Slack Solution Bot - AWS Lambda

A Slack bot that manages solution team requests and creates ClickUp tasks, deployed on AWS Lambda using the Serverless Framework.

Features

• Listens for messages in a specific Slack channel
• Interactive buttons to classify requests (Question, Design, RFP)
• Collects additional details through threaded conversations
• Creates ClickUp tasks with collected information
• Serverless architecture using AWS Lambda and DynamoDB

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18.x or later
• AWS CLI configured with appropriate credentials
• Serverless Framework (npm install -g serverless)
• Slack App configured with Events API (not Socket Mode)
• ClickUp API token

Slack App Configuration

Your Slack app must be configured with Events API (not Socket Mode):

1. Go to your Slack App settings at https://api.slack.com/apps
2. Navigate to Event Subscriptions
3. Enable Events and set Request URL to: https://YOUR-API-GATEWAY-URL/slack/events
   • You'll get this URL after deploying (see deployment steps below)
4. Subscribe to bot events:
   • message.channels - Listen for messages in channels
5. Navigate to OAuth & Permissions
6. Add Bot Token Scopes:
   • chat:write - Send messages
   • channels:history - View messages in channels
   • users:read - View user information
7. Install/Reinstall the app to your workspace

Environment Variables

The following environment variables are required:

• SLACK_BOT_TOKEN - Your Slack bot token (xoxb-...)
• SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET - Your Slack signing secret
• SOLUTION_CHANNEL_ID - The Slack channel ID to monitor
• CLICKUP_API_TOKEN - Your ClickUp API token
• CLICKUP_LIST_ID - The ClickUp list ID where tasks will be created

Deployment

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Set up your environment variables in .env file (for reference)

3. Deploy to AWS:

   npm run deploy

4. After deployment, you'll see output like:

   endpoints:
     POST - https://abc123.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/prod/slack/events
   

5. Copy the endpoint URL and configure it in your Slack App's Event Subscriptions Request URL

6. Test by sending a message in your configured Slack channel

AWS Resources Created

The deployment creates:

• Lambda Function: Processes Slack events
• API Gateway: HTTP endpoint for Slack to send events
• DynamoDB Table: Stores conversation state (with 24-hour TTL)
• IAM Role: Permissions for Lambda to access DynamoDB

Commands

• npm run deploy - Deploy to AWS
• npm run remove - Remove all AWS resources
• npm run logs - View Lambda function logs

CI/CD with GitHub Actions

This project includes automated deployment workflows:

• Production: Auto-deploys when pushing to main or master branch
• Staging: Auto-deploys when pushing to develop or staging branch

Setup Instructions: See GITHUB_ACTIONS_SETUP.md

Quick setup:

1. Add GitHub Secrets (AWS credentials, Slack tokens, etc.)
2. Push to main branch
3. GitHub Actions automatically deploys to AWS Lambda

No manual deployment needed! 🚀

Architecture

Slack Event → API Gateway → Lambda → DynamoDB
                                  ↓
                              ClickUp API

State Management

Conversation state is stored in DynamoDB with:

• Primary Key: threadTs (Slack thread timestamp)
• TTL: 24 hours (automatic cleanup)
• Attributes: userId, messageTs, originalMessage, step, requestType, additionalDetails

Cost Estimation

This solution uses AWS free tier eligible services:

• Lambda: 1M free requests/month
• DynamoDB: 25GB storage + 25 RCU/WCU free
• API Gateway: 1M API calls free for 12 months

Expected monthly cost after free tier: < $1 for typical usage

Troubleshooting

Slack events not reaching Lambda

• Verify API Gateway endpoint is configured in Slack Event Subscriptions
• Check Lambda logs: npm run logs
• Ensure Slack signing secret is correct

Bot not responding in channel

• Verify SOLUTION_CHANNEL_ID matches your channel
• Check bot is invited to the channel
• Ensure bot has proper OAuth scopes

ClickUp tasks not created

• Verify CLICKUP_API_TOKEN is valid
• Verify CLICKUP_LIST_ID exists and bot has access
• Check Lambda logs for error details

Security Notes

• Never commit .env file to version control
• Use AWS Secrets Manager or Parameter Store for production secrets
• Rotate Slack tokens and ClickUp API keys regularly
• Review IAM permissions to ensure least privilege

Team Deployment

To share with your team:

1. Share this folder (excluding node_modules and .env)
2. Team members need:
   • AWS credentials with appropriate permissions
   • Environment variables (share securely, not via git)
3. Each team member can deploy to their own AWS account/stage
4. For production, use CI/CD pipeline (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc.)