Boost Productivity: Automate Code Sessions with Claude in Slack

Claude Code now works hand‑in‑glove with Slack. Mention @Claude in a coding‑related message and it will spin up a Claude Code session using the context from your thread, run the task against the right repository, and post progress updates back into Slack. When the work is ready, you’ll get links to review changes and open a pull request — all without leaving the conversation.

Why this matters

Most dev teams discuss bugs and features in Slack, then copy details into an IDE or issue tracker. This integration removes that swivel‑chair step. Because Claude can read the relevant thread (with your permission) and route the task to Claude Code, it turns natural language requests — “investigate this stacktrace”, “add pagination to Orders API”, “fix flaky test in checkout” — into concrete changes tied to your repos. Fewer hand‑offs, faster feedback.

How it works in practice

When you @Claude in a channel or thread, the Slack app checks if the request is a coding task. If yes, it opens a remote Claude Code session on the web, seeded with messages from the conversation. Claude chooses a repository you’ve already authenticated to Claude Code, executes the task, and posts status cards back to the same thread (for example: analysis started → files touched → tests run). From the Slack message you can open the full session, create a PR from the changes, retry the request explicitly as code, or switch repositories if it picked the wrong one.

Getting started (quick setup)

1. Install Claude for Slack in your workspace and ensure your engineering channels can mention the app.

2. Connect repos to Claude Code on the web and grant the GitHub app the required permissions (contents, issues, pull requests).

3. In Slack, @Claude on a real bug/feature thread and ask it to handle as a coding task (e.g., “@Claude fix the N+1 query in orders_controller.rb, add a unit test”).

4. Review in Slack as status updates arrive; click View session to audit diffs and tests, or Create PR when satisfied.

Tip: If Claude answers as a chat assistant but you intended a coding run, click Retry as Code in the Slack message.

Examples

• “@Claude diagnose the 500s in the checkout service; link any related Sentry issues and propose a fix.”

• “@Claude add pagination to the Orders API (page size 50), update docs and client SDK.”

• “@Claude refactor this function for readability and create a PR with benchmarks.”

FAQs

How do I start a session?
Mention @Claude in a channel or thread and describe the coding task. Claude will create a Claude Code session if it detects a development request; you can also tell it to “treat this as code”.

Can I manage pull requests from Slack?
You can create a PR from the session’s changes directly from the Slack message and jump to your VCS to complete review and merge.

What updates will I see?
Slack thread updates typically include task start, reasoning/plan, files touched, tests run, and links to the full session and PR.

What if the wrong repo is selected?
Use Change Repo from the Slack message to point the session at the correct repository.

Is this available to everyone?
You’ll need access to Claude Code on the web and the Claude Slack app enabled by your workspace admins.

Summary

Slack is where work starts; Claude Code is where changes happen. Connecting the two means fewer copy‑paste chores and faster fixes. If you’re rolling this out, begin with a single engineering channel, connect a staging repo, and agree on review rules before enabling PR creation.

Need help with setup, governance, or prompts? Generation Digital can assist with enablement and change management for your engineering teams.