Using Space Connect
Channels: Slack, email, WebSocket
Reach an agent from outside the app, by messaging it in Slack, emailing it, or connecting your own app.
A channel is a doorway into Space from somewhere else. Instead of opening the app, you (or a colleague) message an agent where you already work. Find them under Explore › Channels.
The three kinds
| Channel | How people use it | Where the answer goes |
|---|---|---|
| Slack | Mention the Space app in a channel (or, if set up that way, any message in chosen channels) | A reply in that message's thread |
| Send an email to a connected mailbox | A threaded reply (Re: subject) when the task finishes | |
| WebSocket | Your own application connects to Space and sends messages | Live, straight back to your app |
Slack and email channels use a connection from Integrations.
Who answers
By default a message goes to an assistant: the receiver's Front Desk. A channel's manager can choose a specific agent to answer instead, under Answered by.
| Channel type | Can be answered by | Takes messages from |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Any of your agents, or a team agent of a group you belong to | You, or members of that team agent's group |
| Group | A team agent of that group | Group members |
| Organization | A team agent | Members of that agent's group |
Messages become tasks run as the sender, with the sender's access, the sender's allowance, and the agent's own approvals.
Messages from people who can't use that agent
Someone who can't use the chosen agent doesn't get it. On a personal channel, a colleague reaches the owner's Front Desk, which has only what its owner listed. This is deliberate: only a Front Desk is built to answer other people.
| Who messages | Goes to |
|---|---|
| The owner, on a personal channel | Their own assistant, as a task |
| Another user, on a personal channel | The owner's Front Desk, as a request they must approve |
| A member, on a group or org channel | Their own assistant (the channel is only a doorway) |
| Someone who isn't a Space user | Nobody. Slack replies “I don't know who you are”, and email is ignored |
How Space knows who you are
- Slack: the sender's Slack email is matched to a Space user. Slack signs its messages.
- Email: the From address is matched to a user. Because an email's sender can be forged, an email-based task always waits for the person to approve first.
- WebSocket: the person is signed in with their account or an access key.
Scope and on/off switches
Channels can be personal, group or organization. There are two switches:
- The manager's switch turns the channel on or off for everyone.
- Your own switch (for group and org channels) lets you opt out. If it's off, your messages are refused, and Slack tells you.
Replies
When the task ends, whether done, failed or declined, Space sends the result once back through the same channel. If sending fails, the problem is noted on the channel instead of retrying forever. Email attachments aren't read. At most 30 messages an hour are accepted per channel and sender.
If the chosen agent is paused, the sender is told so (nobody else answers instead). If it's deleted, the channel goes back to the Assistant.
Setting one up
Ask the copilot: “Create a Slack channel that my Support agent answers.” It checks everything and asks you to confirm. It won't set up the connection itself, since that involves secrets, and will point you to Integrations.