> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://notara.gitbook.io/notara-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://notara.gitbook.io/notara-docs/getting-started/channels.md).

# Inviting the bot to channels

The Notara agent can be active in any number of Slack channels. Each channel can have its own tool set, context configuration, and permission overrides — so your engineering channel can have different tools than your marketing channel.

## Inviting the Bot

### From Slack

In any Slack channel, type:

```
/invite @Notara
```

Replace `Notara` with your bot's configured display name. The bot will join the channel and confirm with a brief greeting.

### From the Dashboard

1. Go to **Connect → Channels** in the Notara dashboard.
2. Click **+ Add Channel**.
3. Select the Slack channel from the dropdown.
4. Configure the channel settings (see below).
5. Click **Save**.

## Configuring a Channel

After adding a channel, click its name in the channel list to open the configuration panel. Here's what you can configure:

### Tool Profile

Choose a preset tool profile for this channel:

| Profile         | Tools Included                                   |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **Full**        | All connected tools                              |
| **Engineering** | GitHub, Linear, Slack, Memory                    |
| **Growth**      | Stripe, Perplexity, Firecrawl, ChartMogul, Slack |

You can also customize the tool set by toggling individual tools on or off from the **Tools** tab within the channel config.

### Context Collections

Select which context libraries are available in this channel. The agent will have access to the documents in these collections, respecting each document's load policy (spine vs on-demand vs never).

### Tool Permission Overrides

Override the workspace-level tool permissions for this specific channel. For example, you might allow `write` tools without approval in a private engineering channel, while requiring approval in a general channel.

Permission overrides follow the same four-layer resolution order:

```
capability default → tenant permissions → channel override → active skill
```

See [Tool Permissions](/notara-docs/team/permissions.md) for details.

### Active Skill Profile

Bind a skill (or set of skills) that are active by default in this channel. When a user's message matches a skill's intent, the agent automatically invokes it.

## DM vs Channel Interactions

The agent behaves slightly differently in DMs versus channels:

| Behavior         | Slack Channel                                             | Direct Message                |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| Trigger          | Mention `@Notara` or reply in a thread started by the bot | Any message                   |
| Context          | Channel's configured context and tools                    | Workspace defaults            |
| Thread replies   | Always replies in-thread                                  | Continues the DM conversation |
| Approval prompts | Sent to admin's DM                                        | Sent to admin's DM            |

**In channels:** the agent only responds when explicitly mentioned (`@Notara`) or when replying in an existing bot thread. This prevents it from noisily intercepting every message.

**In DMs:** the agent treats every message as a request. This is the best place for one-off queries and personal productivity tasks.

## Removing a Channel

To remove Notara from a channel:

1. In the dashboard, go to **Connect → Channels**.
2. Click the channel, then click **Remove Channel**.
3. In Slack, you can optionally type `/kick @Notara` to remove the bot from the channel entirely.

Removing a channel configuration does not delete any context collections or skills — only the channel's configuration is removed.

## Multiple Channels, One Workspace

There's no limit to the number of channels you can configure. Common patterns:

* **`#ai-help`** — a dedicated channel for AI-assisted work, full tool access
* **`#engineering`** — engineering-specific tools (GitHub, Linear), engineering library
* **`#growth`** — growth tools (Stripe, Perplexity, ChartMogul), competitor research library
* **`#leadership`** — minimal tools, high-trust context (financials, strategy docs)

Each channel maintains independent context and tool configuration, but all channels share the same underlying workspace credits and team membership.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://notara.gitbook.io/notara-docs/getting-started/channels.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

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Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.