slack-mcp-server

Deployment Modes

Use this guide to choose the right operating mode before rollout.

Quick Chooser

• Choose stdio for personal use in Claude Desktop/Claude Code.
• Choose local web for browser workflows and manual Slack browsing.
• Choose hosted HTTP only when you need remote execution and can handle token operations.
• Choose Smithery/Worker only when your consumers require registry-hosted MCP transport.

Mode Matrix

Mode	Start Command	Best For	Auth Material	Exposure	Notes
Local MCP (stdio)	npx -y @jtalk22/slack-mcp	Individual daily usage in Claude	SLACK_TOKEN + SLACK_COOKIE via token file/env	Local process	Lowest ops burden
Local Web UI (web)	npx -y @jtalk22/slack-mcp web	Browser-first usage, manual search/send	Same as above + generated API key	localhost by default	Useful when MCP is not available
Hosted MCP (http)	node src/server-http.js	Controlled hosted integration	Env-injected Slack token/cookie	Remote endpoint	Requires runtime hardening and monitoring
Smithery/Worker	wrangler deploy + Smithery publish flow	Registry distribution for hosted consumers	Query/env token handoff	Remote endpoint	Keep worker version parity with npm release

Team Deployment Guidance

If you are deploying for more than one operator:

1. Start with one maintainer on local stdio.
2. Document token lifecycle and rotation ownership.
3. Define support window and incident contact before enabling hosted mode.
4. Validate /health and MCP initialize responses on every release.

Release Checklist by Mode

Local stdio

1. npx -y @jtalk22/slack-mcp --status
2. npx -y @jtalk22/slack-mcp --help
3. Confirm tool list in Claude client.

Local web

1. npx -y @jtalk22/slack-mcp web
2. Verify API key generation at ~/.slack-mcp-api-key.
3. Verify /health, /conversations, and /search endpoints.

Hosted (http or Worker)

1. Verify version parity across package.json, server metadata, and health responses.
2. Confirm slack_get_thread, slack_search_messages, and slack_users_info behavior.
3. Confirm token handling mode (ephemeral vs env persistence) is documented.

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