Slack
Notifications, a conversational bot, and slash commands in Slack
Slack Integration
Connect Cothon to Slack to receive notifications in a channel of your choice, chat with the Cothon bot, and look up opportunities without leaving Slack.
Setting up
- Go to Settings → Integrations → Slack and click Connect.
- Choose your Slack workspace and review the requested permissions.
- Click Allow. You are returned to Cothon with the connection active.
After connecting, use Send test message on the Slack settings page — the bot sends you a direct message confirming the integration works.
Note
Depending on your workspace settings, a Slack admin may need to approve the app before you can install it.
Settings
Two settings control the integration, both on the Slack settings page:
- Notifications — turn Slack notifications on or off
- Default channel — the channel where notifications are posted
Tip
Invite the bot to the default channel (/invite in Slack) so it can post there.
Talking to the bot
Send the bot a direct message, or mention it in a channel, and ask in plain language:
- "Find opportunities about network security"
- "Show my projects"
- "Help"
The bot answers in-channel with formatted results. It also has an App Home tab in Slack with quick actions for searching opportunities and viewing projects.
Slash commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/pm-help | Show available commands |
/pm-search [query] | Search opportunities |
/pm-opportunities [query] | Search opportunities (alias of /pm-search) |
/pm-projects | List your projects |
Search results from /pm-search and /pm-opportunities are posted in the channel; other command responses are visible only to you.
Interactive messages
When the bot posts an opportunity, the message includes action buttons:
- View — open the opportunity in Cothon
- Analyze — start a bid analysis
- Save — save the opportunity to your list
Profile sync
Separately from the workspace integration, you can link your personal Slack account under Settings → Profile. This imports your Slack display name and avatar, which you can choose as your effective Cothon profile picture and title. It also enables direct-message links to teammates who have connected Slack.
Disconnecting
- In Cothon: Settings → Integrations → Slack → Disconnect. Stored tokens are deleted and notifications stop immediately.
- Optionally, remove the app in Slack under Apps for complete removal.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| No notifications | Notifications toggle is on; a default channel is set; the bot is in that channel |
| Slash command fails | The app is installed in this workspace; try /pm-help |
| Test message not received | Reconnect the integration and retry |
Next steps
- Microsoft Teams — the equivalent integration for Teams
- Opportunities — working with opportunities in Cothon
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