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Overview

By tagging @Blink in Slack channels, you can deep-dive into unfamiliar codebases, kick off development work, and get real-time updates on pull requests. Whether you’re discussing a bug in #engineering or reviewing code in #code-review, Blink brings more context into team conversations that are already happening.

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Installation

Connecting Blink to your Slack workspace is a one-time setup that unlocks team-wide collaboration features. The process involves installing the Blink app to your Slack workspace then having your users link their Slack accounts to Blink.
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Add Blink to your Slack workspace

Blink administrators can install Blink from the Settings -> Slack integration page.If you’re not a Slack admin, the installation may need approval from your workspace admin. When your workspace requires apps to be approved, installing this app will automatically send an approval request to your Slack admin.Slack integration settings
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Link personal Slack accounts

Your users are not required to link their Slack accounts in order to chat with Blink in Slack. However, doing so lets users view their Slack conversations with Blink inside Blink’s web interface.This is especially helpful for continuing a chat when deeper work goes beyond what Slack supports.If a user wants to connect their Slack account but they do not yet have a Blink account, you can share an invitation to join your Blink team from the Settings -> Members page.

Learn how to link Blink's Slack app

Linking Blink to your personal Slack account takes only seconds. Follow our step-by-step guide to get started.

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What data is shared with Blink?

  • Blink only has access to messages in channels it is added to.
  • Blink only stores messages when tagged, in chats you can delete via Blink’s web interface.
  • Blink does not scrape historical messages from channels.
  • Blink does not store user data from members of your Slack workspace.
  • Blink does not use your Slack messages for training.
Blink will never share Slack messages from private channels or direct messages with anyone in public Slack channels.
To add Blink to a channel, simply type /invite @Blink or mention @Blink in your first message. Team members can remove Blink from channels anytime through standard Slack channel management.

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Permissions

In Slack channels, Blink has its own permission models defined by Blink admins. Blink admins can control Blink’s GitHub access levels and even choose the language model for each channel. Any user in the same Slack channel as Blink can chat with it, but only users who have linked their Slack accounts to Blink can view those conversations in Blink’s web interface.

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Channel Types

Blink respects Slack’s channel privacy model:
  • Public channels - Any workspace member can join and chat with Blink
  • Private channels - Only private channel members can chat with Blink; conversations remain private
  • Direct messages - Available for one-on-one development conversations with Blink
  • Shared channels - Blink can only access shared if allowed, but will never share information from those channels
Blink admins can configure global settings for which GitHub repositories Blink can access in Slack channels (Settings -> Slack). These settings apply to all Slack channels where Blink is invited. Administrators can also tailor these settings at the channel level for more granular control.
Remember, all Slack channel members will be able to interact with the GitHub repositories Blink has access to, even if they don’t have direct access to those repositories themselves.
Slack channel settings

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Additional Configurations

Blink admins can also set the following configurations for how Blink operates in Slack channels:
  • Auto-invite Slack users - If a Slack user chats with Blink without connecting their account, Blink can invite them to join your team. Users in shared Slack channels are not invited.
  • Respond in shared channels - This setting controls whether Blink can respond to messages in Slack Connect/shared channels that include external organizations, separate from your internal workspace channels.
  • Elevate permissions (sensitive) - When enabled, Blink runs with the permissions of the person who started the Slack thread, which could allow impersonation. For example, if that person has access to private repositories, others in the thread could ask Blink questions about those repositories, even if they don’t have access themselves.
We recommend spinning up a dedicated Slack channel, for example #chat-with-blink where your team to chat with Blink. This keeps conversations organized and makes it easy for team members to find and reference past discussions.
When chatting with Blink, always mention @Blink to ensure it responds your message.

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Conversation Starters

Our own #chat-with-blink channel is a lively place. When we asked Blink to summarize recent conversations, here were some of Blink’s favorite prompts. Slack conversation starters To uninstall Blink from your Slack workspace, you have two options: Option 1: Through Blink Settings
  1. As a Slack admin, navigate to Settings → Slack
  2. Find the Slack integration and click “Disconnect”
  3. Confirm the disconnection to revoke Blink’s access to your workspace
Option 2: Through Slack’s App Manager
  1. In Slack, go to Settings & administration → Manage apps
  2. Search for “Blink” in your installed apps
  3. Click on Blink and select “Remove App” to uninstall completely
Removing the Slack integration immediately terminates Blink’s access to your workspace channels and prevents it from posting updates or responding to mentions.

Need help troubleshooting?

Sometimes things don’t go as planned and permissions can be tricky. Check out our troubleshooting guide for help with common issues and questions.