Setting up a Slack app for use with iOS Shortcuts

You’re probably here to get a Slack OAuth token. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Create a Slack app

Wait! It’s easy, I promise. I’ll even give you screenshots.

1. Go to api.slack.com/apps/new
2. Give your app a name (it’s just for you, name it whatever you want)
3. Choose a workspace
4. Click Create App

Step 1 is ultra simple.

Step 2: Set a scope

Before you can get a token, Slack wants you to pick some scopes, which is fancy for what is this app allowed to do.

1. In the sidebar, click OAuth & Permissions
2. Scroll down to Scopes
3. Under the User Token Scopes section, click Add an OAuth Scope
4. In the box, type or select chat:write

Your changes are automatically saved.

In API speak, scopes set what your token can and can’t do in your name.

Step 2b: Updating statuses?

If you’re using another of my shortcuts to update your slack status, you also need two additional scopes: users.profile:read and users.profile:write

These scopes allow you to see and update your Slack status.

Step 3: Grab your OAuth Token

At the top of this same page, you’ll see a value under OAuth Access Token in the top box.

Note: if you haven’t already, click the Install App to Workspace button first.

Token box highlighted here in Slack’s new aubergine purple.

Copy that token and input it into your iOS shortcut where needed.

That’s it!

See? It wasn’t so hard. You knew you could do it all along 💪

Most of you probably came here from a shortcut I made, but if you haven’t yet started sending messages to Slack via iOS Shortcuts, install this shortcut to get started: https://routinehub.co/shortcut/2438

Need help?

If it wasn’t so easy, that’s okay! Find me on twitter @jakebathman and I’ll be more than happy to help you get started.