Read Messages from Channel

Pull recent messages from a Slack channel into a workflow so you can summarize, analyze, or act on the conversation.

What It Does

Retrieves the messages posted in a Slack channel over a timeframe you choose and returns them as JSON for downstream steps to read.

When To Use It

Use this when a workflow needs to catch up on what happened in a channel, for example summarizing today's activity in #support or checking a channel before drafting a reply. The AskElephant bot must already be a member of the channel you are reading from.

Configuration

Configure the node with these settings:

Field	What it controls
Channel Name	The channel to read from, with or without the `#` prefix (for example `general` or `#general`). Required. Make sure the AskElephant bot has been added to the channel first.
Timeframe	How far back to look: `TODAY`, `YESTERDAY`, `LAST_7_DAYS`, `LAST_15_DAYS`, or `LAST_30_DAYS`. Defaults to `TODAY`.

Outputs

The node passes these values downstream. Check the Outputs tab on the configured node to confirm exact paths.

Variable	Type	Description	Example
`messages`	`string`	The messages from the channel in JSON format	`{{nodeId.messages}}`

Example Workflow

A daily workflow reads the last 24 hours from #support with Read Messages from Channel, then passes {{nodeId.messages}} into a prompt node that drafts a summary and posts it back to the channel.

Channel Message Sent
Send Message to Channel
Send Slack Message

Need More Help?

Reach the AskElephant support team by:

clicking the Support tab on the right side of your screen,
emailing [email protected],
or using @askelephant support in your dedicated Slack channel.