/teams-app-developer

cli.app-management

purpose

App lifecycle management (slack app), collaborator administration (slack collaborator), and workspace installation controls via the Slack CLI.

rules

1. slack app install installs the production app to a workspace. After slack deploy, use this to install the app in additional workspaces. The app must be deployed before it can be installed.
2. slack app uninstall removes the app from a workspace. Revokes all tokens and permissions. Users lose access to the app's triggers, functions, and datastores in that workspace.
3. slack app delete permanently removes the app. Deletes the app registration from Slack's platform. This is irreversible — all triggers, datastores, and installations are lost. Requires confirmation.
4. slack app link associates an existing app with a project. If you have an app created outside the CLI (e.g., via api.slack.com), link it to your local project for CLI management. Updates .slack/project.json.
5. slack app unlink disconnects an app from the project. Removes the app-to-project mapping in .slack/project.json. The app still exists on Slack's platform — it's just no longer managed by this project directory.
6. slack app list shows apps linked to this project. Displays app IDs, workspace names, and deployment status (dev vs deployed). Useful for multi-workspace setups.
7. slack app settings opens the app config in a browser. Navigates to api.slack.com/apps/<id> for the app's web-based settings page. Useful for configuring features not exposed via CLI.
8. slack collaborator add grants another developer access. They can run CLI commands against the app (deploy, run, trigger management). Requires the collaborator's Slack email or user ID.
9. slack collaborator remove revokes a collaborator's access. They can no longer deploy, run, or manage the app via the CLI.
10. slack collaborator list shows all collaborators. Displays user IDs, emails, and permission levels for the app.
11. slack collaborator update changes a collaborator's role. Modify permissions (e.g., read-only vs full access) for an existing collaborator.
12. Multi-workspace management is first-class. One project can have multiple app installations across workspaces. Each workspace gets its own app ID in .slack/project.json. Use --team to target specific workspaces.

patterns

Pattern 1: App lifecycle workflow

# Deploy the app first (creates/updates the production app)
slack deploy

# Install to additional workspaces
slack app install --team T0SECOND_WS

# List all linked apps and their workspaces
slack app list
# Output:
#   App ID         Team                  Status
#   A01234 (dev)   MyWorkspace (T001)    Development
#   A05678         MyWorkspace (T001)    Deployed
#   A09012         OtherWorkspace (T002) Deployed

# View app settings in browser
slack app settings --app A05678

# Uninstall from a workspace (keeps app, removes from workspace)
slack app uninstall --team T0SECOND_WS

# Permanently delete the app (irreversible!)
slack app delete --app A05678
# CLI prompts: "Are you sure? This cannot be undone." → confirm

Pattern 2: Collaborator management

# Add a collaborator by email
slack collaborator add --email alice@example.com

# Add by Slack user ID
slack collaborator add --user U0ALICE

# List all collaborators
slack collaborator list
# Output:
#   User ID    Email                Role
#   U0OWNER    owner@example.com    Owner
#   U0ALICE    alice@example.com    Collaborator
#   U0BOB      bob@example.com      Collaborator

# Update collaborator role
slack collaborator update --user U0ALICE --role viewer

# Remove a collaborator
slack collaborator remove --user U0ALICE

Pattern 3: Multi-workspace project setup

# Authenticate with multiple workspaces
slack auth login                    # Primary workspace
slack auth login                    # Secondary workspace (repeat login)
slack auth list                     # Shows both workspaces

# Deploy to primary workspace
slack deploy --team T0PRIMARY

# Deploy to secondary workspace (creates a separate app registration)
slack deploy --team T0SECONDARY

# Create triggers per workspace (triggers are workspace-scoped)
slack trigger create --trigger-def triggers/greeting.ts --team T0PRIMARY
slack trigger create --trigger-def triggers/greeting.ts --team T0SECONDARY

# Monitor activity per workspace
slack activity --team T0PRIMARY
slack activity --team T0SECONDARY

# Project config tracks both
cat .slack/project.json
# Shows app IDs for both workspaces

Pattern 4: Linking and unlinking existing apps

# Link an app created via api.slack.com to this project
slack app link --app A0EXISTING --team T0WORKSPACE
# Updates .slack/project.json with the app mapping

# Unlink without deleting the app
slack app unlink --app A0EXISTING
# Removes from .slack/project.json, app still exists on Slack

# Initialize a project and link in one step
cd existing-code/
slack project init
slack app link --app A0EXISTING --team T0WORKSPACE
slack deploy  # Now deploys to the linked app

pitfalls

• slack app delete is irreversible — All data, triggers, and installations are permanently destroyed. Double-check the app ID before confirming. There is no undo.
• Confusing uninstall with delete — uninstall removes from a workspace (reversible via re-install). delete destroys the app entirely.
• Deploying to wrong workspace — Without --team, deploys to the default workspace. Always verify with slack auth list which workspace is active.
• Collaborators vs workspace members — Collaborators are developers who can manage the app via CLI. Workspace members are end users who interact with the app. These are different permission systems.
• Unlinked app still exists — slack app unlink only removes the local project mapping. The app continues running on Slack's platform. To fully remove, use slack app delete.
• Triggers are workspace-scoped — When deploying to multiple workspaces, you must create triggers separately in each workspace. They don't automatically propagate.
• Stale .slack/project.json after manual changes — If you delete an app via the web UI, the local project.json still references it. Run slack app list and slack app unlink to clean up.
• Collaborator email must be a Slack account — The person must have a Slack account in the workspace. External emails without Slack accounts can't be added.

references

• slack app reference
• App installation
• Collaborator management
• Multi-workspace apps
• slack app link

instructions

Do a web search for:

• "Slack CLI app install uninstall delete link management 2025"
• "Slack CLI collaborator add remove permissions"
• "Slack CLI multi-workspace deployment project.json"

Pair with:

• cli.local-dev-deploy.md — deploy before install, dev vs production apps
• cli.getting-started.md — auth and project setup before app management
• cli.manifest-triggers.md — triggers must be created per workspace after install
• bolt-oauth-distribution-ts.md — OAuth distribution for multi-workspace Bolt apps

research

Deep Research prompt:

"Write a micro expert on Slack CLI app management and collaboration. Cover app lifecycle (install, uninstall, delete, link, unlink, list, settings), collaborator management (add, remove, list, update), multi-workspace deployment (--team flag, separate app IDs per workspace, workspace-scoped triggers), project.json workspace mapping, app link/unlink for existing apps, and the difference between dev and deployed app installations. Include canonical patterns for: app lifecycle workflow, collaborator management, multi-workspace setup, linking existing apps."