Slack: Opens or resumes a direct message or multi-person direct message

Slack conversations.open: arguments, response, policy and SDK examples.

← Conversations operations · Get started

Operation slack.conversations_open

Provider route: POST /conversations.open. Alter supplies the connection’s credentials and routing.

Call through Alter

Install @alter-ai/sdk @alter-ai/slack with npm, or alter-sdk-slack with pip. Supply your connected customer’s grant ID and the arguments described below.

import { App } from "@alter-ai/sdk";
import { SlackIntegration } from "@alter-ai/slack";

async function execute(input: Parameters<SlackIntegration["conversations"]["open"]>[0]) {
  const app = new App({ apiKey: process.env.ALTER_API_KEY! });
  try {
    const provider = new SlackIntegration(app, { grantId: process.env.PROVIDER_GRANT_ID! });
    const call = await provider.conversations.open(input);
    const result = await call.wait();
    return result.bodyJson();
  } finally {
    await app.close();
  }
}

import os
from alter_sdk import App
from alter_sdk_slack import SlackIntegration

async def execute(arguments):
    async with App(api_key=os.environ["ALTER_API_KEY"]) as app:
        provider = SlackIntegration(app, {"grant_id": os.environ["PROVIDER_GRANT_ID"]})
        call = await provider.conversations.open(arguments)
        result = await call.wait()
        return result.body_json()

Input

Field	Type	Presence	Description and constraints
`$`	object	Root	Additional keys: not allowed
`body`	object	Optional
`body.channel`	string	Optional	Resume a conversation by supplying an `im` or `mpim`‘s ID. Or provide the `users` field instead.
`body.prevent_creation`	boolean	Optional	Do not create a direct message or multi-person direct message. This is used to see if there is an existing dm or mpdm.
`body.return_im`	boolean	Optional	Boolean, indicates you want the full IM channel definition in the response.
`body.users`	string	Optional	Comma separated lists of users. If only one user is included, this creates a 1:1 DM. The ordering of the users is preserved whenever a multi-person direct message is returned. Supply a `channel` when not supplying `users`.

Response

Response media type: application/json. The table describes the pinned successful response. Referenced models link to their complete fields.

Field	Type	Presence	Description and constraints
`$`	object	Root	Schema for successful response from conversations.open method when opening channels, ims, mpims
`already_open`	boolean	Optional
`channel`	JSON	Optional
`channel (anyOf 1)`	Model	Alternative	Expand Renames a conversation — response body — channel
`channel (anyOf 2)`	object	Alternative
`channel (anyOf 2).created`	string	Optional
`channel (anyOf 2).id`	string	Optional
`channel (anyOf 2).is_im`	boolean	Optional
`channel (anyOf 2).is_open`	boolean	Optional
`channel (anyOf 2).last_read`	string	Optional
`channel (anyOf 2).latest`	Model	Optional	Expand Sends a message to a channel — response body — message
`channel (anyOf 2).unread_count`	JSON	Optional
`channel (anyOf 2).unread_count (anyOf 1)`	number	Alternative
`channel (anyOf 2).unread_count (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`channel (anyOf 2).unread_count_display`	JSON	Optional
`channel (anyOf 2).unread_count_display (anyOf 1)`	number	Alternative
`channel (anyOf 2).unread_count_display (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`channel (anyOf 2).user`	string	Optional
`no_op`	boolean	Optional
`ok`	boolean	Required within parent	Must equal: true

Referenced models: Renames a conversation — response body — channel, Sends a message to a channel — response body — message

Schemas

11 more schemas are linked from the tables above, on the schema pages.

Sends a message to a channel — response body — message

Field	Type	Presence	Description and constraints
`$`	object	Root
`attachments`	array	Optional
`attachments[]`	object	Each item
`attachments[].fallback`	string	Optional
`attachments[].id`	JSON	Optional
`attachments[].id (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`attachments[].id (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`attachments[].image_bytes`	JSON	Optional
`attachments[].image_bytes (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`attachments[].image_bytes (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`attachments[].image_height`	JSON	Optional
`attachments[].image_height (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`attachments[].image_height (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`attachments[].image_url`	string	Optional
`attachments[].image_width`	JSON	Optional
`attachments[].image_width (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`attachments[].image_width (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`blocks`	Model	Optional	Expand Sends a message to a channel — response body — message blocks
`bot_id`	JSON	Optional
`bot_id (anyOf 1)`	string	Alternative
`bot_id (anyOf 2)`	null	Alternative
`bot_profile`	Model	Optional	Expand Sends a message to a channel — response body — message bot profile
`client_msg_id`	string	Optional
`comment`	Model	Optional	Expand Sends a message to a channel — response body — message comment
`display_as_bot`	boolean	Optional
`file`	Model	Optional	Expand Gets information about a file — response body — file
`files`	array	Optional
`files[]`	Model	Each item	Expand Gets information about a file — response body — file
`icons`	object	Optional
`icons.emoji`	string	Optional
`icons.image_64`	string	Optional	Format: uri
`inviter`	string	Optional
`is_delayed_message`	boolean	Optional
`is_intro`	boolean	Optional
`is_starred`	boolean	Optional
`last_read`	string	Optional
`latest_reply`	string	Optional
`name`	string	Optional
`old_name`	string	Optional
`parent_user_id`	string	Optional
`permalink`	string	Optional	Format: uri
`pinned_to`	array	Optional
`pinned_to[]`	string	Each item
`purpose`	string	Optional
`reactions`	array	Optional
`reactions[]`	Model	Each item	Expand Gets information about a file — response body — file reactions item
`reply_count`	JSON	Optional
`reply_count (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`reply_count (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`reply_users`	array	Optional
`reply_users[]`	string	Each item
`reply_users_count`	JSON	Optional
`reply_users_count (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`reply_users_count (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`source_team`	string	Optional
`subscribed`	boolean	Optional
`subtype`	string	Optional
`team`	string	Optional
`text`	string	Optional
`thread_ts`	string	Optional
`topic`	string	Optional
`ts`	string	Optional
`type`	string	Optional
`unread_count`	JSON	Optional
`unread_count (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`unread_count (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`upload`	boolean	Optional
`user`	string	Optional
`user_profile`	Model	Optional	Expand Sends a message to a channel — response body — message user profile
`user_team`	string	Optional
`username`	string	Optional

Referenced models: Sends a message to a channel — response body — message blocks, Sends a message to a channel — response body — message bot profile, Sends a message to a channel — response body — message comment, Gets information about a file — response body — file, Gets information about a file — response body — file reactions item, Sends a message to a channel — response body — message user profile

Gets information about the current team — response body — team

Field	Type	Presence	Description and constraints
`$`	object	Root
`archived`	boolean	Optional
`avatar_base_url`	string	Optional	Format: uri
`created`	JSON	Optional
`created (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`created (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`date_create`	JSON	Optional
`date_create (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`date_create (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`deleted`	boolean	Optional
`description`	JSON	Optional
`description (anyOf 1)`	null	Alternative
`description (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative
`discoverable`	JSON	Optional
`discoverable (anyOf 1)`	null	Alternative
`discoverable (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative
`domain`	string	Optional
`email_domain`	string	Optional
`enterprise_id`	string	Optional
`enterprise_name`	string	Optional
`external_org_migrations`	Model	Optional	Expand Gets information about the current team — response body — team external org migrations
`has_compliance_export`	boolean	Optional
`icon`	Model	Optional	Expand Gets information about the current team — response body — team icon
`id`	string	Optional
`is_assigned`	boolean	Optional
`is_enterprise`	JSON	Optional
`is_enterprise (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`is_enterprise (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`is_over_storage_limit`	boolean	Optional
`limit_ts`	JSON	Optional
`limit_ts (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`limit_ts (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`locale`	string	Optional
`messages_count`	JSON	Optional
`messages_count (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`messages_count (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`msg_edit_window_mins`	JSON	Optional
`msg_edit_window_mins (anyOf 1)`	integer	Alternative
`msg_edit_window_mins (anyOf 2)`	string	Alternative	Pattern: ^-?[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?[0-9]+)?$
`name`	string	Optional
`over_integrations_limit`	boolean	Optional
`over_storage_limit`	boolean	Optional
`pay_prod_cur`	string	Optional
`plan`	string	Optional	Known values: `""` (empty string), std, plus, compliance, enterprise
`primary_owner`	Model	Optional	Expand Gets information about the current team — response body — team primary owner
`sso_provider`	object	Optional
`sso_provider.label`	string	Optional
`sso_provider.name`	string	Optional
`sso_provider.type`	string	Optional

Referenced models: Gets information about the current team — response body — team external org migrations, Gets information about the current team — response body — team icon, Gets information about the current team — response body — team primary owner

Policy, approvals and errors

SDK function policy ID: slack.conversations_open. Catalog operation: conversations_open. Rules can name either ID; function rules distinguish managed calls and conservatively cover raw calls sharing the route. Existing grant permissions and policy rules apply. wait() returns an immediate result or waits for a required approval; it never approves the request itself. Persist the approval ID to resume after a restart.

Provider errors retain their response; JSON decoding raises ProviderAPIError for provider failures. ManagedOperationError identifies contract/input/retention errors. See error handling and provider-specific behavior. Sensitive input may be refused before approval storage. A decoding error never resubmits a write.

Required provider scopes: ["channels:manage", "groups:write", "im:write", "mpim:write"]

Official provider source

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