It should be mentioned, as well, that a real human or several humans will actually install your app and use it, so it’s very important you double check everything before pressing the button. All right, I’m convinced, let’s submit!įrom the start of your submission process, it’s important to keep in mind that what Slack is looking for is a high quality experience and secure environment for their users. Because Slack is such a key tool in organizations’ toolchains, it’s essential that only apps that pass this bar are allowed into the Directory. What Slack requires is a level of security and transparency that exists to protect the organizations using Slack. I experienced this when doing interviews with potential users and customers for Truffle: they knew their admin would not approve something that showed this warning. The yellow banner at the top is definitely a no-go for many Slack admins, who will likely be the people you will need to convince to install your app. However, when users try to add your app to their workspace, they will be shown a message that will probably cause some friction. Any workspace can install your app by clicking these links. Slack even provides a way to do this by providing you with “Add to Slack” buttons and links while you are developing your app. It is certainly possible to build a Slack app and distribute it without having to submit to the App Directory. For better or for worse, they control the pipeline of apps that reach their users and interact with their flagship products. Apple and Google want to deliver a certain level of quality and consistency to their users, so they provide a distribution mechanism that they alone control. Think of the Slack App Directory as the Play Store for Android or App Store for iOS. Why should I submit? Can’t I just create “Add to Slack” buttons on my website?

I will share here the experience I had submitting my app, Truffle, to the Slack App Directory, along with some pain points and where it could have gone smoother. Their App Directory is still relatively new, and Slack’s user base keeps expanding by leaps and bounds every year. Like it or not, Slack is a huge part of our daily work! Slack apps are really gaining momentum in their popularity, and this is a perfect time to get in near the ground floor with Slack apps.

If you’re like me, you want to build a super amazing tool that integrates seamlessly with Slack.

Slack download directory