You need to be signed into your Ferndesk workspace before connecting an integration. Make sure you are logged in and that you are in the correct organization. If you have access to multiple Ferndesk workspaces, switch to the one where you want to add the Slack connection.
Slack Integration
Connect Slack to let Fern join your channels, import support conversations, and create documentation tasks from Slack threads. The integration syncs thread context from your workspace and uses it to improve your help center content.
What you can do with Slack
Create tasks from Slack: Mention Fern in a thread or use the message shortcut to create a documentation task. Fern replies with a link to open the task in Ferndesk.
Support Trends: Fern reads the channels you select as support channels to find gaps in your documentation. The results feed the Support Trends reporting page.
Before you start
You need permission to install apps in your Slack workspace. If you are not sure whether you have this permission, try the connection process. Slack will tell you if admin approval is needed.
If your Slack workspace requires admin approval for app installations, Slack will send a request to your workspace admins. You will need to wait for approval before the integration completes.
Connect Slack
Go to the Integrations page in your Ferndesk dashboard.
Find the Slack card and click Connect.
A Slack page opens asking you to select your workspace and approve permissions. This happens inside Slack, not in Ferndesk. You will see Ferndesk requests access to:
Read channel history and view thread context
Join channels and send messages
View user information
Click Allow to grant these permissions. Slack will redirect you back to Ferndesk automatically.
If you do not see the Slack authorization page, check whether your browser blocked the popup. The authorization page must load for the connection to complete.
After authorizing, you will return to Ferndesk with your Slack workspace connected. The integration page will show Connected with the time of the last sync.
Select the connected Slack workspace to open its detail page.
Right after connecting, Fern has not joined any channels yet. The Channels section on the detail page still lists the channels Slack returns, including public channels Fern has not joined, so you can add Fern to channels directly from Ferndesk. See Manage channel access below.
Troubleshooting the connection
I see "Authentication required to connect Slack"
I see "Slack OAuth organization does not match the active session"
The Slack workspace you are authorizing belongs to a different organization than the one you are signed into in Ferndesk. Make sure you are:
Signed into the correct Ferndesk workspace
Authorizing the Slack workspace that corresponds to that Ferndesk organization
If you need to connect a different Slack workspace to a different Ferndesk organization, switch to that organization in Ferndesk first, then connect Slack.
I clicked Connect but did not see a Slack authorization page
Slack authorization opens through a browser redirect to Slack. If you did not see the Slack authorization page, click Reconnect to try again.
Slack says I need admin approval
Some Slack workspaces require workspace admins to approve new app installations. When you click Allow, Slack will say the request has been sent for approval. Contact your Slack admin to approve the request, then return to Ferndesk and click Reconnect to complete the connection.
The Channels list is empty after connecting
Click Refresh in the Channels section to sync the channel list from Slack. Public channels Fern has not joined appear in the list too, so you can add Fern to them from Ferndesk. Private channels appear only after Fern is a member: invite Fern in Slack first, then refresh.
I authorized Slack but Ferndesk still shows an error
Try clicking Reconnect on the Slack integration page. If the problem persists, disconnect and reconnect the integration from scratch.
Configure auto-join rules
Auto-join rules tell Fern which channels to join automatically. Rules match on channel name patterns, so Fern stays present in channels where support conversations happen.
From Integrations, click on your connected Slack workspace to open the detail page.
In the Auto-join channels section, click Add rule. Choose whether channel names should start with or end with a pattern, then enter the pattern (for example,
support-or-customers).Enable Join matching channels now to have Fern immediately join any existing channels that match the rule. Enable Include in Support Trends to include conversations from these channels in Support Trends.
Rules apply to new channels automatically. When you create a channel that matches a rule, Fern joins it.
Manage channel access
The Channels section lists every channel Slack returns, including public channels Fern has not joined yet, with the membership state of each channel. Fern has two jobs in Slack, and one channel can do both: the team @mentions Fern, or messages her directly, to draft docs. Turning on Support Trends for a channel lets Fern read its support conversations to find gaps.
Add Fern opens a picker where you search for and select the channels Fern should join. The picker includes an Include in Support Trends switch so you can add new channels to Support Trends at the same time. Private channels are only selectable when Fern is already a member.
Support Trends toggle: Turn Support Trends on or off for that channel. Turning it off leaves Fern in the channel.
Open in Slack: Open that channel in Slack.
Refresh: Sync the latest channel list from Slack. The page shows when channels were last refreshed.
When you first select a channel for Support Trends, a nightly sync reads its last 90 days of history. After that import completes, later syncs read only new activity. If you turn Support Trends back on for a channel, the 90-day history import starts again.
Private channels appear in the Channels section only when Fern is already a member. To include a private channel, invite Fern in Slack with /invite @Fern or through the channel settings, then refresh in Ferndesk.
Channel visibility
Public: Visible to everyone in the workspace. Fern can join from Ferndesk with Add Fern or through auto-join rules.
Private: Visible only to invited members. Fern sees a private channel only when it is already a member. Invite Fern in Slack using
/invite @Fernor through channel settings, then refresh in Ferndesk.
Create tasks from Slack
Once connected, you can create Ferndesk tasks directly from Slack conversations.
Any member of your Slack workspace can mention Fern or use Send to Fern; no Ferndesk role is required. Fern must be connected to the workspace, and for mentions it must be a member of that channel. Send to Fern works on any message you can see.
Mention Fern in a thread
Mention Fern in any Slack thread to create a documentation task. Fern adds a memo reaction to acknowledge the mention, then replies in the thread with a link to open the task in Ferndesk. This reply is visible to everyone in the thread.
If the thread context does not clearly indicate what documentation work is needed, Fern will ask you to specify the task.
Use the message shortcut
Select any Slack message and use the Send to Fern shortcut to create a task from that message. Fern creates the task without posting a reply in the thread, so the interaction stays private to you. You will receive a direct link to the new task.
Reconnect or disconnect
From the Slack integration detail page:
Reconnect — If the connection loses access or needs updated permissions, click Reconnect to refresh the OAuth token.
Disconnect — Remove the Slack integration from your Ferndesk workspace. You can confirm or cancel in the dialog.
If you installed the Slack app before support ingestion was added, reconnect to grant the additional permissions.
Was this helpful?
Was this helpful?