How Do I Run Multiple Agents in the Same Slack Channel?

To run multiple agents in one Slack channel, set up a Custom Slack App for each agent. Each Custom Slack App gives the agent its own unique bot identity and @mention handle, so you control exactly which agent responds by tagging it by name.

Why You Need Custom Slack Apps

The standard @Gumloop bot only supports one agent per channel. If you want multiple agents operating in the same channel — for example, a ticket-routing bot and a knowledge-analysis bot — each additional agent needs its own Custom Slack App.

Each Custom Slack App gives the agent:

• A unique @mention handle (e.g., @TicketBot, @KnowledgeBot)

• A custom name and avatar so your team can tell them apart at a glance

• An independent identity — the platform routes messages to the correct agent based on which bot handle you tag

How to Set It Up

1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and create a new Slack app for each agent you want to deploy. Give each app a distinct name (e.g., "Ticket Router," "Knowledge Assistant").

2. Follow the Custom Slack App setup guide to configure OAuth scopes, event subscriptions, and install the app to your workspace.

3. In Gumloop, open the agent you want to connect. Go to its Slack Preferences and link it to the Custom Slack App credential you just created.

4. Repeat for each additional agent — one Custom Slack App per agent.

Once set up, invite each bot into the channel. When you type @TicketBot analyze this, only the ticket-routing agent responds. When you type @KnowledgeBot what's the resolution for X?, only the knowledge agent responds.

How the Platform Knows Which Agent to Invoke

When a message arrives in Slack, Gumloop checks the @mention in the message and matches it to the bot identity of a Custom Slack App. Each Custom Slack App is mapped to exactly one agent, so the routing is unambiguous — whichever bot handle you mention triggers that specific agent.

If you have the standard @Gumloop bot and a Custom Slack App in the same channel, they work independently. Mentioning @Gumloop triggers the standard-bot agent; mentioning your custom handle triggers the custom-app agent.

What Happens in Busy Threads

If an agent's Thread Response Trigger is set to "Respond to any message" and three or more people join a thread, the platform automatically switches that agent to @mention-only mode for that thread. This prevents agents from responding to every message in a busy discussion. The agent will post a brief notice in the thread when this switch happens.

You can avoid this entirely by setting each agent's Thread Response Trigger to "Only on mentions" in its Slack Preferences, which is recommended for multi-agent channels.

Can Agents Talk to Each Other?

Agents in the same channel can see each other's messages in the thread context, so they're aware of what's already been discussed. However, one agent cannot directly invoke another agent via Slack — invoking an agent requires a user profile for credential and credit attribution.

If you need agent-to-agent delegation (e.g., a triage agent handing off to a specialist), you can do this behind the scenes using the Agent Node inside a workflow, or by having one agent invoke another using agent delegation tools within Gumloop — separate from the Slack layer.

Quick Summary

Related Docs

• Custom Slack App Integration — full setup guide

• Using Agents in Slack — response modes, thread behavior, and Slack preferences

• Agent Node — for agent-to-agent delegation inside workflows

Still Need Help?

If this didn't resolve your issue, reach out to support at support@gumloop.com.