SDK/API enabling public distribution

[luka-mikec]

Hello, I am wondering if the following can be performed using either the Slack HTTP API or any of the SDKs (preferably Python).

After creating the app via manifest, is it possible to generate a link to install the app to an arbitrary workspace, i.e. enable public distribution?

I would like to automate Slack bot creation, but since a workspace should be able to have many of these bots, I need an automated way of creating apps. Creating apps via manifests works well, but apps are private by default, and making them public requires using the UI.

Note I do not have any kind of access to the end-users Slack, I'm only able to provide the installation link to the end-user.

[seratch]

Hi @luka-mikec, thanks for the question!

After creating the app via manifest, is it possible to generate a link to install the app to an arbitrary workspace, i.e. enable public distribution?

Yes, on the Slack app admin page side, you need to do the following:

• Decide the redirect url for OAuth flow and set it in the OAuth section page
• Turn the distribution setting on

To learn how to serve the redirect url, please refer to the following documents:

• https://slack.dev/python-slack-sdk/oauth/index.html
• https://slack.dev/bolt-python/concepts#authenticating-oauth

I you haven't written any code yet, we highly recommend using bolt-python (https://github.com/slackapi/bolt-python) for your app devleopment. The framework makes your app development significantly easier and faster.

I hope this helps.

[luka-mikec]

Hi @seratch, sorry, I'm aware that setting public distribution be achieved in the UI. Is it possible to do it through some API or SDK, without any work in the UI?

[seratch]

@luka-mikec It's not feasible via API / SDK. You need to use the UI for it.

[luka-mikec]

Thanks @seratch, are there any plans to add such support? I know that creating apps via manifests (with API/SDK support) is in beta, maybe this is something that will be added? My impression was that manifests are supposed to capture all the project's settings, so I expected this would be supported too. This public distribution is I think the only thing not supported at the moment (along with setting the app's icon, but that's not very important for my use case)

[seratch]

@luka-mikec My short answer is "probably no". The app manifest is used by the next-generation platform too and it works without any UI interactions. However, it does not support public distribution and it won't at least in the foreeable future. Considering the future-gen's direction, I cannot tell whether and when such an enhancement can come to the the existing app management way.

[seratch]

Perhaps, I don't have any further information that I can share with you on this topic at this moment. Would you mind if we close this issue now?

[luka-mikec]

@seratch I see, thanks, that's a bit sad to hear as this prevents apps to be instantiated fully without UI.