Slack Task MCP

Zero friction from mention to action

An MCP server designed for users with ADHD traits

日本語

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Why

When Slack mentions pile up, it's hard to know where to start. Complex requests leave you frozen, unsure what to ask. Writing replies takes forever. Sound familiar?

Problem	Solution
"What do they want?" is unclear	Clarify the purpose
"What should I ask?" is unknown	Identify unknowns + draft confirmation messages
"How should I reply?" takes time	Edit & structure reply messages
"What's next?" causes paralysis	Provide next actions

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Before / After

❌ Before
Mention arrives → "What do they want?" → Freeze → Postpone → Forget

✅ After
Mention arrives → Paste thread URL → Purpose, unknowns & next action organized → Start immediately

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Who is this for?

• 💭 You read a Slack message multiple times but still don't know where to start
• 📝 Writing replies takes forever because you overthink the wording
• 🔄 You postpone complex requests and end up forgetting them
• 🧠 You have ADHD traits and struggle with task initiation

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Use Cases

1. Break down a vague request

"Can you handle the quarterly report?"

What this tool does:

• Clarifies what "handle" means (create? review? present?)
• Identifies unknowns (deadline? format? audience?)
• Generates a confirmation message to ask the right questions
• Breaks the task into 5-minute steps once clarified

2. Structure a messy reply

"Done with the thing. Attached. Check it."

After editing:

"I've completed the quarterly report and attached it. Could you review it when you have a moment? Let me know if any changes are needed."

• Conclusion → Reasoning → Action structure
• Polite but concise tone

3. Resume work after interruption

"What was I working on for that client request?"

What this tool does:

• Searches past Slack threads
• Shows task progress and next steps
• No need to re-read the entire thread

4. Triage multiple mentions

When you have 10+ unread mentions:

• Analyze each thread quickly
• Identify priorities (blocking others? deadline?)
• Generate confirmation messages for unclear ones
• Save as tasks and tackle one by one

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Demo

You: Analyze this thread https://xxx.slack.com/archives/C123/p456

Claude: ## Request Analysis

### Summary
- **Purpose**: Create sales report for Q4
- **Deliverable**: PDF report with charts
- **Deadline**: Next Friday

### Unknowns
- ❓ Which metrics to include?
  - Impact: Can't start without this
  - Options: Revenue only / Revenue + costs / Full P&L

### Suggested Confirmation Message
"Thanks for the request! Quick question - should I include just revenue,
or the full P&L breakdown? Also, should I use the same template as Q3?"

### Next Action
📌 Send confirmation message (2 min)

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You: They said full P&L, same template. Break it down and save.

Claude: ✅ Task saved!

### Q4 Sales Report
1. ☐ Open Q3 template and duplicate (2 min)
2. ☐ Export Q4 data from dashboard (3 min)
3. ☐ Paste revenue numbers (5 min)
4. ☐ Paste cost numbers (5 min)
5. ☐ Update charts (5 min)
6. ☐ Write summary paragraph (5 min)
7. ☐ Export as PDF and send (2 min)

📌 Start with step 1 - just 2 minutes!

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Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Claude Desktop / Claude Code                               │
│  └── MCP Client                                             │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                           │ MCP Protocol
┌──────────────────────────▼──────────────────────────────────┐
│  Slack Task MCP Server                                      │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │  MCP Tools                                             │ │
│  │  • get_slack_thread  • save_task     • analyze_request │ │
│  │  • search_slack      • list_tasks    • draft_reply     │ │
│  │                      • complete_step                   │ │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │  Agent SDK Layer (AI-powered analysis)                 │ │
│  │  • analyze.js → Request analysis                       │ │
│  │  • draft-reply.js → Reply editing                      │ │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
          ┌────────────────┴────────────────┐
          ▼                                 ▼
   ┌─────────────┐                   ┌─────────────┐
   │  Slack API  │                   │  Claude API │
   │ (User Token)│                   │ (Agent SDK) │
   └─────────────┘                   └─────────────┘

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Features

Tool	Description	Agent SDK
get_slack_thread	Fetch messages from a Slack thread URL	-
analyze_request	Analyze requests, identify purpose & unknowns	✅
draft_reply	Edit and structure replies logically	✅
save_task	Save tasks (broken into <5 min steps)	-
list_tasks	Show active task list	-
search_tasks	Search tasks by keyword/date	-
complete_step	Mark a step as complete	-
search_slack	Search Slack messages by keyword	-

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Quick Start

1. Authenticate with Slack

npx -y @ignission/slack-task-mcp auth login

A browser will open for Slack authentication. Repeat for multiple workspaces.

2. Configure Claude Code / Claude Desktop

Claude Code (Terminal):

claude mcp add slack-task -- npx -y @ignission/slack-task-mcp

Claude Desktop (~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack-task": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ignission/slack-task-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

3. Restart

Restart Claude Code / Claude Desktop to apply the configuration.

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Usage

Basic Workflow

1. get_slack_thread  →  Fetch thread (context DB)
2. analyze_request   →  Generate purpose, unknowns, confirmation drafts
3. draft_reply       →  Edit and structure reply drafts
4. save_task         →  Save as task
5. complete_step     →  Track progress

Examples

Fetch & Analyze a Thread

Analyze this Slack thread:
https://xxx.slack.com/archives/C12345678/p1234567890123456

Save a Task

Break this down into steps under 5 minutes and save it

Edit a Reply

Edit this reply: "Report is done. Attached. Please check."

List Tasks

Show my task list

Complete a Step

Mark step 1 as complete

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ADHD-Friendly Design

• Offload from your brain — Save tasks and forget them. Free up working memory.
• Break into <5 min steps — Build small wins
• Easiest step first — Lower the barrier to start
• Clear stopping points — Easy to pause and resume
• Slack as context DB — Ask Claude "what happened with that?"

The Real Value: Stop Carrying Everything in Your Head

❌ Keeping tasks in your head
"Don't forget this" + "That too" + "And this..." → Constant working memory drain → Exhaustion

✅ Offload to MCP
Save task → OK to forget → Brain freed up → Focus on just one thing

Your brain is for thinking, not for storing. Let the tool remember so you don't have to.

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Tech Stack

Technology	Purpose
Node.js (ES Modules)	Runtime
MCP Protocol	Communication with Claude Code/Desktop
Claude Agent SDK	AI-powered request analysis & reply editing
Slack Web API	Slack integration (User Token)
Zod	Schema validation
Cloudflare Workers	OAuth authentication (token exchange)

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Project Structure

slack-task-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.js         # MCP server entry point
│   ├── cli.js           # CLI commands
│   ├── auth.js          # OAuth authentication (hybrid)
│   ├── credentials.js   # Credential management
│   ├── paths.js         # Path management (XDG compliant)
│   └── agents/          # Agent SDK agents
│       ├── index.js     # Common settings
│       ├── analyze.js   # Request analysis
│       └── draft-reply.js # Reply editing
├── worker/              # Cloudflare Workers (token exchange)
│   ├── index.js
│   └── wrangler.toml
└── package.json

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Data Storage

Data is stored following XDG Base Directory Specification:

~/.local/share/slack-task-mcp/
├── credentials/
│   ├── T01234567.json     # Per-workspace credentials
│   └── T98765432.json
└── tasks.json              # Task data

If XDG_DATA_HOME is set, that path will be used instead.

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Troubleshooting

Slack API Errors

npx -y @ignission/slack-task-mcp auth status              # Check auth status
npx -y @ignission/slack-task-mcp auth login               # Authenticate new workspace
npx -y @ignission/slack-task-mcp auth logout              # Logout from all workspaces
npx -y @ignission/slack-task-mcp auth logout -w mycompany # Logout from specific workspace

MCP Server Not Recognized

• Verify the config file path is correct
• Restart Claude Code / Claude Desktop

Can't Read Private Channels

• You can only read channels you're a member of

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Contributing

Issues and PRs are welcome!

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License

ISC