featured but heavy; slack-term uses a fraction of the resources
- **Matterbridge** — Bridges multiple chat platforms; slack-term is a dedicated Slack-only client
- **Ripcord** — Lightweight desktop client for Slack and Discord; slack-term runs entirely in the terminal

## FAQ
**Q: What Slack token do I need?**
A: You need a user token (xoxp-*) or bot token (xoxb-*) with channels:history, channels:read, chat:write, and users:read scopes.

**Q: Can I use slack-term with multiple Slack workspaces?**
A: Not simultaneously. You can switch workspaces by changing the SLACK_TOKEN variable and restarting.

**Q: Does slack-term support threads?**
A: Basic thread viewing is supported. Thread replies appear inline in the message stream.

**Q: Will slack-term work over SSH?**
A: Yes. Since it runs entirely in the terminal, it works over any SSH connection without port forwarding.

## Sources
- https://github.com/jpbruinsslot/slack-term
- https://github.com/jpbruinsslot/slack-term#usage

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Author: AI Open Source