How to add Slack to Dropbox Dash

Updated Jul 07, 2025
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This article describes a feature available to all Dropbox Dash customers.


You can add your organization’s Slack account to Dropbox Dash to help your team easily search and find Slack content. With one click, they can view info in Dash or be taken to the relevant content in Slack.

When an admin adds Slack to Dash, they enable sync of the organization’s Slack public channel content. Team members can also sync their individual Slack accounts to search private channels, direct messages, and group chats within Dash.

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Notes:

  • Direct messages are searchable for all conversation participants.
  • You must be on one of the following Slack plans to add Slack to Dash:
    • Slack Free
    • Slack Business+
    • Slack Enterprise Grid

API permissions

The API permissions required to add Slack to Dash depend on the type of account you’re adding. Click the tab below that matches your experience to see the API permissions required.

When adding Slack to Dropbox Dash, Dash requests the following authorizations:

  • Content and info about you
    • View information about your identity
       
  • Content and info about channels and conversations
    • View basic information about public channels in your workspace
    • View messages and other content in your public channels
    • View emoji reactions in your channels and conversations and their associated content
       
  • Content and info about your workspace
    • View people in your workspace
    • View email addresses of people in your workspace
    • View files shared in channels and conversations that you have access to
    • View the name, email domain, and icon for workspaces you’re connected to

When syncing your individual Slack account, Dash requests the following authorizations:

  • Content and info about you
    • View information about your identity
       
  • Content and info about channels and conversations
    • View messages and other content in your public channels, private channels, direct messages, and group direct messages
    • View basic information about your direct and group direct messages
    • View basic information about your private channels
    • View emoji reactions in your channels and conversations and their associated content
    • Search your workspace’s content
       
  • Content and info about your workspace
    • View the name, email domain, and icon for workspaces you’re connected to
    • View people in your workspace
    • View email addresses of people in your workspace
    • View files shared in channels and conversations that you have access to

Limitations

How to create an admin service account in Slack

To add Slack to Dash, a Slack admin must authenticate and authorize a company-level integration between Slack and Dash. For better security and to prevent issues with the Slack and Dash integration (like if an admin leaves), it's recommended to create a non-human admin service account in Slack for this integration.

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Notes: 

  • The recommended service account name is “svc-dropboxdash-slack”. 
  • Before creating a Slack account for the service account to be used with Dash, ensure that a corresponding email address exists for user "svc-dropboxdash-slack" (for example, "svc-dropboxdash-slack@company_domain_name.com"), which can be used to log in and receive emails to accept and complete the Dropbox account flow.
  • Learn more about service account naming conventions and recommendations.

To create an admin service account in Slack for Dropbox Dash:

  1. Log in to Slack with your admin credentials.
  2. Click your workspace name in the left sidebar.
  3. Select Invite people to… from the dropdown.
  4. Enter the email address for the service account user.
  5. Click Send.
  6. Click Done.
  7. Open the email account for user svc-dropboxdash-slack and locate the invitation to your Slack workspace.
  8. Click Join now.
  9. Enter svc-dropboxdash-slack as the full name.
  10. Return to your admin profile on Slack.
  11. Click your workspace name in the left sidebar.
  12. Select Tools and settings from the dropdown.
  13. Click Manage members.
  14. Click (more options) next to the service account.
  15. Select Workspace admin.
  16. Click Save.

Your Slack service account is now ready for use.

How to add Slack to Dropbox Dash using the service account for public channel content only

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Note: Slack automatically selects the account you’re currently logged into during this process. Log out of your individual Slack account before trying the steps below in order to add Slack to Dash using the service account you created.

To add Slack to Dropbox Dash with your service account:

  1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.
  2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.
  3. Select Admin console.
  4. Click Apps.
  5. Click the More apps tab.
  6. Click +Add next to Slack.
  7. Click Continue.
  8. Enter the email address for the svc-dropboxdash-slack service account.
  9. Click Continue.
  10. Enter the password for the svc-dropboxdash-slack service account.
  11. Click Log in.
    • Note: If you require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accounts in your environment, you may be prompted for additional authentication associated with the service account.
  12. Review the permissions Dropbox Dash needs to connect to Slack, then click Allow.

You’ll see a confirmation pop-up that Slack was added. You’ll also see Slack appear in the Your apps tab, along with its connection status.

How to add your individual accounts to Dash for private content

Adding your individual Slack account to Dash allows you to search and view your private Slack channels, direct messages (DMs), and group chats in Dash.

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Notes:

  • Make sure you’re logged into the Slack account you want to sync.
  • Direct messages are searchable for all conversation participants. For example, if user A syncs their DMs and has chatted with user B, both user A and user B can see those messages in Dash search, even if user B has not synced their DMs.
  • Slack and Dash admins can never view private conversations which they aren’t part of.

To add your individual Slack account:

  1. Log in to dash.ai.
  2. Click Apps near the bottom of the left sidebar.
  3. Under Slack, click Add to the right of the banner that reads “Add your private connections? People who already have access in Slack will get search results too.”
  4. Review the permissions prompt, then click Allow.

You’ll see “Sync in progress” under Slack in your app list. Your private channels, DMs, and group chats will appear in your Dash search results in a few days, depending on the amount of data in your account.

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