Tips for searching with Slack AI

Use these tips to get the best results possible when searching with Slack AI.

Searching in Slack using AI


Start simple

To get an answer from Slack AI, ask it a question like you’d ask a friend. Straightforward questions and those that start with “What” or “How” tend to work best:

  • “How do I request content translations?”

  • “What does EOD stand for?”

Slack AI has trouble with subjective questions (for example, “When will the Acme deal close?”) and will be more likely to return inaccurate results for open-ended queries about the future.


Keep your source material in mind

Slack AI draws from information you and your coworkers share in (you guessed it!) Slack, rather than the internet at large. Unless you work in ecology, you’re unlikely to have luck with questions like “Do platypuses lay eggs?” 

Tip: Slack AI may also return results for searches that aren't phrased as questions if it seems likely that a response would be helpful, ex. “Project Acme timeline” or “Engineering offsite dates.” 


Lean on citations

Answers from Slack AI will often include citations with links to source messages for you to reference alongside the provided answers. Hover over the number in brackets to view a snippet of a message referenced in an AI answer, or click on it to view the original message. 

Learn more: Visit Guide to Slack AI for an overview and FAQs.