Working in Slack

Start work with CodeRabbit Agent from mentions, direct conversations, and slash commands.

Once your workspace is set up, most day-to-day use happens directly in Slack. You can start with an @coderabbit mention in any channel or thread, or open the CodeRabbit app to chat directly. Slash commands are also available for specific actions.

CodeRabbit application for Slack uses AI (Large Language Models) to generate responses, which may occasionally be inaccurate. Verify important information independently because responses do not constitute professional advice. Some features, including the AI Agent/Assistant, require a paid Slack plan and may not be available on free plans.

Entry points

Entry point	What it does	Details
@coderabbit mention	Investigate, explain, plan, or act on anything in the current conversation. The run uses the matching the current channel, thread, or DM.	Scopes
Direct conversation	Open CodeRabbit from Slack’s Apps sidebar or search for “CodeRabbit” in Slack. The Chat tab shows starter prompts when empty and does not require an @mention — just type your message.	—

Slash commands

Slash commands provide shortcuts for specific actions. You can also trigger all of these actions by asking @coderabbit directly.

Slash commands are only available in channels. They do not work in Direct Messages or threads. Use an @coderabbit mention instead when working in a DM or thread.

Command	What it does	Details
/plan	Generate a structured implementation plan from a request or thread.	Plans
/learn	Capture a durable fact from the current thread or from text you provide directly.	Knowledge Base
/automations	Open a shortcut for scheduled and message-triggered automations in the current channel.	Automations

How conversation behavior works

CodeRabbit Agent behaves differently depending on the Slack surface:

Direct conversations

Open CodeRabbit from the Apps sidebar or search for “CodeRabbit” in Slack to start a direct conversation. Each top-level message starts a new conversation. Threaded replies continue that same conversation. There is no need to @mention the bot — it stays active automatically.

Channel threads

A thread is armed when the bot is mentioned in the root message. Once armed, CodeRabbit Agent replies within that thread. If the thread remains single-player, continued interaction does not require re-mentioning.

Once multiple humans participate in a thread, the Agent becomes more mention-driven to avoid taking over the conversation. Mention @coderabbit when you want it to respond.

CodeRabbit Agent uses the scope matching the current surface. You never need to select a scope manually. The matching scope determines repositories, connections, spend limits, and knowledge privacy automatically.

If multiple scopes match the current surface, requests are blocked as ambiguous rather than auto-selecting one. Learn more about scope resolution and ambiguous matches.

What determines what CodeRabbit Agent can use

Each run is governed by the scope that matches the current Slack surface.

That scope determines:

• Which repositories are available
• Which connections can be used
• What spend limit applies
• Whether the shared sandbox is available
• Whether knowledge should be shared or private

Who can use CodeRabbit Agent

CodeRabbit Agent responds to workspace members only.

External users (guests) are blocked by default. Channels marked as externally shared are unsupported for CodeRabbit Agent workflows. If CodeRabbit is mentioned in a Slack Connect channel, it may reply once with a denial notice, but it does not start a run or otherwise participate in that channel.

After a run

After completing a task, the Agent replies in the thread with its findings, a proposed plan, follow-up actions like opening a PR, or an offer to save what it learned to the Knowledge Base.

For deeper inspection and management, the companion web app provides thread reviews for run-by-run execution detail, usage for workspace-wide activity, plans for saved Coding Plan history, and scheduled automation editing.

Slack vs. the web app

Use Slack when you want to…	Use the web app when you want to…
Ask CodeRabbit Agent to investigate, plan, learn, or act in context	Inspect what happened after a run in more detail
Create automations conversationally from the current channel or DM	Create and edit scheduled automations in the automation editor
Manage automations from the conversation where they apply	Configure scopes, connections, or sandbox settings
Confirm knowledge proposals from the same thread	Browse knowledge history, plans, usage, and thread review artifacts

What’s next

Scopes

Learn how CodeRabbit Agent decides which repositories, tools, and limits apply in each conversation.

Automations

See how recurring CodeRabbit Agent tasks work for channels and other Slack surfaces.

Plans

Review how planning work moves from Slack into a structured implementation plan and handoff flow.