Reading Slack
Read channels, threads, and messages from Slack using slack-cli.
Prerequisites
Install slack-cli:
brew install slack-cli
Authenticate (first time only, opens browser for OAuth):
slack-cli auth login
Commands
View any Slack URL
slack-cli view <url> # View a message, thread, or channel by URL
slack-cli view <url> --markdown # Output as markdown
slack-cli view <url> --limit 50 # Control how many messages to show
This is the most versatile command. When a user pastes a Slack link, use this first.
Read a channel
slack-cli channel read <channel> # Read recent messages (default 20)
slack-cli channel read <channel> --limit 50 # Read more messages
The <channel> argument accepts a channel name or ID.
Read a thread
slack-cli thread read <url> # Read thread by Slack URL
slack-cli thread read -c <channel-id> -t <timestamp> # Read thread by channel + timestamp
slack-cli thread read <url> --limit 200 # Read more replies (default 100)
Search messages
slack-cli search "query" # Search messages
slack-cli search "query" --limit 50 # More results
slack-cli search "from:@user query" # Filter by sender
slack-cli search "in:#channel query" # Filter by channel
Supports Slack search syntax for from:, in:, and other operators.
List channels
slack-cli channel list # List channels you're a member of
slack-cli channel list --limit 200 # List more channels
Channel info
slack-cli channel info <channel> # Show channel details (topic, purpose, members)
Users
slack-cli user list # List workspace users
slack-cli user info <user> # Show user info (accepts user ID or email)
Workflow
- Slack URL provided: Use
slack-cli view <url>to display it directly - Channel name mentioned: Use
slack-cli channel read <name>to read recent messages - Looking for something specific: Use
slack-cli search "query"with Slack search operators - Need thread context: Use
slack-cli thread read <url>to read the full thread
Authentication Status
Check auth status:
slack-cli auth status