Slack overview
Datost is a Slack-native AI data analyst. This is how your team actually uses it — @mentions, DMs, slash commands, and scheduled reports.
Slack is Datost's primary surface. You ask questions the same way you'd ask a teammate — with an @mention in a channel, a DM, or a slash command — and Datost replies in-thread with the answer, the SQL it ran, and a link to the full response in the web app.
The four ways people use Datost
Mentions in channels
@Datost what was revenue last week? in any channel where the bot is a
member. Replies land in-thread. Follow-ups in the same thread reuse context.
Direct messages
DM the Datost app for a private conversation. No @mention needed — every message is treated as a question.
Slash commands
/datost link to connect your account, /datost schedule to set up
recurring reports, /datost help for the full list.
Scheduled reports
Recurring prompts that run on a cron and deliver results to a channel, DM,
or group chat. Created via /datost schedule.
The assistant thread (native Slack AI surface)
If your workspace has Slack's native AI assistant UX enabled, Datost shows up in the right-hand assistant pane. Opening it starts an assistant_thread — a dedicated, scoped conversation that's aware of whatever channel you had open when you launched it. Every message you send in that pane is treated as a question; Datost streams a typing status, posts the answer, and can suggest follow-ups. Changing the surrounding channel sends a context_changed signal so the next question can pick up the new channel's context automatically.
Mentions in regular channels use the standard thread model: Datost replies as a threaded message under your question, and any reply you add to that thread is treated as a follow-up.
Where results go
- Thread replies — the primary answer lands as a Slack message in the same thread as your question, with inline charts (bar, line, area, pie) rendered as Block Kit images.
- "View full response" link — every reply includes a deep link to the hosted response page in the web app, where you can see the full tool trace, SQL, sortable result tables, and timing. See Viewing Slack responses.
- Follow-ups — reply in the same thread. Datost reuses the prior query's sandbox when it's still warm, so iterations stay fast.
- Cancel a running query — react to Datost's "thinking" message with ❌ and it will stop.
Who can ask Datost
By default, any member of the Slack workspace can @mention Datost in a channel the bot is in, or DM it. There's no per-user allowlist at the Slack layer.
Identity and attribution, though, depend on account linking:
- Linked users (ran
/datost linkand completed the web-app flow) are attributed to their Datost account. Their queries show up in the web app under their user, and they can create and own scheduled reports. - Unlinked users can still ask questions — Datost resolves the workspace's Datost org from the Slack team ID and answers using the org's connected data sources. The query is recorded against the Slack user, not a Datost user.
Rate limits are enforced per Slack user and per channel (hourly and daily). If you hit one, Datost replies with a retry-after hint.
Next
Mentions & threads
How thread context, follow-ups, and the assistant pane behave.
Slash commands
Every /datost subcommand, with examples.
Scheduled reports
Recurring research delivered to Slack on a cron.
Install Datost in Slack
OAuth, scopes, and adding the bot to channels.