Slack Message Scraper
Slack Message Scraper
Extract messages from Slack channels using browser tokens. Supports public channels, private channels, DMs, group messages, threads, reactions, and file attachments. No OAuth app installation required.
How It Works
This actor uses the Slack Web API with browser tokens (the same approach used by slackdump) to extract messages from any Slack channel you have access to. You provide your browser token and cookie, and the actor handles pagination, rate limiting, and user resolution automatically.
Two actions are available:
- Scrape Messages -- Extract messages from a specific channel, with optional thread replies, user details, and date filtering
- Scrape Channel List -- List all channels accessible to your account (public, private, DMs, group messages)
Authentication Setup
The actor requires two credentials from your Slack browser session:
1. Get your Slack Token (xoxc-...)
- Open Slack in your web browser at
https://app.slack.com - Open DevTools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I)
- Go to Application > Local Storage >
https://app.slack.com - Search for a value starting with
xoxc- - Copy the entire value
2. Get your Slack Cookie (xoxd-...)
- In the same DevTools window, go to Application > Cookies >
https://app.slack.com - Find the cookie named
d - Copy its value (starts with
xoxd-)
Finding a Channel ID
- Open the channel in Slack
- Right-click the channel name and select Copy link
- The channel ID is the last segment of the URL (e.g.,
C01ABCDEFfromhttps://workspace.slack.com/archives/C01ABCDEF)
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
action |
string | Yes | - | Scrape Messages or Scrape Channel List |
token |
string | Yes | - | Slack browser token (xoxc-...) |
cookie |
string | Yes | - | Slack d cookie (xoxd-...) |
channelId |
string | For messages | - | Channel ID to scrape (e.g., C01ABCDEF) |
maxItems |
integer | No | 100 | Maximum messages to extract (0 = no limit) |
includeThreadReplies |
boolean | No | false | Fetch all replies for threaded messages |
includeUserDetails |
boolean | No | true | Resolve user IDs to display names |
oldestTimestamp |
string | No | - | Only fetch messages after this date (ISO format) |
latestTimestamp |
string | No | - | Only fetch messages before this date (ISO format) |
Output Fields
Each message record includes:
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
channel_id |
string | Slack channel ID |
channel_name |
string | Channel name |
channel_type |
string | public_channel, private_channel, im, mpim, or group |
message_ts |
string | Slack message timestamp (unique ID) |
thread_ts |
string | Parent message timestamp (if threaded reply) |
text |
string | Message text content |
user_id |
string | Author's Slack user ID |
user_name |
string | Author's display name |
user_real_name |
string | Author's real name |
message_type |
string | Message type (message, bot_message, etc.) |
subtype |
string | Message subtype (channel_join, file_share, etc.) |
reactions |
array | Emoji reactions (e.g., "thumbsup:3") |
reply_count |
integer | Number of thread replies |
files |
array | Attached files (name, size, URL) |
is_edited |
boolean | Whether the message was edited |
timestamp_iso |
string | ISO 8601 timestamp |
Use Cases
- Workspace backup -- Archive channel history before leaving a workspace
- Compliance archival -- Export messages for legal or regulatory retention
- Knowledge base extraction -- Feed Slack conversations into AI training data or documentation
- Migration -- Export messages when moving from Slack to another platform
- Analytics -- Analyze communication patterns, response times, or topic trends
Rate Limiting
The actor respects Slack's API rate limits (Tier 2/3: ~20-50 requests per minute). It uses a conservative delay between requests and handles HTTP 429 responses with automatic retry. Large channel histories will take longer due to these limits.
Terms of Service
This tool is intended for users extracting their own workspace data for backup, migration, or archival purposes. Users are responsible for complying with their organization's policies and Slack's Terms of Service. The actor only accesses data that the authenticated user already has permission to view.
Need More Features?
If you need additional data fields, custom output formats, or a scraper for another platform, file an issue or get in touch. We customize scrapers to fit specific requirements.