Intercom’s Channeled integration lets you reach your customers on Slack and route all conversations directly to the Inbox. Use Channeled to easily configure escalation shortcuts, track performance metrics and customer sentiment, and manage your Slack support in one place.
The best part? Fin can now deliver instant, accurate answers on Slack—expanding your AI-first customer service to even more channels.
Key features and use cases
The following functionality depends on your chosen Channeled subscription:
Enable Fin AI Agent to respond to conversations directly over Slack.
Easily escalate conversations using keywords, @mentions, or emojis in Slack.
Maintain real-time conversation sync between Slack and Intercom.
Configure auto-responses, information requests, and routing rules.
Share internal notes and comments bi-directionally between Slack and Intercom.
Customize sync settings per Slack channel for tailored escalation and routing in Intercom.
Organize your customer support with a Slack-native feed, team views, and Kanban board for better task management.
Capture customer satisfaction (CSAT) ratings and track conversations resolved directly in Slack.
Configure Intercom reporting for tags, workflows, and routing from Slack.
Set up automatic message nudges and reminders between Intercom and Slack.
Leverage Intercom API and built-in Slack analytics for performance tracking.
Support 1-to-many messaging via Slack channels and direct messages (DMs) at scale.
Note: The Channeled integration is separate to our existing Slack integration, which allows you to notify teams in Slack channels about Intercom activity but does not support Slack as an inbound support channel or support Fin over Slack.
Pricing
Channeled is a paid app available as an add-on across all Intercom plans. You’ll need to subscribe directly to Channeled to use this integration. If you’re using Fin AI Agent, any resolutions over Slack will be billed through Intercom on your usual billing date.
Install Channeled app
To set up Slack as a support channel in Intercom, you’ll need to install the Channeled app on your workspace.
Go to Settings > Channels > Slack and select Activate Channeled.
This will take you to the Channeled app in the Intercom App Store where you can select Install now (you’ll need to be signed in to your Intercom workspace).
Now click Authenticate with Slack.
Allow permission for Channeled to access your Slack workspace.
Create your first rule and click continue. Rules determine how Slack threads are managed for all connected channels, a group of channels, or a single channel. You can add more rules and continue to build them out after you’ve finished setting up.
Then connect your Slack channels. You need to connect at least one channel in your workspace. You can always update, disconnect, or add more channels later on.
Now click Connect Intercom and Authorize access to your Intercom workspace.
You'll be redirected back to configure your Slack escalation preferences after authenticating.
Intercom configuration
Manage your configuration options from Intercom Integration Settings in Channeled.
Step 1: Determine if you want automated or manual escalation to Intercom
If automated, every customer message in a connected channel will generate an Intercom conversation. This is recommended for high-volume communities and support channels.
If manual, you will use an emoji reaction in Slack, an @mention, or a keyword to generate an Intercom conversation. This is recommended for most white-glove channels, where some but not all threads are support-related.
If you've selected automated escalation, your work here is mostly done – skip to Step 4 to configure CSAT 😌
Step 2: Customize your escalation settings
If you've selected manual escalation above, you can configure which specific emojis or keywords are used to turn threads into support conversations in Intercom. We recommend a few common defaults, like the 🎫 emoji or the "help" keyword.
Step 3: Customize what happens when threads are escalated
If you've selected manual escalation above, not every Slack thread becomes an Intercom conversation. Here, you'll be able to customize the response that occurs when conversations are created (like a success message, or a prompt for more info.). This can include a custom form that shows up in Slack, if you'd like.
Step 4: Determine what happens when conversations are closed
Channeled can optionally send a Slack-native CSAT prompt when conversations are closed from Intercom. You can configure whether CSAT is prompted and what the prompt looks like in Slack.
Connecting Channels
After installing Channeled, use /invite-channeled
in any Slack channel within your workspace to enable channels to sync and escalate to Intercom.
Tip: To check if you have the app added in a specific channel click on a channel name and look for Channeled under Integrations > Apps.
Testing your integration
Intercom requires conversations created from external contacts (not teammates), so you should test on a thread created by someone outside your own domain (e.g. a Gmail account) or external domain.
Go to any connected channel and use the escalation setting you've configured above.
If you have automated syncing, conversations should instantly be created in Intercom from customer threads.
If you have manual syncing, you should see conversations created after using the escalation emoji or shortcut.
Respond to Slack messages from the Inbox
Once Channeled is activated on your Intercom workspace, your customers can send messages through the Slack channel(s) you connected.
The new Slack thread will appear in your Intercom Inbox as a conversation. Reply directly to the message from the inbox, or access the Slack thread from the link shared in the conversation notes.
With your customer’s Slack messages now in the Inbox, you can:
Trigger powerful workflows and automation to effectively assign, manage, and respond to conversations from one place.
Let Fin respond to customers over Slack (to enable this feature, reach out to your Intercom or Channeled Account Manager).
Fin over Slack follows the same configuration (e.g. audience rules and handover) that you've set up for Fin over chat and/or your workflow with Fin, and will follow any Fin Guidance that has been applied.
FAQs
Can I integrate Channeled CSAT with Intercom conversation ratings?
No, this is not possible. Intercom’s API doesn’t allow editing of conversation_rating, which prevents direct integration.
What’s the difference between Channeled automated escalation and custom escalation?
Automated escalation: Every thread automatically becomes an Intercom conversation instantly.
Custom escalation: You can manually trigger escalation using an emoji, @mention, or keyword.
How do I create Slack forms for conversation creation?
Channeled provides a drag-and-drop configuration tool for creating Slack forms, making it easy to set up conversation creation from Slack to Intercom.
Can I support customers on Slack?
Yes, if you want to connect Slack as a support channel in Intercom, you can use our Channeled integration which allows customers to reach out to you on Slack and routes these conversations directly to your Intercom Inbox, enabling you to handle your Slack support from one place.
However, if you're just wanting to notify your teams in Slack about conversation and ticket activity, simply use our Slack app.
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