If you’re new to Unstructured, read this note first.

Before you can create a source connector, you must first sign in to your Unstructured account:

  • If you do not already have an Unstructured account, go to https://unstructured.io/contact and fill out the online form to indicate your interest.
  • If you already have an Unstructured account, go to https://platform.unstructured.io and sign in by using the email address, Google account, or GitHub account that is associated with your Unstructured account.

After you sign in, the Unstructured user interface (UI) appears, which you use to create your source connector.

After you create the source connector, add it along with a destination connector to a workflow. Then run the worklow as a job. To learn how, try out the hands-on UI quickstart or watch the 4-minute video tutorial.

You can also create source connectors with the Unstructured API. Learn how.

If you need help, reach out to the community on Slack, or contact us directly.

You are now ready to start creating a source connector! Keep reading to learn how.

Ingest your files into Unstructured from Slack.

The requirements are as follows.

  • A Slack app. Create a Slack app by following Step 1: Creating an app.

  • The app must have the channels:history OAuth scope. Give the app this scope by following Step 2: Requesting scopes.

  • The app must be installed and authorized for the target Slack workspace. Install and authorize the app by following Step 3: Installing and authorizing the app.

  • The app’s access token. Get this token by following Step 3: Installing and authorizing the app.

  • Add the app to the target channels in the Slack workspace. To do this from the channel, open the channel’s details page, click the Integrations tab, click Add apps, and follow the on-screen directions to install the app.

  • The channel ID for each target channel. To get this ID, open the channel’s details page, and look for the Channel ID field on the About tab.

  • The starting and ending date and time range for the channels to be processed. Supported formats include:

    • YYYY-MM-DD
    • YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS
    • YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ
    • YYYY-MM-DD+HH:MM:SS
    • YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM:SS

To create the source connector:

  1. On the sidebar, click Connectors.
  2. Click Sources.
  3. Cick New or Create Connector.
  4. Give the connector some unique Name.
  5. In the Provider area, click Slack.
  6. Click Continue.
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions to fill in the fields as described later on this page.
  8. Click Save and Test.

Fill in the following fields:

  • Name (required): A unique name for this connector.
  • Channels (required): A comma-separated list of the target Slack channel IDs to read messages from.
  • Start Date: The starting date and time, in ISO 8601 format such as YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ, to start reading messages from. Messages that were created earlier than this date and time are ignored. By default, all messages are read unless End Date is specified.
  • End Date: The ending date and time, in ISO 8601 format such as YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ, to stop reading messages at. Messages that are created after this date and time are ignored. By default, all messages are read unless Start Date is specified.
  • Bot Token (required): The access token for the Slack app that has access to the target Slack channels to read messages from.