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Introduction

Slack is one of the most widely used instant message services for businesses. It offers real-time chat, whereas Simpplr's feed is better for organization-wide communication that's often done asynchronously.

Simpplr's Slack integration works in two different ways:

• Sites can be linked to a Slack channel so that anything posted on the site feed will be automatically posted into the channel.
• When pasting a Simpplr url into Slack, the user will unfurl a rich preview that allows two-way interaction. Users can follow sites and people, as well as like content. Content can also be promoted.

Enable Slack integration for your org (if not already enabled)

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Most organizations will already have this step enabled post-implementation. However, if your org does not yet have Slack enabled in Salesforce, either an Implementation Engineer from Simpplr or a System admin will need to complete the post install setup in their Salesforce instance. To do so:

1. From your Salesforce home page, go to Setup and type installed packages into the Quick Find box. click Installed Packages.
   
2. Click Simpplr, then navigate to Post Install Instructions and click View.
   
3. Scroll down until you see Slack and select Click here to add the url Remote Site Settings.
   
4. From the next page, save the Remote Site settings.

Set up Slack as an Application manager

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The System admin or App manager will need to complete this step to set up Slack for your Simpplr intranet. Note, they must first connect their individual user profile. Here you have two options:

Option 1

1. Navigate to Manage application at your user profile, then click Integrations > Messaging.
2. Select Slack and click Save. You'll now see the Add to Slack button. Click on it. This will take you to the steps for allowing Slack to communicate with your intranet. Review the notification and click Allow. Now your intranet is connected with Slack.

Option 2

1. Navigate to the Slack App directory.
2. Search Simpplr for Slack and click on Learn more.
3. Enter the org's Dashboard url (see example below).
4. Click on Install.
5. You'll be prompted to log in to your Salesforce org. If you're not yet logged in, you'll be prompted to. then you'll be taken to an authorization page. Review the information and click Allow.

Connecting your user profile

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Once Slack has been installed at the application level, Site owners, managers and Content managers will need to connect their individual user profiles to it. To do so:

1. Navigate to your profile image and click Profile & settings. Then click Edit profile & settings.
2. Click into the External apps tab and locate Slack. You should see two options for connecting Slack; Slack - Post content from {App name} Intranet to Slack, and Slack - Display a rich preview in Slack. Click Connect account. You'll be taken to an authentication page. Review the information and click Allow.
3. To authenticate the account, take a page from any site on the intranet and post it in a Slack channel. 
4. A blurb similar to the one below will appear. Click Connect. This will launch Simpplr and connect the account.
5. To verify the account is connected, you can go to Profile & settings > Edit profile & settings > External apps. The Slack integration should offer the option to disconnect your account. That's how you know that currently, your account is connected.

Connecting sites to Slack

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Site owners can connect their sites with Slack once integrated with Simpplr. Note, they must first connect their individual user profile. To do so:

1. Navigate to Manage sites from your user profile image. Locate the site you want to connect with Slack and go to the External apps tab. From the Slack - Post feed activity to a selected Slack channel option, click Enable.
2. Here you can choose to either allow Simpplr to send only feed posts, or feed posts and replies to Slack. Then copy & paste the Slack channel link by right clicking the name of the channel you want to post in and copying the channel link.
3. Once finished, click Save. Now all site feed activity will be shown in the Slack channel you selected. 

Push content to a Slack channel

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New content can be pushed to Slack from the Promote page menu upon publication.

You can also as use the Post in Slack button after publication. This will post the content directly in a Slack channel of your choice.

1. To post directly in Slack, navigate to the piece of content and click the three dots.
2. Next Retrieve the Slack channel link to promote content, regardless of where you're publishing from.  To get the Slack channel link, open slack, and right click the channel you want to post to. Select copy link.
3. Paste the channel link in the promotion section back in Simpplr.

Unfurl links

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Simpplr users can unfurl (expand) the following links in Slack:

• Content
• Profile
• Site

To do so:

1. Copy & paste the Simpplr link to Slack. The connect prompt link is then displayed in Slack. 
2. Users can like content from within Slack and follow sites or people. When prompted, users click Connect. Now they'll be connected to Slack for unfurl. Their settings in Simpplr will show this change reflected.

Disable Slack from Simpplr

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To disable Slack from Simpplr at the application level:

1. Navigate to Manage application > Integrations > Messaging. Uncheck the Slack box and click Save. 
2. Note this does not remove Slack from the intranet entirely. At the User level, users must go to Profile & settings > Edit profile & settings and go to External apps. Then they click Disconnect account next to the Slack option. When prompted, click Disconnect.