Slack OAuth scopes
SlackVault requests a fixed set of user-token scopes, all of which are read-only. The app cannot post messages, modify channels, or make any change to your workspace.
| Scope | Description | Data accessed |
|---|---|---|
channels:history | View messages in public channels | Message content, timestamps, reactions |
channels:read | View basic public channel info | Channel names, topics, purposes |
groups:history | View messages in private channels | Private channel messages |
groups:read | View private channel info | Private channel metadata |
im:history | View direct message history | DM content and timestamps |
im:read | View DM channel info | DM channel metadata |
mpim:history | View group DM history | Group DM content |
mpim:read | View group DM info | Group DM metadata |
users:read | View user profiles | Names, avatars, status |
users:read.email | View user email addresses | Email addresses (for search) |
files:read | View files shared in the workspace | File metadata and content |
team:read | View workspace info | Workspace name, domain, icon |
tip
Every scope above is read-only. SlackVault has no write scopes — by design it can only read your workspace, never change it.
What this means in practice
- You can only back up channels you have access to. For private channels, you must be a member.
- Because there are no write scopes, SlackVault literally cannot post, edit, delete, or react to anything in Slack.
- After any scope change you must reinstall the app to your workspace for the change to take effect.
These scopes are pre-set in the Slack app manifest, so you don't configure them by hand.