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Integrating PySpur Chatbots with Slack

This guide explains how to connect your PySpur chatbots to Slack, allowing users to interact with your chatbot directly through Slack channels and threads.

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Understanding Slack Integration Options

PySpur offers two distinct ways to work with Slack:
  1. Workflow Output to Slack - Using the SlackNotifyNode to send one-time results from a workflow to a Slack channel
  2. Interactive Chatbot in Slack - Creating a fully interactive chatbot that users can converse with through Slack
It’s important to understand the difference between these approaches:
FeatureSlackNotifyNodeInteractive Chatbot
InteractionOne-way (workflow → Slack)Two-way conversation
Session ManagementNoneFull conversation history
Use CaseSending alerts, summaries, notificationsQ&A, support, interactive assistance
ImplementationSimple workflow nodeCustom Slack app with API integration

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Setting Up an Interactive Chatbot in Slack

Follow these steps to integrate your PySpur chatbot with Slack for interactive conversations:

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1. Create a Slack App

  1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and click “Create New App”
  2. Choose “From scratch” and provide a name and workspace
  3. In the app settings, enable the following:
    • Socket Mode (under “Socket Mode”)
    • Event Subscriptions (under “Event Subscriptions”)
    • Bot Token Scopes (under “OAuth & Permissions”):
      • app_mentions:read
      • channels:history
      • chat:write
      • groups:history
      • im:history
      • mpim:history

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2. Collect Required Tokens

You’ll need three tokens from your Slack app:
  • Bot Token (SLACK_BOT_TOKEN): Found under “OAuth & Permissions” → “Bot User OAuth Token”
  • Signing Secret (SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET): Found under “Basic Information” → “App Credentials”
  • App Token (SLACK_APP_TOKEN): Generate under “Basic Information” → “App-Level Tokens” (with connections:write scope)

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3. Create Your Integration Script

Create a Python script similar to the example below. This script:
  • Initializes a Slack Bolt app
  • Listens for mentions and thread replies
  • Creates PySpur sessions for users
  • Forwards messages to your PySpur chatbot workflow
  • Returns responses back to Slack
# slack_integration.py
import logging
import os
import sys
from logging import getLogger

import requests
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from slack_bolt import App
from slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode import SocketModeHandler

# Load environment variables from .env file
load_dotenv()

# Replace with your bot's user ID and workflow ID
BOT_USER_ID = "U08HMJ15AHF"  # Your bot's user ID in Slack
WORKFLOW_ID = "S58"          # Your chatbot workflow ID in PySpur
PYSPUR_API_URL = "http://localhost:6080/api"  # Change to your PySpur API URL

# Configure logger
logger = getLogger(__name__)
logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
handler = logging.StreamHandler(sys.stderr)
handler.setFormatter(
    logging.Formatter("%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s")
)
logger.addHandler(handler)

# Initialize Slack app
app = App(
    token=os.environ.get("SLACK_BOT_TOKEN"),
    signing_secret=os.environ.get("SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET"),
    logger=logger,
)

# Handler for @mentions
@app.event("app_mention")
def handle_app_mention(event, say, logger):
    logger.info(f"Received mention: {event}")
    thread_ts = event.get("thread_ts") or event.get("ts")
    user_external_id = event.get("user")

    try:
        # Create or get user
        user_data = {
            "external_id": user_external_id,
            "user_metadata": {"platform": "slack"}
        }
        user_response = requests.post(f"{PYSPUR_API_URL}/user/", json=user_data)
        if user_response.status_code not in [200, 409]:  # 409 means user already exists
            logger.error(f"Failed to create user: {user_response.text}")
            say(text="Sorry, I encountered an error processing your request.", thread_ts=thread_ts)
            return

        user_id = user_response.json().get("id")

        # Create a new session or get existing one
        session_data = {
            "workflow_id": WORKFLOW_ID,
            "user_id": user_id,
            "external_id": thread_ts
        }
        session_response = requests.post(f"{PYSPUR_API_URL}/session/", json=session_data)
        if session_response.status_code != 200:
            logger.error(f"Failed to create session: {session_response.text}")
            say(text="Sorry, I encountered an error processing your request.", thread_ts=thread_ts)
            return

        # Get the message text
        message = app.client.conversations_history(
            channel=event["channel"], ts=thread_ts
        )

        # Call the workflow API
        url = f"{PYSPUR_API_URL}/wf/{WORKFLOW_ID}/run/?run_type=blocking"
        data = {
            "initial_inputs": {
                "input_node": {
                    "user_message": message["messages"][0]["text"],
                    "session_id": session_response.json()["id"],
                    "message_history": []
                }
            }
        }

        response = requests.post(url, json=data)
        response_data = response.json()

        # Get the assistant's message from the output node
        assistant_message = response_data.get("output_node", {}).get("assistant_message", "")

        # Send the response back to Slack
        if assistant_message:
            say(text=assistant_message, thread_ts=thread_ts)
        else:
            say(text="I encountered an issue processing your request.", thread_ts=thread_ts)

    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(f"Error processing request: {e}")
        say(text="Sorry, I encountered an error processing your request.", thread_ts=thread_ts)

# Handler for thread replies
@app.event("message")
def handle_thread_replies(event, say, logger):
    # Only process thread replies (not the first message) and ignore bot messages
    if (
        "thread_ts" in event
        and event.get("ts") != event.get("thread_ts")
        and not event.get("bot_id")
    ):
        thread_ts = event["thread_ts"]
        channel_id = event["channel"]
        user_external_id = event.get("user")

        try:
            # Create or get user
            user_data = {
                "external_id": user_external_id,
                "user_metadata": {"platform": "slack"}
            }
            user_response = requests.post(f"{PYSPUR_API_URL}/user/", json=user_data)
            if user_response.status_code not in [200, 409]:
                logger.error(f"Failed to create user: {user_response.text}")
                say(text="Sorry, I encountered an error processing your request.", thread_ts=thread_ts)
                return

            user_id = user_response.json().get("id")

            # Create a new session or get existing one
            session_data = {
                "workflow_id": WORKFLOW_ID,
                "user_id": user_id,
                "external_id": thread_ts
            }
            session_response = requests.post(f"{PYSPUR_API_URL}/session/", json=session_data)
            if session_response.status_code != 200:
                logger.error(f"Failed to create session: {session_response.text}")
                say(text="Sorry, I encountered an error processing your request.", thread_ts=thread_ts)
                return

            # Get all replies in the thread
            result = app.client.conversations_replies(channel=channel_id, ts=thread_ts)

            # Format messages as a conversation history
            chat_messages = []
            for message in result["messages"]:
                role = "assistant" if message.get("user") == BOT_USER_ID else "user"
                chat_messages.append({"role": role, "content": message.get("text", "")})

            # Get message history and current message
            message_history = chat_messages[:-1] if len(chat_messages) > 1 else []
            user_message = chat_messages[-1]["content"] if chat_messages else ""

            # Call the workflow API
            url = f"{PYSPUR_API_URL}/wf/{WORKFLOW_ID}/run/?run_type=blocking"
            data = {
                "initial_inputs": {
                    "input_node": {
                        "user_message": user_message,
                        "session_id": session_response.json()["id"],
                        "message_history": message_history,
                    }
                }
            }

            response = requests.post(url, json=data)
            response_data = response.json()

            # Get the assistant's message
            assistant_message = response_data.get("output_node", {}).get("assistant_message", "")

            # Send the response back to Slack
            if assistant_message:
                say(text=assistant_message, thread_ts=thread_ts)
            else:
                say(text="I encountered an issue processing your request.", thread_ts=thread_ts)

        except Exception as e:
            logger.error(f"Error processing thread reply: {e}")
            say(text="Sorry, I had trouble processing your message.", thread_ts=thread_ts)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Start the app using Socket Mode
    handler = SocketModeHandler(app, os.environ.get("SLACK_APP_TOKEN"))
    handler.start()

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4. Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file with your tokens: 
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-token
SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET=your-signing-secret
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-your-app-token

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5. Run Your Integration

  1. Install required packages: 
    pip install slack-bolt python-dotenv requests
  2. Make sure your PySpur server is running
  3. Start your Slack integration: 
    python slack_integration.py

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How It Works

This integration creates a bidirectional connection between Slack and your PySpur chatbot:
  1. User Input: When a user mentions your bot or replies in a thread, the Slack app captures this input.
  2. Session Management: The script creates or retrieves a PySpur session for the user, using the thread timestamp as the external ID to track conversations.
  3. Message History: For thread replies, the script retrieves the entire conversation history and formats it in the proper structure for your chatbot.
  4. PySpur API Call: The user message and conversation history are sent to your PySpur workflow through the API.
  5. Response: The assistant’s response from your workflow is posted back to the Slack thread.

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Key Differences from SlackNotifyNode

This approach differs significantly from the SlackNotifyNode:
  • SlackNotifyNode is a one-way communication channel where your workflow sends a message to Slack when it completes. It’s ideal for notifications, alerts, or sharing results of automated processes.
  • Interactive Slack Integration creates a two-way communication channel where users can have ongoing conversations with your chatbot. The integration manages sessions, tracks conversation history, and maintains context across multiple interactions.

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Example Use Cases

  • Support Bot: Create a support chatbot that answers user questions about your product
  • Data Query Assistant: Allow users to query company data through natural language in Slack
  • Task Manager: Build a bot that helps users create and track tasks through conversation
  • Knowledge Base: Develop a bot that retrieves and explains information from your documentation

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Troubleshooting

  • Bot not responding: Ensure your bot has been invited to the channel and has the necessary permissions
  • Missing messages: Check your log output for any API errors
  • Session errors: Verify that your PySpur server is running and accessible
  • Token issues: Double-check that all environment variables are set correctly